Historic Martintown, Ont. mill adorned with wreath made of 1,500 poppies

More than 1,500 crocheted poppies were made into a massive wreath for the community of Martintown. CTV’s Dylan Dyson reports.

The small community of Martintown, Ont. has made a grand gesture for this Remembrance Day.

Hanging from the face of its 180-year-old mill is a 25-foot-tall wreath, made from roughly 1,500 poppies that were crocheted by residents of the community.

“I started with a friend about five years ago, crocheting poppies for over in England,” says Jean MacIntyre, who came up with the idea to start the project, “and then I thought, why are we sending them over to England when we can make it for here?”

In September, MacIntyre began her needling. She says it took her about 20 minutes to crochet each poppy, but she knew she needed more help.

“About 30 people crocheted poppies,” says Ashley Savoy, MacIntyre’s niece who took on the project’s organization efforts.

“So, 30 people, as far away as Alberta, who have connections to the area, mailed poppies to us.”

“Really, it’s for the community,” adds MacIntyre. “I wanted something for the community to stand out, and we have the old mill and that was the best thing to show it off.”

For community members like Gerald Duguid, who spent 35 years in the Canadian Armed Forces as a combat engineer, the oversized display is special.

“My wife and I drove by here on Sunday and I was very emotional. I still am today,” Duguid tells CTV News.

“When I think about that - because Remembrance Day week, it’s very emotional for me - I think about the people I know that have passed away.”

For such a small community, roughly 100 kilometres east of Ottawa, there is a deep history of military service. Twenty-six residents from the area sacrificed their lives between the First and Second World War.

Duguid was part of the committee that helped bring the first cenotaph to Martintown in 2020, which displays the names of those 26 people.

“The soldiers, airmen, sailors who gave their lives, they are remembered. And if you look behind here,” Duguid says pointing to the 25-foot wreath, “little Martintown, we remember.”

Savoy says upwards of 2,500 poppies were made in total; some held back to replace poppies that get damaged by the weather or fall off, and others to add to the display next year.

“We’re just so thankful to live in Canada. We appreciate the freedom that we have,” says Vanessa Blackadder, a local resident who contributed to the project.

“We want to recognize the people who are aging, who made sure that we have these rights and freedoms.”

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