Derek Moore

My father was born in Listowel, Ontario, and raised in Toronto. One of two brothers who both served Canada during the Second World War. My father was a Royal Canadian Air Force veteran, serving as ground crew with No. 419 “Moose” Squadron, Bomber Command. Shortly after D-Day, he remustered into the 39th Reconnaissance Wing and entered Europe, later receiving the Liberation of Holland Medal for this service. His brother served with the Royal Canadian Navy aboard HMCS Eyebright, a Flower-class corvette. 

The tradition of service in my family extends further. My paternal grandfather was a First World War veteran who trained as a pilot at Camp Borden. My maternal grandfather also served in the First World War as a dispatch rider in Europe. In addition, a great-uncle, a member of the Canadian 58th Battalion, lost his life at Passchendaele in 1916. 

Shortly after obtaining Canadian citizenship, I became a member of The Royal Canadian Legion and have been an Associate and later Life Member of Branch 134, Mount Forest, since 1978. 

At the branch level, I served as Branch President from 2000 to 2002, having previously held several executive and committee roles, including Sports, Public Relations, Bar, House, Chair, and President of the Dart League. 

At the zone and district levels, I was elected Deputy Zone Commander (C-3) from 2005 to 2007 and Zone Commander (C-3) from 2007 to 2009. I then served as Deputy District Commander (District C) from 2009 to 2011 and District Commander from 2011 to 2013, while also serving on the ABC Tri-District Hospital Committee. 

At the provincial level, I was elected Vice President of Ontario Command for the 2015–2017 term and re-elected for 2017–2019. I subsequently served as First Vice President from 2019 to 2022, the first of two three-year terms extended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

During my vice-presidential terms, I served on numerous committees, including Youth Education, Bursaries, Track and Field, Membership, and Cadet Liaison. I was also actively involved in Property, the Homeless Veterans Program, and the Charitable Foundation. 

I was elected Provincial President of Ontario Command for the 2022–2025 term, the second three-year COVID-extended term. As Provincial President, I served on the Dominion Executive Council, the Membership Committee, and as Vice-Chair of the Poppy and Remembrance Committee, a position I continue to hold. 

Honours received include Life Membership in 2009, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012, and, in 2025, the King Charles III Coronation Medal. In that same year, I was deeply honoured to receive The Royal Canadian Legion’s highest distinction, the Meritorious Service Medal (MSM). 

Beyond the Legion, I am a founding and current member of the Mount Forest Heritage Society. Recreational interests include playing darts and, as a relaxing sideline, playing the drums. 

I have been happily married to Trish (Patricia) for 45 years. Together we have two children, Lisa and Patrick, and five grandchildren—four boys and one very lucky girl. I continue to reside at 490 Albert Street in Mount Forest, where I have lived for the past 40 years, with no plans to leave.