The Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 65 in Tofino, B.C. marked its 100th anniversary with a pancake breakfast and cake-cutting on July 17.
The organization that is now the Royal Canadian Legion was started by the veterans of the First World War to support those who served in the conflict, advocate for their rights and preserve memories. It was formally incorporated by a Special Act of Parliament on July 17, 1926. Tofino’s branch actually pre-dates the Legion’s official birthday and is one of the earliest established veterans’ hubs in Canada.
Warren “Whitey” Bernard, past-president of the Tofino branch and a lifetime member of the Royal Canadian Legion, gave a heart-warming toast to the organization.
The 91-year-old was the famous little boy reaching for his father’s hand, Sergeant Jack Bernard, in the iconic 1940 “Wait for me, Daddy” photo by Claude P. Dettloff.
“This legion was built when this little village was only connected to the outside by steamship. Before the road, Tofino had its legion,” said Bernard.
“When I came to this town, flat broke by the way in a turmoil, the first place I arrived was of course the Maquinna Hotel for one night. But then we found the Legion, and that was a gem. We met the real people of Tofino. That’s where you came when you wanted to behave yourself, when you wanted to meet the backbone of this community,” he said.
In 2019, the Tofino Legion fell under hardships and closed its doors. It didn’t reopen until October 2023.
“We damn near lost it,” said Bernard.
But he said the younger generation like his grandson Riley Banks, 24, have stepped-up to bring the Tofino Legion back to the community hub it once was.
“We want to try make things as good as we can for the community at large,” said Banks, Tofino Legion vice-president. “We are here to support the entire West Coast.”
“We are always looking for volunteers and anyone who has ideas on how to best support the community,” Banks continued.
Tofino Mayor Dan Law attended the Tofino Legion 100th birthday celebration. Law shared that his late dad Bruce Law was in the Canadian Navy and received the Meritorious Service Medal. He said his grandfather was also in the British Merchant Navy and all his great grandfathers were in the First World War.
“The war generation is dying. There are only a handful of veterans left. Hopefully we don’t have another war, but it’s right at our doorstep, we are one step away; Article 5 would draw us in,” said Law.
Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty (NATO) states that an armed attack against one NATO member shall be considered an attack against them all.
Over the next decade, the Government of Canada plans to invest half a trillion dollars on defence – from submarines and aircraft to drones, sensors, and radar systems, according to an announcement released March 26 by Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Historically, Indigenous soldiers who served in the Canadian military were often treated unfairly compared to non-Indigenous veterans when they returned home from war. Most First Nations veterans were unable to receive full supports, grants and benefits due to their legal status under the Indian Act.
It wasn’t until 1951, when the Indian Act was amended, that an Indigenous veteran could share a toast honouring lost comrades in a Royal Canadian Legion hall.
