Yorkton Legion marks 100th anniversary with community celebration and time capsule opening

The Yorkton Legion marked its100th anniversary with a community celebration and time capsule opening. (Fruzsina De Cloedt / CTV News)

The Royal Canadian Legion is celebrating a major milestone this year as the organization marks its 100th anniversary.

Legion branches across Canada are commemorating the centennial, with the General Alexander Ross Branch No. 77 in Yorkton hosting a full day of activities for members and the community. The celebration began Friday morning with free coffee, snacks and a hot dog barbeque catered by the Venvi Bentley.

“We’ve had people here since 9:00 this morning,” said Ken Gordon, past president of the Yorkton Legion. “It’s just been a great morning of comradeship and socializing.”

A highlight of the day’s events is the opening of a time capsule buried 40 years ago during the Legion’s 60th anniversary celebrations.

The capsule, located at the cenotaph on Darlington Street, will be opened later in the day before an evening gathering at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, where attendees will also celebrate with a special anniversary cake.

“I don’t know exactly what all was buried, so it’s all going to be a surprise,” Gordon said.

Beyond commemorating its history, Gordon said the Legion continues to play an active role in the community. While supporting veterans remains its primary purpose, the organization is also involved in a variety of local initiatives, including providing bursaries for high school students, supporting cadets and assisting youth groups.

“We’re deeply involved in this community,” Gordon said.

The branch currently has about 170 members, a number Gordon described as average for a local Legion today, but significantly lower than decades ago.

“Years back, we were a much stronger 300 to 400 member Legion,” he said. “It’s quite a bit less than what it was back in the 1980s.”

Gordon said changing demographics have contributed to declining membership over the years. He noted that Legions were especially strong during the 1960s and 1970s, when there were larger numbers of veterans from the First and Second World Wars involved in their communities.

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Today, however, Legion membership is open to all Canadian citizens, not just those with military service.

“Any Canadian citizen can be a Legion member, and we encourage people to get involved,” Gordon said. “It’s a great organization.”

Many of those attending the anniversary celebration are seniors, except for two eager boys on scooters, who were circling the hot dog booth and chatting with older participants. Gordon said a large portion are community members rather than Legion members.

“It’s awesome to have them out at our little Legion here this morning,” he said.

As the organization reflects on a century of service and support, Gordon said the centennial celebration is an opportunity to honour the past while looking ahead to the future.

“This is a great day that we can celebrate 100 years of Legions,” he said.