Poppies, as symbols of remembrance, have existed in Canada for 100 years, but things can still change for them.
This year, the bank HSBC has partnered with the Royal Canadian Legion to make it easier for people to donate to the legion. With coins used less often these days and tap-to-pay technology becoming more common, they're using the HSBC Pay Tribute box.
It's pretty simple — just a white box with slots for poppy pins and three places to tap. Each spot is for a different denomination, there are $2, $5, and $10 options.
"With more and more of us relying on the convenience of cards and mobile devices to make day-to-day payments, HSBC proudly partnered with The Legion to give Canadians the opportunity to support our Veterans in a safe and contactless way: the Pay Tribute donation box," says HSBC on its website.
Each year the poppy campaign raises money for the Legion, which supports Canadian veterans and service members. The poppy, as a symbol, was popularized by Canadian Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae's poem 'In Flanders Fields' and expanded upon by Anna Guerin of France, who created poppies for people to wear as a way to raise money.
This is the 100-year anniversary of the poppy being used in Canada in this way.
"In July of 1921 the Great War Veterans Association (which in 1925 would unify with other Veteran groups to form the Canadian Legion) adopted the Poppy as the flower of Remembrance," states the Legion on its website.
The contactless poppy boxes are located across Canada in HSBCs and a few other locations. The map below shows where you can pick one up. Other poppy boxes still exist, of course, across many locations in Metro Vancouver.
