Calgary students learn importance of poppies by growing their own

A group of Grade 3 students in Calgary got a first-hand lesson on the significance of poppies Thursday.

After growing Flanders poppies in two greenhouses for the past few months, students from Dr. J.K. Mulloy elementary school in northwest Calgary presented them to residents at the Colonel Belcher retirement home in honour of Remembrance Day.

About 100 students from the school's choir also performed WW II-era music during the ceremony.

• MORE CALGARY NEWS|Controversial poppy doughnut sold at Calgary Tim Hortons pulled after social media stir
• MORE CALGARY NEWS|Legion commandeers Wounded Warriors Canada fundraising campaign over use of poppy

"It's important to help out the veterans because they helped us have a peaceful world by fighting in the war," said student Eva, one of several dozen who took part.

The poppies were first planted by members of the city's parks department in mid-August, as they take around 12 weeks to grow, said teacher Carol Schmidt, who helped oversee the project.

When students arrived for class in early September, they took over tending the plants at the school's greenhouses.

"We wanted them to be a part of that project to more deeply understand the significance of the poppy and what it means to Remembrance Day," said Schmidt.

"We were hoping they would be blooming by this week but we know it is going to take probably another week or so before we have healthy blooms."