Remembrance Day is quickly approaching, and the local Legion is out getting ready to mark a milestone year. The General Stewart Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion is in full swing of its poppy campaign. You’ll see poppy boxes set up at business all over Lethbridge. It’s all part of their mission to honour veterans of the past and present. “It’s great to see the community wearing poppies again,” said Les Androkovich, General Stewart Legion executive committee member. “Our support goes toward the veterans in the Lethbridge area. That includes buying medical equipment, supplying anything they need. If they’re short on anything, we support them with whatever we can.” Remembrance Day is a time for reflection, but this year is also a time of celebration of the Legion. 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Legion both nationally and locally. “The organization has had such an important impact in the community,” said Pat McIntosh, Legion member and volunteer. The Lethbridge Legion predates the founding of the Legion we know today. In 1917, it was founded as a chapter of the Great War Veterans Association—the predecessor to the Legion, which was established in 1926. Its mission to support and honour veterans has remained the same through the years. “Really, everything that we have today is because of those veterans who saw the need to do that, and we’ve tried to keep that going,” said McIntosh. “You can’t let a milestone like this go by without marking it.” The Legion’s modern-day members are keeping that tradition alive. “We’re trying to get everybody involved as much as we can, just to show what the Legion does,” said Androkovich. “We do a lot in the community that people don’t see.” Remembrance Day services will be held Nov. 11 at the cenotaph and Lethbridge Trade and Convention Centre.
