Newmarket Ward 4 council candidate and veteran Chris Dupee said he plans to be defiant about having a poppy on his campaign signs.
But Dupee said that should not have happened — and he will be keeping his poppy signs even if he is asked to remove them.
“The poppy will stay up on my material and the legion, myself and my representation will engage in due time,” he said, adding he would engage respectfully. “I’ve got one shot to properly reflect myself to my community. The poppy being a perfect representation of that reflection, because I remember every day.”
The Royal Canadian Legion has a registered trademark of the poppy image. According to its website, any symbol usage must be submitted to it for approval.
“The legion ensures that the remembrance poppy is not used to commercialize, politicize, or dishonour those who served or to misrepresent the poppy campaign and the donations it raises,” the legion website states.
Royal Canadian Legion Branch 426 Newmarket president Ted McCarron said they were unaware of the signs before a NewmarketToday inquiry but are now looking into the matter.
However, Dupee said the legion should redefine who can use the poppy.
He said veterans do not have much in the way of symbolism to use to represent themselves.
“Anything that we get to show our service, our appreciation for sacrifice,” said the veteran who served in Afghanistan. “It’s how we remember our fallen comrades … The legion needs to perhaps support veterans, and especially those who are continuing to serve the veteran community and their communities, and not threaten to take them down with lawsuits. Legion money could be used in many more effective ways.”
Asked about non-veteran candidates using it, Dupee indicated he was not necessarily opposed.
“That’s the catch-22,” he said. “But at the end of the day, it’s a Canadian symbol, and anybody should be allowed to use it… It’s just a flower of remembrance.”
The candidate is not sure where the conversation with the legion will go after he rejects an ask to remove the poppy from his signs.
As far as whether the symbol should not be used in a political campaign like this, he said others are free to disagree with him.
“Everybody has the right to their opinion, and my fathers before that fought for exactly that. So they can have an opinion,” he said.
Harper, who did two tours in Afghanistan, told BradfordToday he was unaware of the legion policy but was willing to take the signs down when asked.
"I understand their point and their trademark; my intention was not for political gain, but to bring awareness to veterans and their issues. ... We live in your backyard, we are here,” he said.
But Dupee said he does not believe it was right for the legion to ask Harper to take the sign down.
“If anybody can crawl into his head and climb around those memories, they’d understand why he’s got the poppy on there. And same with me,” he said. “I’m not going to take it down, nor let it distract me.”
-With files from BradfordToday
