Almost a decade after the end of the Great War, the Royal Canadian Legion was officially created.

June 17, 1926, an Act of Parliament declared the official incorporation of the Royal Canadian Legion. This was almost 10 years after November 11 1918, when the Armistice was signed, declaring an end to what was called The Great War, and the War to End All Wars, now better known as the First World War.

Young men and old, returned home to Canada after their demobilization, many of them still dealing with both the physical and psychological trauma of the battlefields, and having to try and become a part of normal society again. There was little official government support for them. Some veterans formed local and provincial associations, including the Great War Veterans Association, to lobby for care and benefits for returning soldiers. Many of these groups merged to form the Legion.

This year marks the official centennial of the Legion. The Hawkesbury branch, which will celebrate its own 80th anniversary next year, hosts a community open house Friday afternoon, June 17, 2 to 4 p.m., at the Hawkesbury Legion Hall on Nelson Street.

“We had some earlier celebrations, July 1 and on June 27 with a Jamboree that was well attended,” said Michel Denis (major, retired), current president of the Hawkesbury Legion branch.

This week will be a quieter celebration of the spirit of the Legion, a spirit of support for both veterans themselves and the communities they live in that Denis noted is still relevant today.

“For veterans, the Legion is a way of staying in touch with your peers,” he said. “It’s like returning to your family. »