Poppy use on election signs sparks controversy for two municipal candidates
The use of a remembrance Poppy on election signs in Bradford West Gwillimbury and Newmarket has stirred controversy.
Nickolas Harper, who is vying for a council seat in Bradford and who served overseas in Afghanistan, began his campaign with a Poppy printed on the corner of his election sign.
But according to a letter from the Royal Canadian Legion, Harper's signs are an infringement of the Poppy Trademark and must be removed.
"It caught me off guard. I was shocked," said Harper on Sunday. "To stand up and have pride and show that, it meant a lot to be able come out and say, 'hey, I'm a veteran, we live in your community, we live right here.'"
The letter sent to Harper also reads that the Legion is the largest Veterans organization in Canada and are given the responsibility to preserve the Poppy symbol. By doing so, the letter said, it's ensuring that it's not used for commercial or personal gain.
Harper has since purchased stickers to cover the Poppy.
"What symbol can a veteran use to represent our collective sacrifices? There's a national day of remembrance, but we remember everyday," said Harper.
Harper wasn't the only veteran entering the political arena in central Ontario using a Poppy on their election signs.
Chris Dupee of Newmarket has been campaigning with the Poppy emblazoned on his signs as he seeks a seat in the council chambers.
"It's a direct reflection of who I am and I'm trying my hardest to introduce myself to my community," said Dupee.
The former soldier served with the Royal Canadian Regiment from Petawawa and was a LAV gunner in Afghanistan in 2008 and 2009 before joining the Joint Personnel Unit, which is the Canadian Forces arm that coordinates mental health treatment.
Now retired in Newmarket, he owns a mental health clinic for veterans.
"I do not want to take it down. The Poppy is something very important to me as well as other veterans and believe we should have a symbol that we can use and display with pride," said Dupee, who claimed he wouldn't be removing the Poppy.
In a statement to CTV News the Royal Canadian Legion explained that the Poppy is a symbol of Remembrance of Canada's Fallen and not a tool for political candidates.
"They will need to find other ways to reflect Veteran status during a political campaign," the statement read.
According to a political science professor at Kings University College, using the Poppy could be a competitive advantage.
"There's no party affiliations so candidates are looking for really clear cues for the voter and identifying yourself as a veteran would one of those cues," said Jacquetta Newman
Now with the election weeks away, both Harper and Dupee, who say they had no prior knowledge that either would use a Poppy on their signs, are urging the Legion to reconsider its rules.
"In this inclusionary world we live in toed at I think it's time to maybe have the legion revisit some of these politics of what they symbol mean and what it means to veterans," said Harper.
"The sacrificial of life, limb, mind; it's everything to me," said Dupee referring to the Poppy.
The two said regardless of the results on October 24th they will continue advocating for veterans both locally and across the country.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.