Malahat Legion celebrates Royal Canadian Legion’s 100 years of service

The exterior of Malahat Legion Branch 134 is shown as volunteers inside prepare for a celebration honouring the Royal Canadian Legion’s 100th anniversary.

Volunteers at the Malahat Legion Branch 134 spent Friday morning preparing for a milestone celebration marking the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Legion, an organization built on a century of service, advocacy and community support.

While Branch 134 itself is only 92 years young, members gathered Friday evening to honour the centennial of the national organization that has supported veterans and communities across Canada for generations.

Jim Heath, a member of the Malahat Legion who served as master of ceremonies for the event, said reaching 100 years is an extraordinary achievement for any service organization.

“That’s a long time for a service organization and I don’t think there is many out there that can compete with us, but I’m sure they’re there,” Heath said.

The Royal Canadian Legion traces its roots to the aftermath of the First World War, when several organizations were created to advocate for returning veterans, many of whom came home carrying serious physical injuries and psychological trauma from the battlefield.

“In 1925 they consolidated all of those several organizations and they were called the British Service Empire League,” Heath said.

On July 17, 1926, through a special act of Parliament, the Royal Canadian Legion was officially created. Over the past century, the organization has evolved from a veterans advocacy group into one that also plays a significant role in supporting communities across the country.

Isabelle Hammer, president of the Royal Canadian Legion Malahat Branch, said adapting to changing times has been essential to the branch’s survival.

“You have to really be willing to move and change with the times,” Hammer said.

Like many community organizations, Branch 134 has experienced both prosperous periods and difficult challenges throughout its history.

“Everything is cyclical,” Hammer said.

The COVID-19 pandemic was one of the branch’s most difficult periods, with the Legion struggling to stay open and nearly facing closure. Hammer said community support, including bottle drives and ongoing fundraising efforts, helped keep the doors open.

Membership has also fluctuated over the years, but the branch is currently seeing renewed interest.

“We are sitting at over 600 members right now and that includes the people that joined for free this year, and we want to keep them,” Heath said.

As part of the Royal Canadian Legion’s centennial celebrations, new members can join for free this year. The initiative has helped increase membership numbers across British Columbia and the Yukon.

Bob Underhill, command president of the Royal Canadian Legion’s BC/Yukon Command, which represents 147 branches, said the offer has made a significant impact.

“We went from 50,000 members last year and now we’re well over 70,000 members for the BC and the Yukon for this year,” Underhill said.

Nationwide, the Royal Canadian Legion has more than 700,000 members across approximately 1,350 branches.

Although supporting veterans remains at the heart of Branch 134’s mission, its role in the community has expanded over the decades. Hammer said the Malahat Legion has donated more than $242,000 to local causes over the past six years.

During Friday’s celebration, 16 medals were presented to volunteers recognized for going above and beyond in supporting the Legion and the wider community.

For Branch 134, the centennial celebration was not only a chance to reflect on a century of service, but also an opportunity to look ahead.

After 100 years of helping veterans, families and communities, the Royal Canadian Legion continues its mission, with the Malahat branch hoping to remain a vital part of the community for generations to come.