OTTAWA - Canada's veterans living in long-term care facilities will be feeling the love from across the country with the delivery of special valentines created by fellow Canadians.
More than 20,000 valentines were received by Veterans Affairs Canada for its annual Valentines for Vets program.
The idea started in 1989 when the late newspaper columnist Ann Landers encouraged readers to create special valentines for veterans in care facilities throughout North America.
Veterans Affairs Canada became involved with the program in 1996.
Veterans Affairs spokeswoman Heather MacDonald says many of the valentines are created by schoolchildren, and were sent to their head office in Charlottetown to be sorted for distribution in time for Valentine's Day.
MacDonald says the valentines are sent to about 2,000 long-term care facilities.
"It really just shows how Canadian schoolchildren are remembering veterans not just during Veterans Week and Remembrance Day but all year long and especially on Valentine's Day," she said.
