Simcoe Legion reflects on 2025 and the new year

Legions countrywide honour a century of remembrance in 2026.

Alex Hunt 

Advocate Correspondent

The Royal Canadian Legion Simcoe Branch 79 is planning year-round festivities in 2026 to celebrate a century of supporting veterans.

“Our Legion is older than 100, but a combination of other veteran organizations was established right after the First World War in 1919,” said James Christison, president of the Simcoe Legion Branch 79. 

“They came together under one umbrella in 1926, and that’s when the Canadian Legion was established in Manitoba and spread across Canada. The Simcoe Legion is the 79th Legion to be established in Ontario.”

Christison said the Legion is planning special events throughout the year to celebrate the milestone.

After re-establishing its trivia night and bringing in special band sessions, Legion executives are also focusing on developing unannounced legacy projects.

“The role of the Legion has changed over the years; it’s not just about veterans anymore, it’s about supporting other non-profits in the area,” said Christison. “Our Legion provides a fantastic hall space for all kinds of groups to come in and use.

“We really want the legion to be a community centre, which has been a focus in recent years, and we’re growing the membership.”

Christison said community support for last year’s Poppy Campaign was a success.

“We were able to donate significant funds to various charities in support of veterans.”

Christison explained that Second World War Veteran members have passed away, but the organization has still sustained a membership of retired Canadian Armed Forces personnel and locals without military backgrounds. He added that it is the Legion’s priority to keep the memories alive for Second World War Veterans who have passed.

“It’s been a big topic of conversation on how we retain membership, especially since a large demographic that was once heavily involved with the Legion is no longer with us,” said 

Christison.

“Moving forward, we want to make changes that attract more potential members while keeping the legacy of the Legion alive,” said Christison. “It’s a challenge because there’s still a lot of stigma that the Legion is just a place for veterans to grab a drink, but it’s so much more than that.”

The Legion held its annual New Year’s Day Levee to celebrate the 2025 year and plan what’s to come. 

“The Levee was great,” said Christison. “I’m very fortunate that the Simcoe Legion has a fabulous executive, and everything runs smoothly. It’s a wonderful group of people to work with, and we all have the same goal of supporting our veterans, families, and the community and remembrance.”