KAMSACK, Sask. — Kamsack and district residents were invited a come-and-go tea held in the Legion Hall Oct. 18 to help celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Legion, and its Kamsack branch, both of which were incorporated in 1926.
During the reception, held in the building’s second floor, a cake decorated with the Canadian Legion’s logo was cut and served, along with a light lunch.
Karen Tourangeau, Legion branch president, welcomed persons attending the reception with a short history of the organization and its Kamsack branch which were incorporated in 1926.
The organization itself was founded in Winnipeg in November 1925 under the name “Canadian Legion of the British Empire Service League,” and was incorporated in July 1926, Tourangeau said. The Legion was incorporated by an Act of Parliament on July 17, which is now the official anniversary date.
Over the years, the Legion lobbied for specialized hospitals and treatment for veterans, laying the groundwork for the creation of Veterans Affairs Canada, established in 1944, she said. Legion branches mobilizing across Canada helped service members and their families from the Second World War.
In 1959, the Legion removed “British Empire” from its name and the next year, Queen Elizabeth granted consent to use “royal,” leading to the renaming of the organization to the Royal Canadian Legion in 1961.
From the 1960s to the 1980s, the Legion expanded to the community in order to broaden its reach through veterans’ care, educating youths and participation in community programs, she said.
Although formed in 1926, the Kamsack branch waited until 1946 to purchase its current Second Street building, which was constructed in 1908, from Mayor Harold Harvey for $7,500, Tourangeau said. From 1946 to 1948 the upper floor was used to house returning married veterans while they waited for their permanent housing.
In Canada, there are about 1,350 Legion branches with over 320,000 active members.
