Royal Canadian Legion
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The Royal Canadian Legion is a
non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...
Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
veterans' organization A veterans' organization, also known as an , is an organization composed of persons who served in a country's Military, armed forces, especially those who served in the armed forces during a period of war. The organization's concerns include Vete ...
founded in 1925. Members include people who served in the
military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...
,
Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; , GRC) is the Law enforcement in Canada, national police service of Canada. The RCMP is an agency of the Government of Canada; it also provides police services under contract to 11 Provinces and terri ...
, provincial or municipal
police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...
, Royal Canadian Air,
Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
and
Sea Cadets Sea cadets are members of a cadets youth program sponsored by a national naval service, aimed for young people with an interest in waterborne activities and or the national navy. The organisation may be sponsored in whole or in part by the navy or ...
and direct relatives.


History

In Canada, several veterans' organizations emerged after the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. The Great War Veterans Association was the largest of 15.
Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...
Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig (; 19 June 1861 – 29 January 1928) was a senior officer of the British Army. During the First World War he commanded the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the Western Front from late 1915 until t ...
, founder of the British Empire Service League (now known as the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League), visited Canada in 1925 and urged them to merge. That year, the Dominion Veterans Alliance served this purpose. In November 1925, the Canadian Legion was founded in
Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
,
Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...
, as the Canadian Legion of the British Empire Services League, incorporated by a 1926 special Act of Parliament. It grew steadily through the 1930s, then expanded rapidly following the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. In 1960,
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
granted it royal patronage and so it became the Royal Canadian Legion.


Recognition

On 10 November 1975,
Canada Post Canada Post Corporation (, trading as Canada Post (), is a Canadian Crown corporation that functions as the primary postal operator in Canada. Originally known as Royal Mail Canada (the operating name of the Post Office Department of the Can ...
issued "The Royal Canadian Legion, 1925–1975" designed by Rudy Kovach. The 8¢ stamps are perforated 13 and were printed by British American Bank Note Company.


National Headquarters

The National Headquarters of The Royal Canadian Legion in
Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
,
Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
, feature a Wall of Remembrance, adorned by a three-metre long stainless steel sword (2006) by André Gauthier, who also provided a small work of art on the theme of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (2001) and “Of Such as These” (2003), a small bas-relief of Canadian World War II soldiers, presented by the Conference of Defence Associations Institute to Legion's National Secretariat.


Memorials

The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 593 erected a memorial in Ottawa dedicated to those who died in the First and Second World Wars and the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
.


Museums

A number of military museums are co-located and affiliated with Royal Canadian Legions.


Halls

Most small towns and villages in Canada have at least one Legion Hall. Often the Legion Hall is a major community centre, combining the functions of a
pub A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...
, pool hall,
dance hall Dance hall in its general meaning is a hall for Dance, dancing, but usually refers to a specific type of twentieth-century venue, with dance clubs (nightclubs) becoming more popular towards the end of the century. The palais de danse was a term ap ...
, bingo hall,
banquet hall A banquet hall, function hall, or reception hall, is a special purpose room, or a building, used for hosting large social and business events. Typically a banquet hall is capable of serving dozens to hundreds of people a meal in a timely fashion. P ...
, and so on. Legion Halls are numbered, for example "Branch 99 Royal Canadian Legion". This is not a nationwide numbering system; instead, each provincial Command has its own numerical sequence. "Branch 99", therefore, can refer to any of several Legion Halls, as follows: Belleville, Ontario; Cowansville, Quebec; Lipton/Dysart, Saskatchewan; Coronation, Alberta (a branch that has closed); Sicamous, British Columbia; or Emo, Ontario (in the Manitoba/Northwestern Ontario Command). The Royal Canadian Legion Maple Leaf Post-84 is located in Royal Oak, Michigan.


Services and activities


Poppy campaign

The
poppy A poppy is a flowering plant in the subfamily Papaveroideae of the family Papaveraceae. Poppies are herbaceous plants, often grown for their colourful flowers. One species of poppy, '' Papaver somniferum'', is the source of the narcotic drug ...
is a powerful symbol associated in Canada with loss, sacrifice and remembrance. With the formation of the Legion in 1925 the poppy was adopted as a national symbol of remembrance. In 1948, the Government of Canada awarded the poppy's trademark to the Royal Canadian Legion to protect the image from misuse. This still restricts its usage in Canada to remembrance under the authority of the Royal Canadian Legion. The Legion is responsible for Canada's remembrance poppy campaign which distributes plastic lapel poppies to be worn in the lead up to
Remembrance Day Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day owing to the tradition of wearing a remembrance poppy) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to honour armed forces me ...
. The poppy is worn on the left lapel, or as close to the heart as possible. The current lapel poppy has been manufactured since 1922—originally under the sponsorship of the Department of Soldiers Civil Re-establishment. Until 1996, the poppy material was manufactured at sheltered workshops operated by Veterans Affairs Canada. Poppies are distributed through retail outlets, workplaces, Legion branches, malls and other locations across Canada. Typically, the poppies are offered up for donation as a symbol of remembrance, using an honour system, with the poppies being left in open places with a receptacle for leaving a donation toward the campaign. Funds raised are used to support ex-service members in need and to fund medical appliances and research, home services, care facilities and numerous other purposes benefiting veterans.


Athletic camp

In 1962, the Legion began a summer sports camp at the International Peace Garden; the camp ran until 2019. More than 60,000 school age athletes. Several sports were offered over a five-week period. The program was founded by George H. Phillips and Fred Taylor.


Bands

There are many privately run Legion bands across the country, acting independently and in the community in which they are based. They are attached to different legion branches and include full concert show bands, and marching bands. The Royal Canadian Legion Concert Band in
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
has been active for over a century and is one of the oldest legion bands in the country. Many legion bands were led by former bandsmen, most notably James Gayfer, director of the
Band of the Canadian Guards The Canadian Guards (officially known as the Regiment of Canadian Guards) was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army that served in the same role as the five regiments of foot guards in the British Army. The regiment was formed on 16 October ...
from 1953 to 1961, who founded the Petawawa Legion Community Band in 1978. In May 1978, legion bands congregated at the
Olympic Stadium ''Olympic Stadium'' is the name usually given to the main stadium of an Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports ...
in
Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
for the Legion Day celebrations, becoming one of the largest legion combined activities recorded.


Lest We Forget Project

The Legion supports the Lest We Forget Project in cooperation with the Canadian War Museum.


Military skills conversion

In 2015, the Royal Canadian Legion donated $830,000 to the BCIT School of Business to fund the Legion Military Skills Conversion Program. This program helps Canadian veterans and reservists convert their military skills and knowledge into a business credential.


Veterans Review and Appeal Board

The Royal Canadian Legion provides assistance to veterans and eligible family members before the
Veterans Review and Appeal Board The Veterans Review and Appeal Board (VRAB; ) is a government of Canada agency responsible for hearing reviews and appeals by ill and injured Veterans and members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in relation to disability pension and award ...
. The RCL and the Bureau of Pensions Advocates often work together to prepare cases and represent veteran clients before the board when those clients wish to appeal disability pension and award decisions made by Veterans Affairs Canada.


Membership

Membership in The Royal Canadian Legion was originally restricted to ex-service members of Canada's Armed Forces and Merchant Navy. The organization is now open to members of the general public. There are four categories of membership.


Ordinary

Ordinary membership is open to anyone who has served or is serving in one of the following: *The Canadian Forces or His Majesty's Forces (including regular force or reserve force under class "C" service, CIC, or other reserve). *Forces or underground forces of any of His Majesty's allies in any war, conflict or police action in which Canada was involved. *The Merchant Navy or non-military services in an actual theatre of war in which Canada was involved. *His Majesty's reserve forces including Cadet Instructors on the Cadet Cadre for not less than one year. *The Royal Canadian Mounted Police or The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary for not less than one year. *The forces of a country while that country was a member of NATO or NORAD in alliance with Canada. *The forces of the United States. *The Vietnam War with the Armed Forces of the United States, Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea or South Vietnam, and were a Canadian citizen or Commonwealth subject at the time of service. *The Canadian Coast Guard as an officer or crew member who has two or more years active service on the high seas or inland waterways. *A city, municipal or provincial police force as a police officer for not less than one year.


Associate

Individuals who do not qualify for ordinary membership can be associate members if one of the following applies: *The Royal Canadian Air, Army or Sea cadets for no less than 3 years of the joined date. (Cadet graduates may also be eligible for their first year free.) *They are the child, stepchild, adopted child, grandchild, sibling, niece/nephew, widow/er, parent or spouse of someone who is or was eligible for ordinary membership. *They are the child of an associate member. *They have served as a cadet civilian instructor for not less than 3 years. *They have served as an officer in the Navy League of Canada for not less than 2 years. *They have served in the Polish Armed Forces after World War II below the rank of officer. *They have served in a City, Municipal, Volunteer, Un-organized Territories or Federal Fire Service for not less than one year. *They are the spouse, parent or sibling of an associate member who qualified subject to the above criteria.


Affiliate

Commonwealth subjects who do not qualify for ordinary or associate membership are eligible for affiliate membership. Non-Commonwealth subjects from an Allied nation who support the aims and objects of The Royal Canadian Legion can apply for affiliate non-voting membership.


Archives

There is a Royal Canadian Legion fond at
Library and Archives Canada Library and Archives Canada (LAC; ) is the federal institution tasked with acquiring, preserving, and providing accessibility to the documentary heritage of Canada. The national archive and library is the 16th largest library in the world. T ...
. The archival reference number is R2966, former archival reference number MG28-I298. The fond covers the date range 1897 to 1987. It consists of: * 14.91 meters of textual records.    * c. 832 audio cassettes (c. 617 h, 30 min).    * 4 audio reels (c. 3 h, 30 min).    * 10 videocassettes (12 h, 35 min, 30 s).    * 310 photographs.    * 10 badges.    * 6 pins.    * 4 medals.    * 1 ribbon.    * 1 drawing.    * 45 microfiche.    * 49 microfilm reels.


Freedoms

The Royal Canadian Legion has received the freedom of several cities. These include, chronologically: * 18 November 1986:
Kamloops Kamloops ( ) is a city in south-central British Columbia, Canada, at the confluence of the North Thompson River, North and South Thompson Rivers, which join to become the Thompson River in Kamloops, and east of Kamloops Lake. The city is the ad ...
(Branch 52). * 16 October 2005:
Port Moody Port Moody is a city in British Columbia, Canada, and a member municipality of the Metro Vancouver Regional District. It envelops the east end of Burrard Inlet and is the smallest of the Tri-Cities, bordered by Coquitlam on the east and south ...
(Port Moody Branch 119). * 1 July 2016: Courtenay (Courtenay Branch 17). * 1 July 2016: Bonnyville (Bonnyville Branch 183). * 22 June 2019: Armstrong (Armstrong Branch 35). * Unknown: Maple Ridge (Maple Ridge Branch 88).


See also

*
American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is an Voluntary association, organization of United States, U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It comprises U.S. state, state, Territories of the United States, U.S. terr ...
*
Remembrance Day Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day owing to the tradition of wearing a remembrance poppy) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to honour armed forces me ...
* South African Legion *
The Royal British Legion The Royal British Legion (RBL), formerly the British Legion, is a British Charitable organization, charity providing financial, social and emotional support to members and veterans of the British Armed Forces, their families and dependants. ...


References


External links


List of Civilian organizations with prefix "Royal" - Heritage Canada.
* List of civilian organizations with the prefix "Royal" prepared by th
Department of Canadian Heritage

Returned & Services League of Australia
The 5P Legal Services Team provides assistance for veterans completing and submitting application forms and effective representation for veterans appearing at Veterans Review and Appeal Board hearings in Ottawa and Ontario. {{Authority control 1925 establishments in Canada Canadian veterans' organizations Community centres in Canada Military of Canada Organizations based in Canada with royal patronage