Starting on Saturday, poppy pins will make a return to the chests of Canadians across the country.  

Mayor Cynthia Block was presented with the first poppy of the 2026 Saskatoon Poppy Campaign Friday morning.  Chair of the Campaign Veteran Malcolm Young says for a small donation, the public can pick up poppies at schools, stores, legions, and many other venues across the city.  

“It would be fantastic to see every citizen in this city where a poppy.”

He explains that not only does this recognize those who fight to protect Canada, but the donations collected go towards supporting veterans and their families.  

“I personally have witnessed the power of those monies in how they’re used to support veterans who are in need. We all have this belief that people live their lives and move forward as we’d all like to see, but service has consequences.”

Young adds that the Wainwright tragedy from last week highlights the risks that come with serving your country. Young says those who died will be honoured at the Remembrance Day Ceremony at SaskTel Centre on November 11th. 

“We’ll be very mindful of the deaths of the four young soldiers who died in Wainwright last week and the injured and wounded as a result of that incident, but also others across Canada. Military service comes with risks, and unfortunately, that happens.”

On Saturday, 4 military personnel died after a fire swept through the base during a training activity. Another 39 were sent to hospital.