EDMONTON — Anti-war activists selling white "peace" poppies have Edmonton members of the Royal Canadian Legion up in arms.

Harvey Shevalier, president of the legion's Alberta-Northwest Territories Command, said the poppy is a registered symbol of the legion and can't be used without permission. "The legion cannot condone it, and we cannot accept any attempt to use this poppy without authority or approval," he said.

The poppies - which have white leaves and the word "peace" in the middle - are not just a symbol of opposition to the war, they also pay tribute to the pain of those who have lost someone in war.

Proponents of the white poppies say the two symbols can co-exist.

But Shevalier said Nov. 11 has a very clear purpose of remembering Canada's nearly 117,000 war dead.

"The unfortunate decision by these individuals, or organization, to use the national Day of Remembrance as a focus for a fundraising project of promotion of an ideal is completely inappropriate and unacceptable," he said in a release.