Brantford Poppy Project will be hosting one of many community workshops at the Royal Canadian Legion, Dunsdon Branch #461, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 14, 2026.
Chad Martin, Chair of the Brantford Poppy Project and the Brantford Station Neighbourhood Association, described the campaign as a community-driven art initiative that will transform hundreds of handmade crocheted and knitted poppies into a meaningful public art installation.
“The goal is to create an art piece that we can install somewhere, or in multiple locations throughout the community, to create a space where people can pause and reflect, and really take the time to appreciate what we have because of the sacrifices of others,” he said. “Not just for the fallen – for soldiers and veterans – but the sacrifices that all Canadians made to allow us to have the freedoms and privileges we have today.”
“In a nutshell, we’re gathering makers and creative people who knit and crochet, and we’re making poppies,” Martin continued. “Those poppies are going to be attached to a netting system, and those nets will be used in a variety of display areas. Brantford has a very deep history when it comes to Canada’s military, so we’re looking at a number of areas where we could put these displays.”
The project chair, whose background in school and his early professional career revolves around military history, said it was those stories and the people that ultimately inspired the initiative.
“I’ve written a number of articles and pieces about veterans and those who served, and I’ve found with the way the last number of years have been in both the political and social climate, that remembrance has kind of become distorted. It’s being intertwined with patriotism, but that’s not necessarily what it’s about,” said Martin. “The reason I say that is because it’s about appreciating that, while you may not agree with why those sacrifices were made, how they were made or the reasoning behind wars, it’s still something that people did to help give us what we have today. Those people were human beings just like us. They might have been around 100 years ago, but they had hopes and dreams, they had families, and they put their lives on hold and at risk for something bigger than them.”
Having been involved in Geoffrey Moyer’s Great War Centenary project, which created a data base of more than 5,000 soldiers from Brantford, the County of Brant and Six Nations of the Grand River who served in World War One, Martin said reading their letters opened his eyes to the realities faced by soldiers and their families. To the stark realization of the unknown and what the people at home did to try to help out, all while being unsure if their loved one was ever coming back.
“I think people need to really take a deep dive and consider how much of a ripple effect wars have on all of society. Regardless of beliefs or religion, the World Wars affected everyone, and yet, they still came together to work towards a common goal, whether it be in the factories, be it volunteering to knit toques, scarves or mitts for the troops, or helping out with the Red Cross,” he said. “A lot of people did what they could while still sitting at home and wondering whether or not their child would ever come back. That’s where something like the Poppy Project comes in, because remembrance isn’t about flag waving, it’s about creating a way for people to pause and reflect. It’s about appreciating those sacrifices.”
What started out as a way to simply honour those from his local neighbourhood who served, quickly snowballed.
“The people in the Brantford Station Neighbourhood Association started chatting amongst ourselves and Sharon Gashgarian [a local fabric artist] said, ‘I’ve seen people do these Poppies,’” recalled Martin. “I knew my hometown had done it, as well as Caledonia and other communities and the next thing you know, we all agreed, ‘We should do that.’”
The neighbourhood association eventually put together a proposal for the project and pitched it to the City of Brantford, gaining its support. They soon started working with the Dunsdon Legion and received permission to use the symbol of the poppy and teamed up with the Brant Historical Society as well.
“It went from three or four of us in the neighbourhood talking about what we could do, to all of a sudden everyone throwing their hands up and saying, ‘I want to help, what can we do?’” said Martin. “We’ve now had over 150 makers involved, five neighbourhood associations wanting to participate in workshops, we’ve got multiple museums and the Navy League of Canada – Brantford Branch too. We’re going to be at the Tulips and Maples Festival this Saturday as well. It’s just wild how many people want to get involved…it started out as this small neighbourhood initiative and it’s really become this massive community-wide project.”
Even Paris and Burford have their own Poppy Projects now taking place as well.
As far as what to expect from the workshops, Martin said they’re more than just sitting down and pumping out poppies, they’re about community.
“I keep describing them like a quilting bee where people come together, sit around, chat and enjoy each other’s company while making poppies,” he said. “And if you’ve never crocheted or knitted before, we set you up with someone that’s experienced, and they guide you through it and mentor you until you feel comfortable, and then away you go.”
The chair said that while people are more than welcome to purchase their own yarn and bring their own tools, the Poppy Project is providing kits with the exact amount of yarn needed to make three poppies.
Those interested in getting involved can either attend one of the free drop-in workshops, or create them on their own time wherever they are, noting that the Poppy Project website has a resource page with a list of materials and video instructions on how to create them.
When you’re ready to donate, Martin said you can either drop them off at one of the workshops or at several other locations around town including Sweet Bakery, Brant Museum & Archives, the Navy League Brantford-Brant, Pharmasave Smith Drugs & Apothecary, Coffer & Hutch, Serenity County Candles or the Dunsdon Legion.
He added that people also have the option to create felt poppies as well.
“We’ve made these templates and we’ve been providing wool felt which can handle outdoor conditions and the instructions on how to make a felt Poppy,” said Martin. “It’s great because we can even send these kits into schools so the kids can take some time to make the poppies, and it gives the teachers an opportunity to talk about remembrance and Brantford, Brant County and Six Nations’ contributions. Once the poppies are done, they can be sent back and we’ll attach them to the netting.”
Not only are the felt poppies good for children, but for those who may not have the dexterity to crochet or knit.
“We want to make this as accessible as possible, which is fantastic because we just got an email from a senior centre saying they would love to participate,” he said. “We’ll provide them with the patterns and the materials, and they can just go at their own speed.”
For those looking for other ways to get involved, Martin said that people can either donate monetarily, through sponsorship or by even donating materials; a list of which is on the website.
He added that when it’s time to tie all the poppies to the nets in October, they’re looking forward to giving the opportunity to the local cadets, the Scouts and the Girl Guides the chance to practice their knot tying, but that other volunteers can get involved too.
As far as upcoming workshops, there will be one on May 5 at the Brant Museum and Archives, May 9 at the Brant Naval Veteran Association, May 14 at the Dunsdon Legion, and May 28 at the Myrtleville House Museum.
Overall, Martin said that while he still can’t believe how far this small initiative has snowballed, he’s thrilled it’s brought the community together.
“Everyone has a different reason for participating in this,” he said. “It’s just fantastic because not only is it creating something that will spur that emotion and gratitude but again, we’re also building community by bringing people together and that’s what it’s all about.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
