'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
With Remembrance Day right around the corner, poppies are in full bloom as Canadians wear the tiny red flower in honour of those who fought for the country.
This November, Canadians are commemorating something else, too. The poppy marks 100 years as a symbol of remembrance in Canada. First adopted on July 6, 1921 following the First World War, the poppy continues to be worn in honour of the millions of Canadians who have served and continue to serve Canada during times of war, conflict and peace.
Despite its long history, there are plenty of fascinating facts about the flower that may not be familiar. Here are eight things you may not know about the poppy.
1. The poppy’s use as a symbol of remembrance was inspired by a poem.
While many may be familiar with John McCrae’s “In Flanders Fields,” it was this poem that actually inspired the use of the poppy as a symbol of remembrance in Canada and the Commonwealth. McCrae, a lieutenant-colonel from Guelph, Ont., served as a medical officer during the First World War. He wrote the poem in May of 1915, following the death of a fellow soldier.
2. Poppies grew on battlefields because of the rubble.
“In Flanders Fields the poppies blow,” is how the famous poem begins. But did you know poppies grew on battlefields because of the debris that remained? Bombardments of artillery during the First World War left fragmented remains on the fields. The lime in the rubble acted as fertilizer for the poppies, allowing them to grow. The flowers grew widely in Europe, particularly countries like France and Belgium, as a result. After the poppies had finished absorbing the lime, they began to disappear.
3. The poppy has served as a symbol of sleep and death for a long time.
According to Greek and Roman mythology, poppies were often placed on tombstones to represent eternal sleep. Some even thought the vibrant red colour guaranteed resurrection after death. Poppies were also discovered in King Tutankhamun’s tomb when he was buried around 1324 B.C. The flowers appeared on pieces of jewellery like his collar, as well as furniture. In Ancient Egypt, the poppy was a symbol of Osiris, the god of the dead.
4. Not all poppies are red.
In fact, they come in many colours such as orange, yellow, pink, white and even blue.
5. Poppies are worn on the left side.
Whether it’s on a lapel, collar or chest, poppies are worn on the left side. This is so that it stays as close to the heart as possible.
6. Poppies can be worn at any time of year.
According to Veterans Affairs Canada, poppies can be worn at commemorative events throughout the year, not just on Remembrance Day. The Royal Canadian Legion states that poppies can also be worn at the funeral of a veteran, memorial services and anniversaries of significant battles, such as Vimy Ridge.
7. Poppies are used to make morphine.
While poppy seeds themselves don’t contain opium, when harvested, it’s possible for them to become coated in the substance or absorb it. The milky latex within each unripe seed is the key ingredient that is then used to create morphine, a widely known painkiller.
8. The poppy as a symbol of remembrance in Canada started with a French woman.
Inspired by McCrae’s famous poem, it was a woman named Madame Anna Guerin who persuaded the Great War Veterans Association at the time to adopt the poppy as a symbol of remembrance. The French Poppy Lady herself founded a charity to help rebuild parts of France destroyed by the First World War. She made poppies out of fabric and sold them as a way of raising money for veterans’ needs, and those most impacted by the war. The idea was adopted in Canada on July 6, 1921.
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.
English, history, entertainment, math and geography: high school trivia teams could be quizzed on any of it when they compete at the Reach for the Top Nationals in Ottawa in June.
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'
The Regina Police Service says it is the first in Saskatchewan and possibly Canada to implement new technology in its detention facility that will offer real-time monitoring of detainees’ vital health metrics.
Just as she had feared, a restaurant owner from eastern Quebec who visited Montreal had her SUV stolen, but says it was all thanks to the kindness of strangers on the internet — not the police — that she got it back.