There Has Been 'A Significant Drop' In How Many Canadians Are Wearing Poppies This Year

With COVID-19 still sticking around, Remembrance Day in Canada will be different and fewer people are commemorating the day and wearing poppies.

A new poll from Historica Canada conducted by Ipsos shows that engagement with the annual day of remembrance is way down.

About 71% of Canadians said that they will wear poppies this year which is down 14 points from last year and only 28% will attend ceremonies either virtually or in-person which is down 13 points.

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This is the first time in many years that we've seen a significant drop in engagement of this nature. Anthony Wilson-Smith

"This is the first time in many years that we've seen a significant drop in engagement of this nature," said Anthony Wilson-Smith, President and CEO of Historica Canada, in a press release.

Even though COVID-19 is playing a big role in how people commemorate Remembrance Day this year, there are concerns about how much Canadians know about past sacrifices.

Around 71% of respondents said that ceremonies are likely to become smaller and smaller as veterans of WWII pass away.

When it comes to knowing military history, 59% of people said they know more about Canada than the U.S. which is a drop of eight points year over year.

Depending on where you live, you might get Remembrance Day off from work as a public or statutory holiday.

This comes just after Whole Foods faced backlash recently for banning workers from wearing poppies but changed the rule after public outcry.