| Royal Canadian Legion | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1925 |
| Country | Canadian |
| Type | non-profit (veterans organization) |
| Patron | Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada |
The Royal Canadian Legion is a non-profit Canadian ex-service organization (veterans organization) founded in 1925, with more than 400,000 members worldwide. Membership includes people who have served as current and former military, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, provincial and municipal police, direct relatives of members and also affiliated members. It was founded in 1925 as the Canadian Legion of the British Empire Services League and was incorporated by Parliament in 1926. In 1962, Queen Elizabeth II gave the Legion the right to affix the word "Royal" to its name. The Queen of Canada, is royal patron of the Legion; the Governor General of Canada is also traditionally appointed as a patron of the group.
Historically the Legion Hall was the social centre of many Canadian towns. This was especially the case in the provinces with severe restrictions on the sale of alcohol, rules from which the legions were generally exempt.
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Memoriam Eorum Retinebimus : We Will Remember Them
"Our mission is to serve veterans and their dependants, promote remembrance and act in the service of Canada and its communities."
Members of the Legion perform graveside memorial ceremonies for veterans at cemeteries throughout Canada. The Legion also performs ceremonies annually at the gravesites of Canadian and British servicemen interred in the United States, generally on a Sunday in May.
In 1962 the Legion began a summer sports camp at the International Peace Garden which is run to this day, and has helped to train over 42,000 school age athletes. Several sports are offered over a five-week period. The program was founded by George Phillips and Fred Taylor (see www.legionathleticcamp.com).
The Institute for stained glass in Canada has documented the stained glass at Royal Canadian Legion, Cornwall Street in Regina, Saskatchewan. [1]
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