The Royal Canadian Legion marks its centenary in 2026, as its annual Poppy Campaign comes to an end on Remembrance Day, Wednesday, November 11. The campaign, which runs from October 24 to November 11, is the Legion’s most visible work of the year, raising funds to support veterans and their families while the red poppy is worn across the country as a symbol of remembrance.
The Legion was founded in 1925, and 2026 marks 100 years since its creation. The centenary is being marked throughout Veterans’ Week, from November 5 to 11, which Veterans Affairs Canada observes each year ahead of Remembrance Day. The National Remembrance Day Ceremony in Ottawa, organised by the Legion on behalf of the people of Canada, is the centrepiece of the day, beginning at about 10.30am at the National War Memorial, with the two minutes of silence at 11am.
A century of service to veterans
The Legion’s work goes beyond the poppy. Its branches host Remembrance Day ceremonies in communities across Canada, from big cities to small towns, and its members provide support to veterans, advocate for their interests, and keep the memory of those who served alive. The Sentry Program, established in 1998, recognises outstanding Regular Force, Reserve Force and Royal Canadian Mounted Police members for their dedication, professionalism and performance. This year’s sentries include Officer Cadet Quinn MacDonald, selected as Sentry Commander to mark the 150th anniversary of the Royal Military College of Canada, one of 11 Canadian Armed Forces members and one RCMP officer chosen for the program.
The poppy itself remains the enduring symbol. Worn in the days leading up to November 11, it honours those who died in military service and recognises Canada’s veterans. The campaign’s end on Remembrance Day is not the end of the Legion’s work for the year, but the moment when the public act of remembrance reaches its peak.
A shared Commonwealth tradition
The centenary comes as Remembrance Day is observed across the Commonwealth, with ceremonies in the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand all timed to 11am local time. In the UK, the National Service of Remembrance was held at the Cenotaph in London on Remembrance Sunday, November 8, with a further two-minute silence at 11am today for Armistice Day. In Australia, the minute’s silence at 11am honours more than 103,000 Australians who have lost their lives in service.
For the Legion, the centenary is a chance to look back at a century of service and forward to the next. The organisation’s branches will continue their work through the winter, supporting veterans and their families, long after the last poppy of the campaign is worn.
