Veterans Week

VETERANS CANADA has proclaimed the week leading up to Remembrance Day.

                                                   VETERANS WEEK-NOVEMBER 5th – 11th

                                                     SERVICE, COURAGE AND SACRIFICE

The many who served our country at home, around the world along with the many generations in times of war, military conflict and peace we HONOUR them.

Below are some  missions that are being recognized with some marking an anniversary in 2021.

105th anniversary of the Battles of the Somme and and Beaumont-Hamel,

80th Anniversary of the end of the Defense of Hong Kong  1941,

70th Anniversary of the  Battle of Kapyong in 1951,

65th Anniversary of the beginning of  United Nations Emergency Force -UNEF,

30th Anniversary of the end of the Gulf War in 1991,

10th Anniversary of the end of  of Canada’s combat mission in Afghanistan,

Our military has been actively protecting our own over the years from protecting our borders all across Canada-north south east west, the sky the waters. They have helped the RCMP with some law enforcement, search and rescue, assisting in natural disasters humanitarian responses and as of late during the COVID pandemic. There is detailed information on the Veterans Affairs website.

Our Branch has typically been active in our community with activities leading up to Remembrance Day.

This year our Poppy Campaign at Costco and Poppy boxes in stores throughout our community.

Due to COVID there will not be a ceremony for  No Stone Left Alone

We have participated in the Transcona Museum  this year a virtual opening with a new display Stories of Remembrance. Please check our their Facebook Page and please go see the  display in Kildonan Place November 5th to 11th during the regular mall hours.

November 8th  marks Indigenous Veterans Day. First Nations, Metis and Inuit people in Canada have a long and proud tradition of military service.

We will not be holding a formal public Remembrance Service again this year.

We encourage our community to go to our Cenotaph/Field of Honour in the Transcona Cemetery during the week leading up to Remembrance Day.  We also encourage you to go see the many Honouary Streets named for those who served and still live in Transcona.

Branch News Update

Branch Update

Effective Oct 01, 2021  Hours of operation  – unless STAT holiday

Monday – Tuesday – Thursday -Friday 2:00pm – 10:00pm

Wednesday – 2:00pm – 11:00pm

Saturday – 1:00pm – 10:00pm

  • Monday Night Bingo Early bird 6:45 pm Regular games 7:00 pm
  • Tuesday Cribbage – 7:30 pm  – All skill levels welcomes
  • Wednesday Darts – arrive 6:30 pm start time 7:00 pm – Looking for spares contact Branch @ 204-222-9951 leave a message with your information and Darts member will contact you
  • Thursday Regular Meetings held 4th Thursday at 7:30 pm in January – March – May – July – September – November
  • Friday  R. E. D. We encourage everyone to wear red to Remember Everyone Deployed. If you purchase a beverage on this day while wearing red your name will be entered in for a draw. Please see Bar Steward for information
  • Saturday Meat Draw first draw at 2:45 pm – last draw 5:15 pm. Chase the Ace draw at 4:00 pm – 50-50 drawn at 5:00 pm – stay after to play your Kinsmen Bingo cards while watching on the Big Screen TV
  • Sports Viewing if no other planned event is going on in the Branch come down and watch our Bombers and Jets WIN on our Big Screen TV
  • VLTS are all up and running – dividers separate each one. Pool Table is available
  • Reminder masks must be worn upon entry into the Branch and remain on while walking within the Clubroom. Everyone must be double vaccinated and provide their documentation along with ID to enter the Branch
  • Everyone must enter through the side door from the parking lot and follow the existing protocol of signing in, hand sanitizer.
  • We are currently restricted to 90 people within our Branch
  • Legion Masks are available for purchase from our Bar Staff at $10.00 each
  • Renew your Membership before Dec 4th to be entered in the draw for a chance to win-membership dues returned

 

****Grey Cup tickets are available for purchase at the Bar**************

 

 

Remember Stone

MESSAGE FROM PETER MARTIN -REMEMBER STONE

Hide a Remember stone, find a Remember stone and honour a Veteran with a Remember stone.

I have Organized the No Stone Left Alone Ceremony in the Transcona Cemetery, Field of Honour for over five years. I arrange for over 600 Transcona Grade six classes to go to the Transcona Cemetery Field of Honour and place Poppies on the 325 Graves of Transcona Veterans. In 2019 a friend, Tova Anderson, painted over 700 stones with a “poppy” and the word “Remember” which she handed out to the students after the ceremony. In 2020 Tova painted another 750 stones for the ceremony which ended up being cancelled due to Covid 19. It now appears that the 2021 ceremony might not happen to the same degree as in the past as well and the stones might sit for another year.

I did not want the stones to sit another year and not be used as part of the Veteran recognition during the No Stone Left Alone ceremony. I discussed with a friend, who is involved in other Remembrance activities (Kerry Harrison, (owner Transcona Salon and Spa), and she suggested we could turn these stones into a hide and find activity. We built on this idea and decided that we would get the Transcona citizens to hide stones in some of the 78 Parks and Playgrounds. All the stones are now hidden by a fantastic group of Transcona people. We are now trying to get all Transcona families to visit some of the 78, Transcona Parks and Playgrounds and find hidden stones. Once a stone is found they could take to the Transcona Cemetery, Field of Honour and place on the grave stone of a Veteran, take a picture and post it if they like. If they have a family member who was a Veteran but not buried in the Field of Honour, they could place the stone on their grave as a reminder of their service. They could also give a stone to a Veteran who has served or continues to serve in the Military and thank them for their service.

This October activity would get families out to visit the 78 Parks and Playgrounds and also participate in the act of Remembrance. Even if you want to keep a stone to remind yourself of the sacrifices of the Veterans, that is wonderful as well. We felt the placing of these stones during October would be the perfect lead up to November 11th and, of course it is easier to find stones before the snow flies, although falling leaves also pose a problem.

Beginning October 1st take the family and head out to your nearest park or Playground to find some stones and use them to recognize a Veteran and keep the message of Remembrance going.

                                                     

 

 

 

 

Remembrance Poppy

Remembrance Poppy

The Poppy became a symbol of Remembrance due to the poem written by Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, a soldier from World War I, “In Flanders Field”.

This July we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Canada officially adopting the flower of the Remembrance.

Madam Anna Guerin, known as the “The Poppy Lady from France”, met with the Great War Veterans Association (GWVA), the forerunner to the Royal Canadian Legion in July 1921. She presented the idea of the Remembrance Poppy. The funds were to raise money for the Veterans needs and to remember those who had given their lives in the First World War. July 6,1921 the GWVA passed a resolution that the Poppy would be worn on the anniversary of Armistice Day in memory of the fallen comrades.

Poppies were made by women and children of France and under the sponsorship of the GWVA the were distributed in Canada. The next year all Legions across Canada wore the poppy as a means of remembrance. The tradition of wearing the Poppy continues 100 years later as we continue the pledge to honour our Veterans, remember their incredible sacrifices for the freedoms we enjoy and acknowledge the families of our Veterans and their losses.