Sask. student grows poppies to honour Remembrance Day

Across the country, Canadians are keeping poppies close to their hearts. One Saskatoon student is taking it a bit further. Hallee Mandryk reports.

If you ask Corporal Fikret Ükis, he was inspired to start a unique project after spotting a flower with deep meaning.

“In my parents’ backyard last summer, I saw a wild poppy growing. I’d never seen a poppy growing in my life,” Ükis said. “I thought about it, and I don’t really see any poppies [growing] around Remembrance Day.”

He decided to try growing poppies himself, quickly discovering they can be temperamental.

“They’re quite finicky. You have to have the right temperature, the right humidity, proper spacing,” he said. “Eventually, they all dwindled away and died, so I reached out to the university.”

As a horticulture science student, Ükis thought the University of Saskatchewan’s greenhouse would be the perfect place to nurture the flowers. After some trial and error, he succeeded.

“I constantly heard students and faculty murmuring to themselves, seeing the poppies for the first time. I even saw students taking photos and videos,” he said. “It’s very rewarding to see students, faculty, and even members of the public taking a moment to reflect on the poppies. It fills me with pride and joy.”

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After 15 weeks of care, the poppies are now on display in the university’s Agriculture Building.

The tradition of wearing poppies around Remembrance Day dates back to 1915. John McCrae famously wrote the poem In Flanders Fields during the First World War. The poem, which references poppies growing on battlefields, is often read at ceremonies across Canada on November 11.

“I first heard that poem like many Canadian students, in elementary school,” Ükis said. “I truly loved it. To me, it represents heroes sacrificing their lives for the greater good—not just for Canada, but for the world, for our lives.”

Ükis plans to use what he learned this year to grow poppies again next Remembrance Day, with the university’s help. He hopes the flowers serve as a meaningful reminder.

“I feel like peace, these poppies must be nurtured or it can be lost,” he said. “This is something we should really reflect on.”