Poppies

This Tuesday, November 11th is Remembrance Day.

The annual Poppy Campaign is a major source of revenue for the Legion, and enables them to fulllfil their mandate “to serve veterans and their dependants, to promote Remembrance, and to act in the service of Canada and its communities.”

Click here for more information about the Poppy Campaign from the Royal Canadian Legion's website.

On Saturday I will be selling poppies at the Costco in Bayers Lake.

Please help support your local Legion and our Veterans. Lest we Forget.

April 11, 2007

Congratulations to the Fairview legion for hosting the Dominion Cribbage Tournament from April 27th - 30th. Competitors will be coming from across Canada to try their skills. Good luck to all participants and a special thanks to Judith Merlin and all the volunteers who are making the event possible.

November 6, 2005

Rememberance Day and the Year of the Veteran

This is the Year of the Veteran and the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. On October 23rd, to honour the Year of the Veteran, I…more

The Fairview Legion #142 50th anniversary.

Congratulations and thanks to the men and women of Fairview who have served and are serving in Canada's Armed Forces.

There is one branch of the Royal Canadian Legion in Halifax Fairview, and that's Fairview Branch #142 at the corner of Hillcrest Avenue and Main Avenue.

I'm proud to be a member of the Fairview Legion. Below is my column that appeared in the November 2002 edition of our community newspaper, the Parkview News.

November 2002

Parkview News

Have you ever thought of joining the Royal Canadian Legion?

I'd thought about joining before, but was never sure if I could be a member. Last November 11th I walked into the Fairview Legion #142 at the corner of Main Avenue and Hillcrest Avenue to find out more. I'm very glad I did. Membership chair Kitty Slade and Treasurer Lillian Johnston welcomed me with a smile and told me everything I needed to know.

I've now been a proud Legion member since early this year. I'm looking forward to laying a wreath at the Camp Hill Veterans' Hospital on November 11th, and attending the Remembrance Day dinner at the Legion.

At the core of Legion activities is "remembrance" - remembrance of the men and women who served in Canada's armed forces and who died in the service of their country.

The Legion is also there to honour the men and women who have served in the armed forces and have come home.

Remembrance and honour are timeless values and that's why there will always be a Legion.

The Legion serves its community through charitable causes like the Last Post Fund (assisting with veterans' funeral expenses), the Poppy Fund (assisting veterans and their families in need of financial aid), and loans of wheelchairs and crutches. And those are only a few examples.

Of course there's also the socializing and fellowship. The Fairview Legion has a reputation for being friendly and open. It's a great place to have a drink, to play crib, darts and pool (I'm still trying to beat Bobby Baker), to listen to live bands and dance. The downstairs hall is used for community groups, weddings and dinners.

President Jim Goodyear, himself a veteran, explained to me that there are four categories of membership.

* Regular members have served in the armed forces, the RCMP or the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary.

* Associate members have a family connection to the armed services. I'm an Associate member because my grandfather served in the British Army during the First World War.

* Affiliate non-voting members are those who wish to join the Legion but do not have a personal or family connection to the armed forces.

* Affiliate voting members are those who have been affiliate non-voting members in good standing for two years.

The Fairview Legion is marking its 50th anniversary this year. Under the leadership of Fairview postmaster Angus MacMaster, the Fairview Legion was founded in 1951 and received its charter in November 1952. The first meetings were at the fire hall and at a school on Main Avenue. The first meeting in the current hall at Main and Hillcrest was in September 1955.

So as November 11th approaches, give a thought to a new way of remembering our war dead and honouring our veterans.

You can also meet some new friends and serve your community.

Call the Fairview Legion or drop in and ask about joining.

You'll be glad you did.