Legions are about more than Remembrance Day

The three Legion branches in Frontenac County conduct Remembrance Day ceremonies and host receptions afterwards, in their branch.

While the Sydenham and Sharbot Lake branches conduct the ceremonies in their own communities, for the Arden Legion the ceremonies spread over two days and four locations.

Before the ceremony in Arden starts up at 10:50am on the 11th, at the Cenotaph that is almost across the road from the Legion hall, ceremonies in Flinton and Denbigh will have taken place on the 8th, as well as a third ceremony that very morning, in Mountain Grove.

The role of the Legion in Arden, Sharbot Lake, and Sydenham goes well beyond November 11, however.

In rural communities that lack places for people to gather, the Legions take up the slack. In Arden, where a lack of volunteers forced a last ditch public call for new people and new energy, just a couple of years ago, the result has been remarkable.

The community is served by a convenience store/gas station, a township hall/library branch, an outdoor rink and a park, but no restaurant and no place for people to socialise on a regular basis, save for the Legion. And this need became the fuel for the transformation of the Legion into a busy hub, throughout the week, and on weekends.

The Legion in Sharbot Lake is not as central because the community is more diverse, but the Friday night suppers, strong commitment to celebrating local Veterans throughout the year, and its role in hosting community and musical events, is significant.

In Sydenham, the Legion is the only licensed establishment in town, and the upstairs hall is where all of the local dances happen.

Without their Legion branches continuing to exist and thrive, all three communities would suffer, and as rural communities change, in the post-Covid era, and face economic uncertainty, the role of the local Legion is more important than it was, even five years ago.

The community role of the Frontenac County Legion branches, and their role in Remembrance Week, is only part of the story. They are also continually committed to their core mission of supporting and celebrating the Armed Forces Veterans who live in our communities, those who fought in wars decades ago, and those who served as peacekeepers, and in recent conflicts.

Through the structure of the Royal Canadian Legion, this work goes on steadily all year long.

The theme of Remembrance Week this year, marks the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Royal Canadian Legion organisation, and all local Legion branches and the volunteers that keep them running, are members of that larger body, and as such, their commitment to their local community is also a commitment to the history of support for Veterans and their families, across Canada.

In this Remembrance Day issue of the Frontenac News, along with a breakdown of all the Remembrance Day events that are scheduled for this coming weekend and Remembrance Day next Wednesday, an article based on the web resources gathered at https://legion.ca/ourstory/ starts on page 6.

Our Remembrance Day edition also has a fundraising component. Half of the revenue from the ads that surround our Remembrance Day content is donated each year to the three Legion branches. Thanks to the businesses who sponsor those ads, we are able to raise between $250 and $350 for each of the branches.

Unlike the Poppy fund, which is used to augment support provided by the branches for Veterans, this money can be used for any purpose by the branches, as they have to pay heat and hydro and maintenance costs on their buildings, in order to keep them open