CREDIT: Ottawa Citizen - Pam Champagne (right) is shown adjusting a poppy on Ernie Pelletier's blazer as the Bells Corners Legion poppy campaign was kicked off.
Posted on 11/03/2005 8:56:39 AM PST by NorthOf45
Vets win right to sell poppies in post offices
Steve Lambert
Canadian Press
November 03, 2005
CREDIT: Ottawa Citizen - Pam Champagne (right) is shown adjusting a poppy on Ernie Pelletier's blazer as the Bells Corners Legion poppy campaign was kicked off.
WINNIPEG -- Veterans have won a battle far removed from the front lines of Europe, Asia and Africa. They've gained the right to sell poppies inside Canada Post offices across the country.
The Royal Canadian Legion's annual poppy campaign got off to a rocky start in the northern Manitoba town of The Pas last week when veterans were told they could not sell the familiar red lapel pins inside the post office. "It's like somebody slapped me in the face," Duke Dutkiewicz, chair of the local poppy campaign, said Wednesday in a telephone interview.
"It's a Crown corporation. Don't the people of Canada own the bloody thing?
"That's what (veterans) went out and fought for, so we would have all these things."
Dutkiewicz said the post office had allowed poppy sales in previous years and the change of heart was a surprise.
Canada Post said it has always had a policy against letting charities set up on its premises, but the policy was not always enforced and some local offices have allowed poppy sales over the years.
"The overall practice of Canada Post has always been to say no to coin boxes on our postal counters," said spokeswoman Teresa Williams of Edmonton.
"If you say yes to one (group), you've got many, many others who feel that they are also legitimate organizations that should be allowed to have their coin boxes on our counters."
The Pas residents, including the mayor and New Democrat MP Bev Desjarlais, got behind the legion branch. Canada Post changed its mind, averting the potential public relations disaster of engaging in a public spat with veterans in the lead-up to Remembrance Day.
"Canada Post is not an ogre. We certainly do listen to the public," Williams said.
Canada Post president Moya Greene announced Wednesday that all post offices would be advised to allow poppy sales.
But the Crown corporation cautioned the change does not apply to other non-profit groups.
"It is going to be difficult, because how does a Crown corporation say yes to some and no to others?" asked Williams.
"This is an exception only for the legion. For the other 65,000 charities, we still have the practice of saying no."
Williams said Canada Post has honoured veterans in other ways, including special stamps.
The dispute has left Dutkiewicz with a bad taste in his mouth.
"It would appear that unless Canada Post isn't making a profit on (something), they're not interested," he said.
"That really got our feathers ruffled."
"It is going to be difficult, because how does a Crown corporation say yes to some and no to others?" asked Williams
I'll help 'ya out here, ask them, "Does your organization have members that have fought in foreign wars in order to preserve peace and democracy and save mankind" See how easy that was??
I guess one needs to know if they are failing in that challenge. I don't think they are . How do you measure ? Perhaps in another generation. Right now ,I know is that it's not necessarily viewed as simply a day off school.
That word is the most disgusting that Canada has imported
in the last half century.
It'll be the downfall of us all.
Sharia is not law in ontario....and never will be.
McGuinty shot it down.
I am not sure what you meant by "almost caused him from
allowing it"?
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