The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

26 - The Oakville Beaver, Friday November 9, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com The YMCA's history with the poppy T he appearance of poppies on lapels and coats is apparent every fall. Over 18 million of these flowers are sold in Canada every year for Remembrance Day, which marks the armistice that ended the First World Wars on Nov. 11, 1918. The tradition began in 1915, when John McCrae, a physician who served in the Canadian Field Artillery, wrote his now famous poem, In Flanders Fields, while he sat on the back of an ambulance looking out over thousands of crosses that marked the graves of soldiers. The battlefield, rich in lime from rubble, allowed the poppies to thrive and blossom. The YMCA connection begins when Miss Moina Michael, who was working for the Overseas YMCA Secretaries in New York City, stumbled on McCrae's poem in Ladies Home Journal, after which she resolved to wear a poppy every year in memory of the millions who died on the battlefield. In 1920, Moina Michael met Madame E. Guérin, a visitor from France, at the YMCA at Columbia University, with whom she shared her resolve. After their meeting, Madame Guérin began selling handmade poppies around Armistice Day to raise money for poor children in the war-torn areas of Europe. In 1921, Madame Guérin visited Canada and convinced the brance in aid of fundraising. In November, 1921 poppies were first distributed in Canada. Thus began the Canadian tradition of wearing a poppy on Nov. 11 in memory of those who died on the battlefield in Flanders Fields. Every year, the YMCA of Oakville places a wreath in honour of the memory of these brave men and women. From Nov. 17 to 24, the Y will also celebrate Peace Week in collaboration with YMCA's across Canada. -- Submitted by the Oakville YMCA Great War Veterans Association (predecessor to the Royal Canadian Legion) to adopt the poppy as a symbol of remem- Sleigh Sleigh full of full of full of Pollution Probe speaker Ken Ogilvie, Executive Director of Pollution Probe, will be the guest speaker at the next Canadian Club of Halton Peel dinner on Thursday, November 15 at the Oakville Conference Centre. This event is co-hosted with the Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW), Oakville. Pollution Probe is one of Canada's most distinguished environmental groups. Registration and a cash bar start at 6:00 pm with dinner at 7:00 pm. Members $30, non-members $40, students $15. Reservations are required. For information, or to reserve seats, call 905-8276302 or email bwylie@globalserve.net. For those wishing to support the CFUW ($10 of your registration fee will go to the CFUW Scholarship Fund), call 905-8490139 or email tcshaw@cogeco.ca. Savings Savings Saving Strong Canadian $ = Lower Prices, So you can Afford to SAVE $ on a huge selection of carpet, hardwood, laminate, ceramics, US Parity Pricing ** area rugs & more! GST 65 Z % % 20 50 ero % % GST 65 Z % % OR Pick a pair... PICK A ROOM $899 CALVIN 100% Leather UP TO WHEN YOU BUY A SOFA & CHAIR* 150 * $499 ON RECLINERS & CHAIRS $ * LANEY Recliner GST 65 Z % % ero ero * SAVE 50 $ * 100 $899 SAVESOFAS ALL DUAL RECLINING SOFA CONDO LOVE $879 * SIMON EVERY Wall-to-Wall carpet purchase includes premium pad & installation OVER 5000 IN STOCK! STOREWIDE HAWAII MEXICO FLORIDA FLORIDA BERMUDA ARUBA PANAMA * Installation Guaranteed by the Holidays. Save Storewide and Get.... FREE Shop-At-Home1-800-268-5132·GiantCarpet.com Toronto Eglinton & Laird (southeast corner) til 2009* PAY NOTHING Markham 905-513-6239 MINIMUM PURCHASE OF $2800 REQUIRED * Mississauga / Oakville 905-828-9755 Heartland Town Centre (Mavis & Britannia) Burlington 905-336-9173 Barrie 705-733-3359 London Hwy. #7 & McCowan Rd. Dundas & Hwy. #403 QEW & Guelph Line 42 Caplan Ave. 1040 Wharncliffe Rd. South (behind McDonald's) (west of Winston Churchill) (behind Home Depot) (Hwy. #400 & Mapleview Dr.) 519-681-1528 416-467-7072 New Ottawa 613-723-1555 Toronto 416-636-6464 Whitby / Oshawa Mississauga / Brampton 905-720-9960 905-361-1046 Hamilton 388 Concession Street Newmarket 905-836-0725 23 Kodiak Crescent Thickson Road Power Ctr. (Sheppard & Allen Road) (401 & Thickson Road) 905-318-8679 17940 Yonge St. 350 West Hunt Club Rd. (near Merivale Rd.) (north of Upper Canada Mall) Comfort. It's what we do. New STORE HOURS: Mon.- Fri. 9-9; Sat. 9-6; Sun. 11-5 *Financing promotion on selected installed goods. Prior orders exempt. Zero GST offer refers to an equivalent to the GST being deducted from purchase. Offers cannot be combined. Installed prices refer to basic installation on flat surfaces; additional costs may apply. Financing O.A.C., minimum purchase $899. Financed amount due January 1, 2009. For Same as Cash option, financed amount due 90 days or 12 months from date of purchase. Interest accrues from date of purchase and will be waived if purchase amount is paid in full by the plan expiration date. If not, interest will be charged at a rate of 28.9% per annum as per agreement. $55 processing fee due at time of purchase. U.S. Parity references identical product and services. Photos may not depict exact style or colour of product. Remnant pricing does not include pad and installation. Limited time offer. See store for details. www.lazboytoronto.com RECLINERS SOFAS CHAIRS TABLES LAMPS RUGS ACCESSORIES