Features

Until the spring of 1941, the Royal Canadian Navy had no clear indication that it would find its calling in the broad reaches of the North Atlantic. The process of defining that role culminated in May, when the British Admiralty called upon the RCN to form the Newfoundland Escort Force (NEF), and concentrate its resources there in the defence of transatlantic convoys.

The establishment of the NEF not only brought together the main elements of the fleet that would fight—and win—the battle against the U-boats, it also brought together several key players who would lead the RCN’s escort and anti-submarine […]

The decision during the Italian Campaign to withdraw the Canadian Corps from the battle south of Rome and from the pursuit of the German forces retreating to Florence allowed for a lengthy rest and training period in the Volturno Valley. According to the historical officer attached to 1st Cdn. Division, leave arrangements in June and July 1944 were “extensive and generous” with rest areas in Bari, Salerno and Amalfi.

Of course it was not all rest and relaxation. The lessons of combat in the Liri Valley were studied with special attention given to better methods of controlling artillery fire, and […]

John Beatty had a boisterous start in life. Born in Toronto in 1869, he was expelled from school at age 13 and by 16, itching for adventure, was enlisted and served as a bugle boy in the Northwest Rebellion of 1885. Following the surrender of Louis Riel, Beatty returned home and worked at an assortment of jobs until he was 18, at which time—against his parents’ wishes—he joined the Toronto Fire Department. It was a good fit for the lively, outspoken young man. Indeed, up until the time of his death in 1941, he was known as the fireman […]

Poised atop the dome of the Manitoba Legislative Building, standing 5.25 metres (17.2 feet) tall—from the bottom of his bare feet to the tip of his torch—and weighing in at 1,650 kilograms (3,640 pounds), the Golden Boy is arguably the best-known cultural icon in the province. On a local level, this larger-than-life statue has been exceptionally popular. That should probably come as no surprise, for Manitobans pride themselves on being hardy, spirited and resilient. And right from the start, the Golden Boy showed he possessed these features in spades.

Conceived, created and cast in bronze during World War I, the […]

Canada is on the razor’s edge of lived memory. At the time of writing this story, there is only one Canadian veteran left alive from the First World War. In fact, there are only a handful of these veterans still alive from around the world, with France, Turkey, and Australia’s last Great War veterans having passed away in recent years to join their millions of comrades who had already marched into history. While we totter from memory to history, the war remains a poignant event that continues to resonate across the divide of more than 90 years.

The Great War […]

The new Senior Officers of Dominion Command are (front, from left) First Vice Pat Varga, Dominion President Wilf Edmond, Past President Jack Frost; (rear, from left) Treasurer Mike Cook, Vice-President Paulette Cook, Vice-President Gordon Moore, Vice-President Erl Kish, Chairman Tom Irvine.

DOMINION PRESIDENT Wilf Edmond, 75, the son of a First World War veteran, has been active in all levels of the Legion for 50 years. He is a life member of Donkin, N.S., Branch in Cape Breton, and served as Nova Scotia Command president from 1993 to 1995. Prior to his years of service on provincial command, he served […]

LEGEND

Committee abbreviations: C&L—constitution and laws; DEC—Dominion Executive Council; DEF—defence; MEM—membership; P&R—poppy and remembrance; R&A—ritual and awards; SE—sub-executive; VSS—veterans, seniors, service.

Government abbreviations: CF—Canadian Forces; CMHC—Canada Mortgage and Housing; DND—Department of National Defence; VAC—Veterans Affairs Canada.

Legislation: NVC—New Veterans Charter; SISIP—Service Income Security Insurance Plan; VIP—Veterans Independence Program.

*Denotes non-concurred resolution brought back to the floor by a command and approved by convention.

DOMINION EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

1. (DEC)—Reduces the number of command representatives on DEC to one from each command.

2. (DEC)—Reduces the number of vice-presidents on DEC from four to three.

3. (DEC)—Abolishes the sub-executive committee and incorporates the eight elected officers of Dominion Command […]

Looking over the wreaths placed on the National War Memorial in Ottawa for The Royal Canadian Legion’s 42nd dominion convention, Honorary Dominion Command Chaplain Rabbi Reuven Bulka made a plea to people to join the organization he called “an army for good.”

It was a phrase that would echo several times throughout the June 21-25 convention that brought 1,357 delegates to the Ottawa Congress Centre, situated a short distance from Parliament Hill. “It is fitting that you have chosen to hold your convention here,” said Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson during the opening ceremonies. “That you are meeting in the […]

It was a historic moment for The Royal Canadian Legion, and while the groundwork had been laid prior to the 42nd dominion convention, the tone for the governance debate was set early by Dominion President Jack Frost. “The future of the Legion lies in our hands, not just with Dominion Command,” he told the more than 1,350 delegates assembled in the Ottawa Congress Centre for the June 21-25 meeting. “I want you to hear what your comrades have to say and make your decision.”

At issue was the very structure of Dominion Executive Council, the Legion’s governing body between its […]

After participating in the serious business side of dominion convention, delegates look forward to some socializing and being entertained at evening suppers and receptions hosted by local Legion branches or provincial commands.

This year the entertainment and socializing was truly royal, thanks to The Royal Canadian Legion’s godson Prince Floris of the Netherlands and his bride, Princess Aimée. “I want to meet as many of my godfathers and godmothers as I can,” the Prince said during the opening ceremonies for the Legion’s 42nd dominion convention, June 21-25, in Ottawa. And over the following days—and nights—he did.

Typical was Nova Scotia/Nunavut […]