Royal Canadian Legion

The Poppy image is a powerful symbol and easily recognizable in Canada as being associated with loss, sacrifice and remembrance. With the formation of the Legion in 1925 the Poppy was adopted as a national symbol of remembrance and the focal point of the Poppy Campaign. In 1948 the Government of Canada chose to award the trademark copyright of the Poppy to the Royal Canadian Legion - a move made to protect the image from misuse. This trademark copyright remains in effect today restricting its usage to remembrance within Canada and under the authority of the Royal Canadian Legion.

The Legion is responsible for Canada's remembrance poppy campaign which distributes plastic lapel poppies to be worn in the lead up to Remembrance Day. The poppy is worn on the left lapel, or as close to the heart as possible.[6] The current lapel poppy has been manufactured since 1922—originally under the sponsorship of the Department of Soldiers Civil Re-establishment.[6] Until 1996, the poppy material was manufactured at sheltered workshops operated by Veterans Affairs Canada.[6] Poppies are distributed through retail outlets, workplaces, Legion branches, malls and other locations across Canada. Typically, the poppies are offered up for donation as a symbol of remembrance, using an honour system, with the poppies being left in open places with a receptacle for leaving a donation toward the campaign. Funds raised are used to support ex-service members in need [6] and to fund medical appliances and research, home services, care facilities and numerous other purposes benefiting veterans.[7]

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 ran until 2019. More than 60,000 school age athletes. Several sports were offered over a five-week period. The program was founded by George H. Phillips and Fred Taylor.

There are many privately run Legion bands across the country, acting independently and in the community in which they are based. They are attached to different legion branches and include full concert show bands, and marching bands. The Royal Canadian Legion Concert Band in Toronto has been active for over a century and is one of the oldest legion bands in the country.[8] Many legion bands are led by former bandsmen, most notably James Gayfer, the former director of the Band of the Canadian Guards from 1953 to 1961, who would later go on the found the Petawawa Legion Community Band in 1978.[9] In May 1978, legion bands congregated at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal for the Legion Day celebrations, becoming one of the largest legion combined activities recorded.[10]

The Legion supports the Lest We Forget Project in cooperation with the Canadian War Museum.

In 2015, the Royal Canadian Legion, donated $830,000 to the BCIT School of Business to fund the Legion Military Skills Conversion Program. This program helps Canadian veterans and reservists convert their military skills and knowledge into a business credential.[11]

The Royal Canadian Legion provides assistance to Veterans and eligible family members in Reviews and Appeals before the Veterans Review and Appeal Board. The RCL and the Bureau of Pensions Advocates often work together to prepare cases and represent Veteran clients before the Board when those clients wish to appeal disability pension and award decisions made by Veterans Affairs Canada.

Ordinary membership is open to anyone who has served or is serving in one of the following:

• The Canadian Forces or Her Majesty's Forces (including regular force or reserve force under class "C" service, CIC, or other reserve).
• Forces or underground forces of any of Her Majesty's allies in any war, conflict or police action in which Canada was involved.
• The Merchant Navy or non-military services in an actual theatre of war in which Canada was involved.
• Her Majesty's reserve forces including Cadet Instructors on the Cadet Cadre for not less than one year.
• The Royal Canadian Mounted Police or The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary for not less than one year.
• The forces of a country while that country was a member of NATO or NORAD in alliance with Canada.
• The forces of the United States.
• The Vietnam War with the Armed Forces of the United States, Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea or South Vietnam, and were a Canadian citizen or Commonwealth subject at the time of service.
• The Canadian Coast Guard as an officer or crew member who has two or more years active service on the high seas or inland waterways.
• A city, municipal or provincial police force as a police officer for not less than one year.

Individuals who do not qualify for ordinary membership can be associate members if one of the following applies:

• The Royal Canadian Air, Army or Sea cadets for no less than 3 years of the joined date.(Cadet graduates may also be eligible for their first year free.)
• They are the child, stepchild, adopted child, grandchild, sibling, niece/nephew, widow/er, parent or spouse of someone who is or was eligible for ordinary membership.
• They are the child of an associate member.
• They have served as a cadet civilian instructor for not less than 3 years.
• They have served as an officer in the Navy League of Canada for not less than 2 years.
• They have served in the Polish Armed Forces after World War II below the rank of officer.
• They have served in a City, Municipal, Volunteer, Un-organized Territories or Federal Fire Service for not less than one year.
• They are the spouse, parent or sibling of an associate member who qualified subject to the above criteria.

Commonwealth subjects who do not qualify for ordinary or associate membership are eligible for affiliate membership.

Non-Commonwealth subjects from an Allied nation who support the aims and objects of The Royal Canadian Legion can apply for affiliate non-voting membership.