Poppy campaign generously supports veteran care at Deer Lodge Centre


Ryan McBride


than a symbol of remembrance, poppies also honour our veterans — including those currently serving, ex- personnel, and their families — through funds raised by the Royal Canadian Legion’s annual poppy cam- paigns.


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“Remembrance is the cornerstone of the Royal Canadian Legion's work in Canada,” says Ronn An- derson, chairperson of the St. James Legion No. 4’s poppy campaign. “The poppy campaign looks back in remembrance and forward to the needs of our veterans today and tomorrow.” The campaign does this by sup- porting grants for food, clothing, medication, medical appliances and equipment, emergency shelter, hous- ing, medical training and research. Some of the funds also support educational bursaries for descendants of veterans and remembrance activities that ensure Cana- dians never forget the sacrifices made by veterans. Dominion Command provides the supplies — in- cluding the poppies. The campaigns themselves are conducted by volunteers, which keeps expenses ex- tremely low. “That means when we spend the money, we spend it on our veterans.” Anderson, who has chaired the St. James Legion campaign since 2000, says each legion branch man- ages its own campaign, but all proceeds go into the Royal Canadian Legion’s Poppy Trust Fund. From there, funds are dispersed according to strict guide- lines. Branches can request some of the money to go towards programs or services that help veterans in their local community. Deer Lodge Centre, for example, is one of several charities that benefit from the St. James Branch cam- paign. Poppy funds directed to Deer Lodge support medical equipment that enhances the care veterans receive at the centre. Over the past 17 years, the cam- paign has raised between $5,000 and $10,000 per year for Deer Lodge Centre. A retired veteran of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Anderson also represents the Royal Canadian Legion


ach year since 1921, 13 million poppies bloom on the jackets, hats and lapels of Canadians in remembrance of our country’s war dead. More


on the Deer Lodge Centre Foundation’s board of di- rectors. He says that in his experience, the number of people contributing to the fund has continued to grow — which is important because the needs of veterans have not diminished over the decades. “Deer Lodge has always provided great support


to our veterans — not just those of past conflicts like the Second World War and Korean War, but also to younger veterans serving in more recent operations.” Many of today’s younger veterans in Manitoba and elsewhere receive care from the Operational Stress In- jury Clinic, which is located at Deer Lodge Centre. The OSI Clinic, funded by Veterans Affairs Canada, treats military and police personnel suffering from mental health conditions sustained while on duty, whether those injuries are the result of deployment, operations, or training exercises. Operational stress injuries in- clude post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse,


family dynamics issues, physical pain, sleep problems, nightmare disorder, and anxiety. “In the First World War we called it shell shock.


We didn’t know much about it then,” says Anderson. “Thanks to places like the OSI Clinic, we know much more about it today, and we see the incredible value of supporting PTSD treatment and research.” The OSI Clinic treated more than 450 people last


year. Those are 450 more reasons, says Anderson, to wear your poppy with pride. You can support the Royal Canadian Legion Poppy Campaign in the weeks leading up to Remembrance Day by donating to poppy boxes at businesses and retail outlets, restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations, and more. You can also donate to your local Legion Branch,


or directly to the National Poppy Trust Fund at www. legion.ca.


Blue jays close to top of popularity lists in our backyards T


he blue jay is one of the most pop- ular and widely recognized back- yard birds. This bird is colourful


not only in appearance but also in character. A highly entertaining creature, it visits birdfeeders in every season and can be heard throughout the neigh- bourhood as it announces its presence. You can eas- ily attract blue jays to your backyard with the right foods and feeders, and you will be greatly rewarded with their antics. Several years after their popula- tion was first affected by the West Nile virus, they seem to have made a great comeback and been the star attraction in many backyards. The blue jay’s range is vast throughout


Sherrie Versluis Feathered Friends


North America, as they breed in both deciduous and coniferous forests. They are most easily identified by their bright blue plumage accented with a black collar around their neck and a white chest. The male and female are identical in appear- ance. Breeding season is from mid-April to late July; nests are built in almost any tree, but evergreens are their preference. The nest is perfectly constructed with an array of materials like twigs, bark, moss, cloth, paper and mud. Three to six eggs are laid and hatch in 16 to 18 days, and the young fledge the nest 17 to 21 days later. The family stays together, as the young are taught to forage for food until early fall, when the parents force them to disperse. Blue jays are very vocal and have sev- eral calls. They have a loud scream-like


10 www.lifestyles55.net


call and a calm, almost warble-like sound. They are also renowned for mimicking the sounds of other birds, hawks in particular. Other vocalizations usually go with a particular situa- tion, such as one that indi- cates agitation and another that brings neighbourhood blue jays together to chase away hawks and other pred- ators from the area. A few key factors should be considered by home- owners wanting to attract blue jays to their birdfeed- ers. One is the size of jays. They are much larger than most feeder birds, so an appropriate-sized feeder is important. A platform feed- er is ideal as it is an open-


style feeder and easy to land on. There are many versions of this feeder; some even have roofs to help keep snow off in win- ter.


Blue jays like a variety of foods, like


striped and black-oil sunflower, cracked corn and peanuts, their absolute favou- rite. Unsalted peanuts in the shell is the ultimate treat for jays; the peanuts can be offered on the platform feeder, or there are actual feeders that dispense the nuts. A peanut feeder will also attract wood- peckers, nuthatches and chickadees: they cling to the feeder to chip away at the shell to uncover a nutty treat. This allows for great viewing pleasure, as all the birds spend time at the feeder while they work at the peanuts. Other blue jay favourites include dried


corn on the cob and seed blocks, which are compressed cakes of nuts, seeds and fruits. There are feeders available to offer


These colourful birds make their presence with scream-like calls and calm warbling. Photo by Amanda Struz


all these foods and most will attract more than just blue jays. Blue jays are sometimes viewed as being aggressive at feeders, as most birds scatter when they arrive. As with all creatures in nature there is a hierarchy and blue jays are high up in the songbird world. They will not keep other birds from your feed- ing stations but rather aid in attracting with their calls. They also have a reputa- tion for raiding nests of eggs or chicks, but studies show this accounts for a mere one per cent of their diet.


Some interesting facts on blue jays: • They are monogamous pairs that bond for life • The blue jay is the provincial bird for Prince Edward Island • The oldest known blue jay was a cap-


tive bird that lived 26 years. The common wild age is about 7 years but one was re-


corded via leg-banding records to have lived over 17 years. • Their feathers are not actually blue!


The unique structure of the feathers reflect light and appear blue. If you were to crush a feather and damage that structure, the blue colour would change to brown. • Their love of acorns has earned them


credit for helping plant oak trees after the last glacial period • The black bridle across the face and throat is different on each bird and is be- lieved to help jays recognize each other. Have a closer look at your blue jays to see if you can spot a difference.


This season, take part in the entertain-


ing world of feeding birds and let the only winter blues you experience be blue jays! Sherrie Versluis owns The Preferred Perch on St. Mary’s Road. Call her at 204-257- 3724.


October 2017


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