Poppy boxes stolen in Edmonton ahead of holiday [Video]

The Norwood branch of the Edmonton Legion had two of their poppy boxes stolen ahead of Remembrance Day earlier this week.

Greg Laskey, the former president of the Norwood Legion Branch, said it’s an occurrence he’s all too familiar with.

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“Sadly, it happens every year,” Laskey told CTV News Edmonton on Tuesday.

The two boxes were stolen from different Shoppers Drug Mart locations on Sunday and Monday this week. Laskey said with poppy box thefts becoming more common, organizers from the legion are looking for ways to make stealing the donation boxes more difficult to loot.

“We had talked of metal boxes and locking them up, but … the cost would be prohibitive,” the former president said, adding that the electronic tap-to-donate boxes are also a viable option.

“There are (around) a thousand tap boxes that …