City of Winnipeg.

Royal Canadian Legion delegates from commands, sections and branches are invited to assemble their delegates in Winnipeg for the 47th dominion convention on Aug. 25-29.

“We are expecting 1,200 people,” said Local Arrangements Committee secretary Dawn Golding.

The convention, the first to be held in August instead of the traditional June, will be held at the RBC Convention Centre in downtown Winnipeg.

The convention will get underway on Saturday, Aug. 25, with registration open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and continuing on Sunday. The registration fee is $60 for delegates and $20 for observers. Payment is in cash only.

Branches are allowed one accredited delegate for every 100 voting members, or a fraction thereof. Any delegate, accredited by the branch of which he or she is a member, may carry up to four proxy credentials in addition to their own. The proxies may be from any branch or branches within the delegate’s own command and must be registered at the opening of the convention. Delegates must have their dues paid up to Dec. 31, 2018.

A credential certificate is included with the convention call, which was issued in an all-branch mailing in January. It is to be completed indicating the number of delegates and proxies for the branch and forwarded to the provincial command office.

According to the General By-laws, all resolutions must be received by Dominion Command 112 days prior to the opening of the convention. That means they must be forwarded to the provincial command office and then received at Dominion Command by May 6. 

Late resolutions will be considered by the Dominion Executive Council meeting prior to the convention, but only those resolutions deemed to be urgent will be presented.

Events begin Sunday with a parade assembling at the Manitoba Legislative Building, said Golding, and the march will head “down Memorial Boulevard to the Winnipeg Cenotaph for wreath placing, and then the march [will continue] down York Avenue back to the convention centre.”

Cab fares from Winnipeg Richardson International Airport to downtown average $20 to $30, and rooms have been booked in a number of hotels surrounding the convention centre. Several of the hotels offer shuttle services to and from the airport as well.

There are plenty of sites to see while visiting Winnipeg as well. “The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is incredible,” said Golding. Located in the heart of downtown, the museum is only a 15-minute walk from the convention centre. Five minutes away from the museum is the Forks National Historic Site, which explores the 6,000-year heritage of the Prairies. Other places of interest include Assiniboine Park Zoo, the Winnipeg Art Gallery, the St. Boniface Museum, the Manitoba Museum and numerous shops and restaurants.