PORT PERRY — A massive banner made of approximately 8,000 handmade crocheted poppies has been draped over the Scugog Township office in Port Perry, Ont., for the past two weeks. The quilt-like installation was organized by local florist Sharon Runnalls as a collective act of remembrance. Runnalls said she wanted the project to be large and impactful, with the poppies moving in the wind like a wave in a field. The effort began four years ago with a smaller display in her shop and grew through community contributions.

"I wanted to do something very large and impactful," Runnalls told CBC Toronto. She got the idea from similar poppy projects in England and approached the township and the legion last year to get the banner project approved. Runnalls then canvassed knitting and crochet groups for contributions, quickly exceeding her goal of collecting 7,000 poppies. The final installation uses baseball nets as a base, with the poppies attached by zip ties to create the flowing effect.

"Like in nature, when you see them in a field and they're blowing, that was kind of my vision," she said. The community response was immediate and widespread, with people from municipalities including Uxbridge, Oshawa, Whitby, Toronto and East Gwillimbury reaching out for yarn or crochet patterns. Runnalls also received poppies mailed from France and England. "Seniors, young kids, all across generations. The response was huge," said Runnalls. "I was surprised at how many people actually knit and crochet."

The display has drawn emotional reactions from visitors. Lee Ann Brubacher from Ottawa stopped while driving through the area and was moved to tears. "My father was in the armed forces," she said. "This is absolutely gorgeous, it’s the most beautiful display I’ve ever seen." Trudy Savinsky, 91, from Newmarket, said the poppies bring back memories of the Second World War. "Every soldier has got a family, nice people who remember them," she said. "My wish is that it would never happen again, never."

Runnalls said this show of respect is typical for Port Perry, where Remembrance Day is marked with banners on street lights and storefront displays. "I think everybody understands the significance," she said. "Taking that time to show that respect is something that a lot of people feel here is very important." The project's origins date to a dress she made from legion-bought and crocheted poppies for her floral shop four years ago, which became a community hit and inspired her to think bigger. Donations of crocheted poppies are still arriving, and Runnalls said she already has another 1,500 ready. She plans to use them for an even larger installation next year. "This was sort of the start, and everybody would just sort of respond to this in such a positive way that I just felt that people wanted a bigger act of remembrance," Runnalls said.