Canada’s Veterans are at the core of everything the The Royal Canadian Legion’s 270,000 members do, whether providing direct assistance, or running a local branch. From organizing the country’s National Remembrance Day Ceremony at a national level, to holding a peer support program at a local level, everything the Legion embarks upon leads to one overarching effort: supporting and remembering Canada’s Veterans and their families – military or RCMP.
The Legion’s National Headquarters wrapped up a busy 2024 filled with Veteran assistance, membership growth and new collaborations
“You have been truly an "Earth Angel" to me…
~ A Veteran helped by the Legion’s Veterans Services department in 2024
By Nujma Bond
Royal Canadian Legion National Headquarters
Canada’s Veterans are at the core of everything the The Royal Canadian Legion’s 270,000 members do, whether providing direct assistance, or running a local branch. From organizing the country’s National Remembrance Day Ceremony at a national level, to holding a peer support program at a local level, everything the Legion embarks upon leads to one overarching effort: supporting and remembering Canada’s Veterans and their families – military or RCMP.
The Legion acts as this country’s largest Veteran support and community service organization and the incredible strength of its membership allows it to accomplish incredible things. The past year saw a 5% year over year rise in membership, with over 44,000 new and reinstated members joining the Legion family - a modern-day record.
This overview touches upon national scope actions that helped move the organization’s agenda forward. They included supporting our Veterans and families with direct assistance, advocating for their well-being, promoting Remembrance with new initiatives, welcoming new members to keep the organization healthy, and strengthening our communities. It also entailed focusing on our country’s youth: one of the organization’s priorities.
SERVING VETERANS & THEIR FAMILIES
The assistance the national office provided to Veterans was significant: providing emergency funds for food or housing, preparing forms to receive benefits, connecting family members to health-related services, or even preparing a presentation for the Veterans’ Review and Appeals Board (VRAB) if a Veteran wished to revisit a benefits claim.
Making a big difference in 2024
“You have been truly an "Earth Angel" to me.” Such reactions from Veterans helped by the Legion are regularly deeply moving and remind the organization of how needed and often life-changing its work really is. These excepts from throughout the year reflect the work of the Legion’s Dominion Command (national and provincial) Service Officers.
As it related to a VRAB case: “…I am extremely grateful for all the hard work you have done and dedicated to my case. No matter what happens from here, I feel that I've won just by the acknowledgement of the board members of my injury.”
In appreciation for having received a new scooter: “This has given him the confidence to travel around town, giving him independence and allowing him to be more social once again. Again, I wish to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
Dominion Command Service Officers provided advice, and prepared and submitted 3,230 first applications and departmental reviews to Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). They also prepared almost 250 entitlement reviews, appeals, and reconsideration requests to VRAB. It can be a daunting process to navigate alone, and the Legion’s officers once again made it happen for Veterans - at no cost, and whether or not they were Legion members.
On top of that, the national Veterans Services (VS) department had over 5,000 other interactions which included answering one-off questions and helping with applications for the Veterans Independence Program among other tasks. National officers also stepped in to help the Legion’s provincial commands at times, such as when they were short-staffed.
The list of additional vital things accomplished at a national level is long, but the following are some select highlights and context, to provide a window into the range of things accomplished to help our Veterans.
- Transitioning out of service can be quite challenging and the VS department worked closely with VAC transition centres to help ease that strain, by guiding and assisting those dealing with claims or benefits.
- Rangers are part of the CAF Reserves serving in remote areas, and VS developed a new process to better help Veterans in the north receive assistance via the Legion’s Provincial Commands.
- There are more “hidden” pain points for Veterans, such as cases of cancer or traumatic brain injuries, that can be linked to service. The VS department strengthened relations with organizations assisting such service members, to help streamline their pathway to assistance.
Research, advocacy, and collaboration
The Legion trusts in evidence-based research to help Canada implement new health system tools and initiatives to support our Veterans. To that end, in 2013, it began offering a yearly $30,000 research scholarship to a master’s student studying an issue of relevance to Veteran physical or mental well-being. That scholarship has since morphed into a PhD scholarship based on similar parameters. In collaboration with the Canadian Institute of Military and Veteran Health Research (CIMVHR) the Legion was pleased to award its 2024 inaugural PhD Research scholarship of $50,000 to a student at Laval University in Québec. Raphaelle Merlo is looking into optimizing psychological care for Veterans.
“I hope to be able to improve the quality of life and psychosocial functioning of serving military personnel, in particular, by helping to reduce wait times on waiting lists for operational stress clinics in Canada,” Merlo told the Legion.
The Legion’s original master’s award still exists, but is now administered by the Legion National Foundation, a separate charity.
The organization’s advocacy agenda is an important part of its work on behalf of Veterans, and it moves forward each year with the help of letters and meetings targeting ministers and government decision makers, the sharing of stories and issues with media, collaborating with like-minded organizations such as Wounded Warriors Canada related to service dogs, and participating in advisory groups such as the Senate Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs.
Last year was no different, and the Legion’s national headquarters made various recommendations through the VAC ministry, the RCMP, and the Veterans Consultation Assembly among others. The 2024 assembly agreed to focus on three key issues: traumatic brain injury, partial entitlements for Veterans, and the misalignment between the Pension Act and the Veterans Well-being Act. A media opinion piece offered the story of Veterans assisted by service dogs who shared thoughts like: “My life has been changed…”
The Legion regularly supports or collaborates with other organizations whose mandates align, and among projects in 2024, it provided the National War Museum with another significant donation to help tell the stories of Veterans. Through CIMVHR, the Legion funded the Canadian version of educational books for children, to help them understand the life of a Veteran. It also supported hands-on programs to assist Veterans such as Heroes Mending on the Fly Canada, a program of healing through fly fishing, and Camp Aftermath, a volunteerism initiative.
The Legion’s VS team worked closely with the Military Veterans Wellness Program in Toronto which helps verify the military service of homeless Veterans whom police may encounter while patrolling. This then facilitates the Legion’s work to connect Veterans with a provincial command for further localized support. The program continues to expand with additional police departments signing up to take part.
The public face of the Legion
Strategic marketing and communications through earned and paid media campaigns helped the Legion grow membership for a third year in a row and took the promotion of Remembrance to higher levels.
A range of public relations efforts helped grow the organization’s profile in 2024. A new Remembrance Day public service announcement resulted in the equivalent of over $700,000 in donated airtime from some of Canada’s largest broadcasters, with their inherent support helping to widely share the message of Remembrance. The public and Legion members were engaged, as evidenced by over 50,000 Legion.ca website visits, and an email open rate significantly higher than the industry average for larger organizations.
Even though there were occasional challenges, such as navigating a political climate while at the same time remaining apolitical; or dealing with some writers looking for negative angles rather than reflecting overall reality, the organization fostered proactive and reactive media reports. Media, whether traditional or social, are a critical vehicle for sharing insights and educating on topics of relevance which in 2024 included how the Legion helps Veterans, clarified confusion related to government rules about prayer at national and local Remembrance Day ceremonies, helped promote the ”ad blackout” on November 11th which saw many hundreds of ads go black with two minutes of silence at 11:00 am in cities across Canada, and increased accessibility to lapel Poppies through news media interest in a pilot project – a new Amazon collaboration online whereby people donated to receive lapel Poppies at their doors.
National Headquarters operations
A lot goes on visibly and behind the scenes at a national level, and 2024 was particularly busy. The Legion held its biennial national Dominion Convention, the first one held in person in six years due to timing complications related to the pandemic. Close to 1,000 delegates and participants got together in Saint John, New Brunswick for the event – which was held there for the first time since 1928. The TD Station venue had ample room for the workshops, meetings, presentations and votes.
When all was said and done, Legion delegates had voted in a new Dominion Executive Council and had received informative updates on all areas of importance to the organization – both from internal committees and external collaborators such as VAC, in addition to organizations from Canada and abroad. For example, hearing Veterans’ Ombud Nishika Jardine talk about their work to push for simplified government communications with Veterans, or hearing CAF Chief Warrant Officer Bob McCann committing to sharing information about Legion support services with CAF members, added greatly to the collective understanding and hopefulness of delegates.
The convention showcased some handy new technology facilitated by the national IT department which helped with modernization, such as a new convention app, and online delegate voting for the election of Senior Executive Officers. Various departments contributed other elements such as providing Legion branded products for sale, or ensuring key moments were captured on video and in photographs.
One of the most important ways to maintain the Legion’s visual identity while at the same time facilitating its work, is its online Poppy Store, which offers an extensive collection of branded products. While the store faced several challenges throughout the year - including port and rail strikes and the strike at Canada Post - it maintained unparalleled customer service. This garnered great feedback from customers who also shared their appreciation for the store’s “lovely” products, well over 1,000 at last count. In 2024, the store shipped over 53,000 orders. New products launched included Legion cross bags, a ceramic ornament, a new mug, sports caps, a navy cardigan, a “pop socket” for phones, and luggage tags.
The pilot project involving an Amazon Canada collaboration entailed a Legion storefront at Amazon.ca which offered a selection of Remembrance products – including lapel Poppies – for people to order and receive at their doors. The collaboration was a great new way to increase the delivery footprint of lapel Poppies and to increase access to symbols of Remembrance for people who may live in more remote areas. A selection of those produces remains available year-round.
Marketing and communications efforts underpin most everything the organization does internally and externally at a national level; managing its reputation, enticing new members, educating the public, and providing a high degree of quality control related to projects that affect its public image.
In 2024 the department helped move the organization forward, through supporting and promoting the National Poppy Campaign with new ads, promotions, news interviews, and articles.
Enhancing education about what the Legion does, and increasing visibility also helps increase donations to the National – and local - Poppy Trust Funds. Initiatives included sharing ideas and tools with Branches holding National Legion Week events in September and supporting a range of Legion advocacy and education efforts, from stakeholder letters and meetings to program support. For example, an increasingly popular website resource listing of hundreds of Legion-organized Remembrance ceremonies across the country, grew to nearly 900 entries.
For the third consecutive year, the organization saw membership growth, which is up 5% year over year. Almost 13,000 new members joined in 2024. Strategies such as auto-renewal, modernization efforts like digital membership cards, attracting new and reinstated members, automated renewal campaigns, and strong and positive member support interactions all contributed to this outcome. A high volume of inquires meant the department responded to nearly 70,000 emails and calls throughout the year.
All Provincial Commands are on track for year-over-year membership growth as well.
Since its launch in 2020, the MemberPerks program has saved members $2.82 million dollars on the purchase of a range of products and services, and over 45,000 members have now registered for this member savings program.
PROMOTING REMEMBRANCE & NATIONAL POPPY CAMPAIGN
The Legion remains a guardian of Remembrance and takes this duty seriously. Various projects and ceremonies designed to encourage Remembrance included collaborations, contests, new teaching resources, and the sharing of Veteran stories.
The Legion presided over Canada’s National Remembrance Day Ceremony at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, with an estimated 40,000 people in attendance and millions watching online or on television. Highlights included visual odes to the 100th anniversary of the RCAF, and the 80th anniversary of D-Day. The National Silver Cross Mother is named annually by the Legion, and Mrs. Maureen Anderson placed a wreath on behalf of all mothers and families who have lost a child in service to Canada.
The Legion believes that our youth are essential to keeping up the tradition of Remembrance and to this end, it produced a new Remembrance Day Ceremony planning guide, which was downloadable and free to teachers wanting presentation materials and other resources to hold a ceremony at a school. The National Youth Remembrance Contests in collaboration with the Legion National Foundation also helped honour Canada’s Fallen through visual art, writing and videography – helping youth to connect at a deeper level.
The pilot project collaboration with Amazon.ca saw supporters donate $2, $5, $10, or $20 to receive lapel Poppies delivered to their doors, opening new doors to educate across the country. All funds raised this way went directly into the Poppy Trust Fund. Most feedback was positive: “I’m very happy I finally can wear my poppy in (the) Remembrance period,” said one pleased individual.
The Legion distributed millions of biodegradable poppies as part of its National Poppy Campaign, and while the total raised nationally is being tallied, over $700,000 was raised through the RBC tap-enabled donation boxes, with all funds returning to the communities in which they were donated. Other major collaborators like TD offered a significant campaign donation along with Poppies and boxes in all their branches, Starbucks participated in point-of-sale donations, and YETI developed limited edition drinkware alongside a generous donation to the Poppy Trust fund. They are but a few examples of the many strong corporate supporters – large and small - that enabled the campaign to grow significantly in 2024 and are all integral to it success.
The advertising blackout awareness campaign also grew to include Ottawa’s OC Transpo, which paused all transit services at 11:00 to also observe two minutes of silence on November 11th.
SUPPORTING OUR YOUTH AND PROMOTING CAMARADERIE THROUGH SPORT
Calgary was the site of the 2024 National Youth Track and Field Championships held at McMahon Stadium. Participants competed in a range of Track and Field events, gaining experience, setting personal bests and records, and learning about Remembrance, leadership and - setting the stage for a potential future in the Olympics or other elite games. “Everybody’s impressed me so far…I’m proud to be here,” said Games Ambassador Michael Trauner at the games, himself a well-decorated athlete - having lost both legs while serving in Afghanistan.
The Dominion Member Sports Championships also took place in several cities, with national level Legion players in cribbage, darts, and 8-ball being awarded titles for their wins. As always, the competition focused on the camaraderie of sport and helped showcase the work of Legion branches.
LOOKING AHEAD
With 2025 well underway, the Legion’s agenda is full once again. This time, with a unique and exciting celebration: the 100th anniversary of the organization’s inception, which was officially on July 17, 1926. While planning began months ago, it is full steam ahead with various projects to be unveiled in the coming months. They include the release of unique commemorative items through the Poppy Store, and historic written and visual lookbacks. Stay tuned to the Legion’s social and various communications channels including Legion.ca, for updates.
In 2026, the Legion will also hold its centennial Dominion Convention in Winnipeg, Manitoba – fittingly, where 100 years ago, the Legion began its journey.
The organization will drive positive awareness about what it offers to Veterans, their families and communities, through its public channels. There will be new outside collaborations, and an ongoing focus on membership growth to maintain its strength. Modernization will be an ongoing focus, with the release of more programs and projects that align with the mission. For example, already this year, a new Remembrance crosswalk design was created and distributed to all regions, ready for branches and communities to paint on streets to help honour our Veterans.
Advocacy will be at the forefront, with a renewed push for critical items that affect our Veterans, like eliminating unreasonable wait times for benefits, ensuring they have the modern tools and equipment needed in the field, and helping create strategies that will assist with overall well-being during and after service. Media engagement, and behind the scenes meetings will assist with moving the agenda forward.
Updates to the National Poppy Campaign will include cardboard Poppy boxes to help eliminate plastics, and possible growth in the advertising blackout campaign that encourages two minutes of silence on November 11.
The Legion is also getting set to host the 2025 Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League conference in Ottawa this July, and with just months to go, all hands are on deck planning for the hosting of over 100 delegates from the expected fifty-four member organizations who collectively help support Commonwealth Veterans.
For the second year in row, Calgary will be the host city for the August 2025 Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships.
In 2024, the Legion promoted Remembrance widely, and accomplished a great deal for Canada’s Veterans, their families and communities. It was because of its many thousands of members, volunteers, supporters, community and corporate partners, and all collaborators – and it thanks every single one, with deep gratitude.
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