Royal Canadian Legion

The Royal Canadian Legion originated in several small associations of ex-soldiers that banded together throughout Canada during WWI. The first national organization, the Great War Veterans Association, was established Apr 1917 and by 1919 was the largest such group in Canada. By the mid-1920s, internal problems, a decline in membership and the emergence of rival associations brought the movement near collapse. In 1925 Field Marshal Earl Haig, founder of the British Empire Service League, visited Canada and encouraged all Canadian veterans to unite in one organization.

In 1926 the GWVA and other groups amalgamated to form the Canadian Legion of the BESL. The new Legion grew steadily during the 1930s and expanded rapidly during and immediately after WWII. It concentrated on the re-establishment of veterans, advising them on pensions and other benefits available from the federal government. In 1960 the organization was renamed the Royal Canadian Legion.

The Legion continues to serve veterans by bringing their concerns to the attention of the government. The association's primary aim since 1915 has been service to the veteran and his dependants, although it now engages in many public and community service activities, helping to remind Canadians of those who have served their country in war. Each province is organized as a command, and currently the Legion, with headquarters in Ottawa, has 1500 branches in Canada with over 360 000 members.

See also WAR VETERANS.

Author GLENN T. WRIGHT

Suggested Reading
C. Bowering, Service (1960).

Links to Other Sites
THE MEMORY PROJECT
The website for The Memory Project, a major initiative dedicated to recording and preserving Canadian veterans' first-hand accounts of their military service during the Second World War and Korean War. Click on "The Memory Project Link" to access this remarkable online collection to hear interviews with individual veterans from all branches of the Canadian Armed Forces. See also related digitized artefacts and memorabilia. From the Historica-Dominion Institute.

Legion Magazine
Search the Legion Magazine website for online feature articles about Canadian military history.

The Archives of Ontario Remembers the Home Front
In honour of the 60th anniversary of D-Day, the Archives of Ontario presents this stirring retrospective of Ontario’s extraordinary Home Front contribution to the war effort. Check out the personal stories, photographs, posters, video clips and other multimedia.

Poppy & Remembrance
This educators guide from the Royal Canadian Legion is dedicated to teaching and learning about the "tradition of remembrance." Offers an overview of wartime history, statistics, photographs, poetry, and much more.

Legion's Legacies
The "Legion's Legacies" website is dedicated to the memory of Canadian war veterans. Features a growing online collection of stories, pictures, songs, videos, and educational resources.