Huron County Legions & Activities
The Royal Canadian Legion and its many branches in Huron County are evolving, yet remain steadfast in its commitment to serving veterans and their communities.
Legion Branches are the cornerstone of communities, with their volunteers providing outreach and assistance programs for Veterans and their families, fundraising to support essential community services, offering support for seniors and families in need, organizing commemorative ceremonies and promoting Remembrance and more.
In the past, memberships had been restricted to veterans and their descendants, and visiting a Branch required a member to sign you in. Now, Blyth Legion President Ric McBurney pointed out that the Legion is now more welcoming than ever with memberships now available for anyone and the Branches and events are open to the general public.
The Blyth Legion Branch 420 is a crucial component of the community, especially serving country suppers to crowds of hungry-theatre goers for the past five decades. When the theatre was starting out in the small village of Blyth, it quickly became apparent that there weren’t enough options available for meals and everyone knows that dinner and theatre go hand-in-hand.
The Legion Ladies Auxiliary to Branch 420 quickly jumped on board and the partnership has been crucial in the success of both entities. The Blyth Legion and the Blyth Festival are joined together through their mutual interest in the Blyth Memorial Community Hall. The hall is perhaps best known for the summer festival of theatre that the Blyth Centre for the Arts hosts there each year, but the building was built as the village cenotaph and is filled to capacity each November 11 for the annual Remembrance Day ceremony.
The Blyth Legion hosts popular dinners during Threshers Reunion week, as well as weekly meat draws on Friday evenings throughout the year. Although the Branch is small, the upstairs is a popular community rental space, frequently holding family celebrations and organization meetings. Downstairs, the intimate bar area is open from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
Across the county, the Legion Branches have become beacons of entertainment, frequently supporting local talent. The Brussels Legion is known for its Friday night Catch the Ace draws to raise funds for the community, with a lively karaoke night for the amusement of the crowd.
The Brussels Legion Branch 218 has also become famous across the region for the delicious fish fry that they have perfected. The volunteers have a mobile fryer, making them a popular catering service to bring to events throughout the spring, summer and fall. Comrade Jo-Ann McDonald has long provided a weekly column in The Citizen, the local newspaper, keeping all of northern Huron County in touch with Branch happenings.
One of the largest Branches in the region is the Goderich Legion Branch 109, with over 600 members, has a full calendar of events and activities for everyone. If you’ve never been to a meat draw, the Goderich Legion is the place to attend one. They take place every Friday and Saturday, but with a band headlining Saturday nights you need to get there early if you want to sit down. It’s not unusual for the Branch to reach capacity between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. while the meat draw is happening. The focus on Friday nights are smaller acts, often local youth who get the opportunity to perform in front of an appreciative crowd.
A new initiative that has proven popular is the Cafe 109. It’s open from weekdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. offering coffee and treats, and free WiFi. The Cafe provides a quieter, but still social, time for the community to come together. Branch President Randy Carroll says that they have all types of patrons enjoying the Cafe, from walkers taking a break to groups using the space for small meetings and social circles gathering on a weekly basis.
As with almost every Legion Branch, food is an important component of their fundraising plans and the Goderich Branch is no exception. In addition to their busy catering calendar, the Branch hosts exceedingly popular lobster nights and steak nights.
President Carroll says that both nights tend to sell out quickly, so be sure to snap up a ticket early.
Legion Week is an important part of the Goderich Branch calendar. The week kicks off with Decoration Day on September 21 at the Maitland Cemetery. On Wednesday, the Ladies Auxiliary will host a drop-in lunch.
On Monday and Tuesday, the members will host more than 300 school children and help them learn more about the Legion, its history and why it is important. As generations age, and fewer children have a direct connection to our veterans, the Legion plays an important role in their understanding of war and the impact that it has on the world around them.
The community room upstairs is a large, bright space available for rentals and frequently hosts banquets, celebrations of life and other events.
All of the Legion Branches in the area work hard to support youth programs, especially through their Public Speaking Awards, and the Poster and Essay Contests. Bursaries are available for member’s children, to help offset the cost of post-secondary education.
By supporting the Legion, you are supporting the community.
Most importantly, all of the Legion Branches’ most visible work centres around its Poppy Campaigns and the Remembrance Day Services.
Every year, from the last Friday of October to November 11, tens of millions of Canadians wear a Poppy as a visual pledge to honour Canada’s Veterans and remember those who sacrificed for the freedoms we enjoy today. The Poppy is distributed freely to all who wish to wear one, and the Legion gratefully accepts donations to the Poppy Fund.
On November 11 for 11 a.m., the Royal Canadian Legion invites you to visit a cenotaph, wherever possible. Your presence is vital to the Remembrance Day service. If you are unable to attend, please remember to observe the moment of silence. A very sacred part of Remembrance Day ceremonies is the two minutes of silence taken to quietly reflect upon our Veterans’ sacrifices and remember them with deep gratitude.