THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION

Title: The Royal Canadian Legion, 1925-1975

Date of Issue: 10 November 1975

Especially for veterans, the effects of the Great War would not go away. In Canada, as elsewhere, economic difficulties victimized many returned men. Mutual distrust arose between officers and other ranks. The existing legislation and the administrative machinery could not solve the problems of those who had served. Many veterans groups thus sprang up, but circumstances demanded a united organization. Field Marshal Haig, Commander of the British Empire's forces on the Western Front, and Sir Richard Turner, a Canadian soldier, helped inspire the creation of such an organization. A unity convention met at Winnipeg in November 1925, and most previous groups merged to form The Canadian Legion which, in 1960, by royal assent, became The Royal Canadian Legion. The founders decided to stand for peace with strength and for loyalty to Canada, the Empire and the Monarchy. The Legion was to safeguard veterans and their dependents, to protect the families of the fallen, and to make sure that wartime sacrifices would be remembered. Despite these intentions, certain individuals believed that because the group denied membership to anarchists and communists, a strong-armed, fascist movement was in the making. However, the rumours did not persist and, with Saskatchewan veterans in the vanguard, the membership of most former servicemen's groups flocked to the Legion. The Legion's prime concern has always been veterans and their dependents. Money from poppy sales aids such people when they are in distress. The organization has helped thousands to press claims for government benefits and has lobbied for improved veterans legislation. As early as April 1926, the group sought amendments to the Pensions Act, the Soldier Settlement Act and the Civil Service Superannuation Act. Such efforts procured assistance, unheard of following the First World War, for people being discharged after the Second. The Legion tried to make military life more pleasant. During World War II, Canadian Legion War Services provided members of the forces with recreation, personal guidance and opportunities for education. The educational effort produced better soldiers, sailors, and airmen, prepared military personnel for civilian life, and prevented "boredom in the long winter nights." Some credit this program with raising literacy rates in parts of Canada. Beyond concern for the veteran, the Legion has a sense of public duty. In 1928 the organization offered child rearing advice. The Legion's first national convention wanted to develop a "spirit of Empire" to offset dangerous foreign activities. Before and during World War II, the organization fought complacency. More recently, the group has sought reform in various fields and has provided many community services. To mention only one, there are hundreds of places in Canada where the Legion Hall is the only social centre. Rudy Kovach of Vancouver designed The Royal Canadian Legion stamp which evokes the feeling of remembrance.

Title: The Royal Canadian Legion, 1926-2001

Date of Issue: 11 November 2001

After the First World War or "The Great War" as it was then known, some 560,000 Canadians returned home with little or no security, work skills or job opportunities. To assist their return to civilian life, The Great War Veterans Association of Canada was formed in 1917. This association and many others that sprang up were ill-equipped to deal with government and to affect any real change. In 1926 these groups came together to form a united front as The Canadian Legion of the British Empire Service League. They were now able to secure financial and medical assistance to those who needed it as well as to give "returned men" a sense of comradeship. Now able to initiate change and push for better conditions for veterans, the Canadian Legion had 20,000 members in 800 branches across Canada and one in Spokane, Washington by the end of 1926. In 1927 the Legion became the sole distributor of Armistice Day poppies, and in the Great Depression of the 1930s played a major part in offering rehabilitation and finding work for veterans. The Legion also sought to reorganize the pensioners relief system. In 1936, the Canadian Legion was among those honoured by King Edward VIII who unveiled the Vimy Memorial in France. A total of 6,000 veterans and their families travelled to the ceremony, making what became known as the Vimy Pilgrimage. In 1939, Canada once again found itself going to war. The Legion provided service personnel with canteens, entertainment, reading material and educational opportunities. At the end of the war, the Legion helped to ensure the establishment of fully-organized training, pension and relocation plans for all those coming home. Since then, the Legion (which became The Royal Canadian Legion in 1960) has continued to care for veterans and ex-military members. The Royal Canadian Legion's work to perpetuate remembrance and to serve the community has earned them the respect of everyone who enjoys freedom today. Neville Smith of Aylmer, Quebec has produced many award-winning designs but this one strikes a very personal note. Mr. Smith's father was not only a career soldier but also a Legion member. Remembering the times the two of them spent reminiscing, Neville centered his design around a section of the Canadian War Memorial and the Legion's badge. "I would like to think my father would approve," says Mr. Smith.