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Seniors craft 10,000 poppies for Dartmouth display

Residents who live at Oakwood Terrace Nursing Home have been hard at work knitting and crocheting an extravagant poppy display.

Residents from Oakwood Terrace Nursing Home have been knitting, crocheting the poppies since 2020

Celina Aalders · CBC News ·
An old brick church is decorated with about 5,000 bright red, hand-made poppies.
Approximately 5,000 handmade poppies are on display outside the Sanctuary Arts Centre in Dartmouth. The other half are inside the old church. (Celina Aalders/CBC)

A group of seniors has been hard at work, knitting and crocheting an extravagant poppy display to honour Canadian veterans and their sacrifices. 

More than 10,000 poppies are showcased inside and outside the Sanctuary Arts Centre in Dartmouth, N.S. On Monday, the poppies will be moved to Dartmouth's cenotaph where they'll remain until after Remembrance Day. 

Residents at the Oakwood Terrace Nursing Home, along with community volunteers, have been doing this project every November since 2020. Each year they add a few thousand more poppies to the display. 

Approximately 5,000 bright red poppies are on display on a stage inside an old church.
The remaining 5,000 poppies are on display inside the Sanctuary Arts Centre. (Celina Aalders/CBC)

"It's such a wonderful way to have them feel like they're contributing in their communities," said Chantal Beaulieu, recreation programmer for Oakwood Terrace. 

She said it's been about five years since a veteran lived at the nursing home, but many of the residents are relatives of people who served during the First and Second World Wars. 

"There's such a deep, personal meaning for them that resonates deeply," Beaulieu said. 

A bright red and black knitted poppy
The poppies are all knit or crocheted. (Celina Aalders/CBC)
A man and woman stand in front of a wall of a couple hundred hand-made poppies. They are bright red and black.
Chantal Beaulieu is the recreation programmer for Oakwood Terrace. David McIntyre, a retired major, served in the Canadian Air Force for 39 years. (Mark Crosby/CBC)

Beaulieu and her team have also created a "wall of honour" this year with the names of modern-day veterans. 

David McIntyre, a retired major, served in the Canadian Air Force for 39 years. He often volunteers at Oakwood Terrace, putting on musical performances.  

His name is among the approximately 200 veterans on the wall, along with his brother's.

"It means everything," said McIntyre. "I served, I have two brothers who served, a father who served, many uncles. It means a lot." 

Beaulieu and McIntyre are both a part of a Saturday night tribute concert at the arts centre. 

The performance and poppy display have become yearly traditions that they hope to continue growing for many years to come. 

Evelyn's Day 

Beaulieu said many of the seniors work on making the poppies throughout the year, but one resident named Evelyn was especially passionate about the project during its first couple years. 

"She would get up every morning and make one before breakfast, and every night before she went to bed she'd make one," said Beaulieu. 

Evelyn has since died, but her family gets together every Sunday to make poppies in her honour. They call it "Evelyn's Day." 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Celina Aalders

Reporter

Celina is a TV, radio and web reporter with CBC Nova Scotia. She holds a master's degree in journalism and communication. Story ideas are always welcomed at celina.aalders@cbc.ca

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