A Toronto woman is turning handmade “door poppies” into support for local veterans and their families as Remembrance Day approaches.

Margot Rockett is working to meet demand after her creations went viral on TikTok, according to reporting by Global News’ Rachel Morgan. The large, wreath-like poppies can be displayed on doors, walls and windows.

“It’s a bigger, bolder way to say I remember,” Rockett told Global News.

Rockett’s father served in the Air Force during the Second World War and spent the last few years of his life at the Sunnybrook Veterans Centre. She said the care he received inspired her to give back to the Poppy Fund and the Legion.

She developed the door poppy during the pandemic by adapting a flower she had previously made. The poppies cost $10 each and are officially licensed by the Legion.

All proceeds go to Rockett’s Legion branch at Coxwell and Gerrard. Rockett said the money stays in the community to support veterans and their families.

Shelley Lyons, the branch’s vice-president, told Global News that the initiative has become an important source of income for its poppy campaign. She hopes it will also encourage more people to pay their respects around Remembrance Day.

Rockett said she is working long hours to keep up with orders.

“I think if my dad were here, he’d be really proud,” she said.

Sources