History - Legion Branch No 68 - Légion Royale Canadienne

ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION Branch No 68 – Saint-Lambert
HISTORY 1936 – 2010
Veterans of World War I (1914-1918) residing in Saint-Lambert decided in 1936 to establish an association for the 200 SaintLambert citizens who had volunteered for military service and in particular to honor the memory of the 60 men who made the
supreme sacrifice. It should be noted that in 1914 the population of Saint-Lambert was just over 3,000 and more than 300 young
men volunteered for military service.
On 16 February 1936 a small group of ex-servicemen attended the first meeting of the proposed Branch. A charter was obtained
on 12 September 1936, under its first President, J. St-James Hall, and the branch was designated the St- Lambert Quebec
Branch No 68 of the Royal Canadian Legion. The colours of the branch were consecrated in 1945 by the Reverend Canon C. G.
Stevens.
From its beginning, the branch received donations and administered the Poppy Fund in the city of Saint-Lambert, and all exservicemen or women or their dependents in need were taken care of through the use of the Fund.
During World War II (1939-1945) when the Saint-Lambert population was a little over 6000, a total of 830 men and women
volunteered for service in the armed forces and 72 made the supreme sacrifice.
The enrolment ratio to population was among the highest in Canada. In recognition of this a Corvette ship of the Royal Canadian
Navy was named HMCS St. Lambert on 6 November 1943. The ship was decommissioned after the war and its Bell which is in
display in City Hall was presented to the City of Saint-Lambert on 27 June 1947.
During the war members of the branch sold Victory Bonds and all commissions received were placed in a "Tobacco Fund". With
this fund, 2351 care packages were sent to Saint-Lambert servicemen and servicewomen in all theatres of war.
In 1941 Air Cadet Training was started in Saint-Lambert and most of the instructors were members of our Legion Branch. Also in
1941 a troop show was sponsored by the Branch and until 1945 gave monthly, or bi-monthly shows, in every military camp
within a radius of 100 miles of Montreal.
A monthly newspaper, known as “The Home Town News” was published and distributed from 1 April 1944 to 1 March 1946 to all
parents, relatives or friends, for forwarding to all personnel in every theatre of war. A suitably bound copy of these newspapers
was placed in the Saint-Lambert Memorial Library.
After the formation of the Canadian Legion Montreal Hospital Committee in 1941, the Branch made a yearly financial
contribution, and for the next 18 years our Branch was a on the hospital committee. Also during this period, members made
monthly visits to hospitalized veterans in either the St-Hyacinth Hospital or St- Hyacinth Annex or the Veterans Hospital in SteAnne de Bellevue. The Branch distributed 3102 gifts to veterans in hospitals at Christmas time.
The Branch, for many years, held Paper Salvage Drives, and the funds derived from these invariably have been contributed to
the welfare of hospitalized veterans.
In 1946 the members thought that a building of their own was needed. Therefore, a fund-raising campaign was held in SaintLambert. An amount of $25,000 was collected of which more than 50% was contributed by the Branch and its members. With
these funds the lower floor of the present Saint-Lambert Memorial Youth Centre on Lespérance Street was constructed.
By agreement with the City of Saint-Lambert, the Memorial Youth Centre was deeded, as a gift, by the Legion Branch No 68 to
the City of Saint-Lambert in November 1950.The donation deed was prepared by Notary Paul Wickham
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A bronze plaque installed in 1950 at the front entrance reads as follows: « This building was made possible by the St-Lambert
(Quebec No. 68) Branch Canadian Legion B.E.S.L., is dedicated in memory of our fallen comrades » « Cet édifice, érigé par la
Légion canadienne, succursale de St-Lambert No. 68, est consacré aux jeunes gens de cette ville à la mémoire de nos
camarades morts pour la patrie ». It was from such a modest beginning that this fine structure was completed by the city in 1957.
Our Branch organized during several years a paper recycling program and funds generated by this program were used to
support hospitalized veterans. In 1952 the Branch sponsored a "Canadian Citizens Night" and all members at that time were
given an official Citizenship Certificate. That same year the Branch established two scholarships. To this day the Branch
presents every year two prizes to students selected by the teachers of Chambly Academy and we also support the St-Lambert
Primary School.
After 1953 the Branch sponsored and directed until 1983 Amateur Championship Track & Field Meets, which attracted entrants
from England, the United States of America and almost every Province of Canada. Highland Dancing competitions were
included in the meets. The Branch has also sponsored weekly Twilight Track Meets and, sponsored a Little League Baseball
Team. The Branch has also initiated, through Provincial Command, a Committee to promote Track & Field in other Quebec
branches.
Substantial contributions, both cash and comforts, were made to the Vetville residence in Chateaugay, as well as financial
contributions to other organizations in Saint-Lambert for sports and other activities.
Since 1995 due to the age of our Veterans, we have concentrated our support to Veterans hospitalized in local hospitals and at
Ste-Anne de Bellevue, conducted the annual Poppy Fund Campaign in late October and organized the annual Remembrance
ceremony each November in Mercille Park .
In 1996 we celebrated our 60th anniversary. A special committee was created to organize a series if events well attended by
Branch members, City dignitaries and citizens friends who over the years have supported our activities in the community.
In 2006 we celebrated our 70th anniversary. The executive committee organized a dinner dance and despite our reduced
number of members we commemorated our achievements in St-Lambert during these 70 years.
In March 2007 three commemorative plaques honoring the sacrifice of our citizens who made the Supreme Sacrifice in First
World War (1914-1918) and the Second World War (1939-1945) were stolen. All three plaques were made of bronze and
presumably were stolen for scrap metal value.
The first plaque was installed on a boulder in Logan Park to commemorate the plantation in 1919 of 60 maple trees to honor the
memory of the 60 St-Lambert citizens who were killed in World War I.
The second plaque was installed in 1950 at the entrance of the Youth Centre on Lesperance Street to commemorate the
legacy of the building by the Legion to the City.
The third plaque was installed in 1963 in front of the Cenotaph in Mercille Park to commemorate the memory of the 72 StLambert citizens who made the supreme sacrifice in World War II.
The theft of these commemorative plaques caused much grief in our community and in other parts of Canada. At
the time news coverage was both regional and national.
A joint committee was set up by the City of Saint-Lambert and Branch No 68 of the Royal Canadian Legion to
rectify the situation. Our first priority was the replacement of the Cenotaph plaque. A special trust fund was set
up to receive donations from parents, friends and citizens at large.
We did a verification of each name to be inscribed on the new plaque, by consulting relatives, church records,
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Archives Canada, all 6 Books of Remembrance kept in the tower of the Parliament of Canada, web sites of
Veterans Affairs Canada and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
A new plaque made of black granite on which the names of our 132 citizens who made the Supreme Sacrifice in
World War I and II were engraved by laser technology. The new plaque was unveiled by the City of SaintLambert pro-mayor, Mrs Jill Lacoursière, and our Legion Branch President, Comrade Pierre Richard, on Sunday,
November 11th, 2007 at 2 pm at the beginning of our annual remembrance ceremony in Mercille Park, corner of
Green and Notre-Dame Streets.
A new plaque made of black granite installed on a grey granite block was unveiled in Logan Park on November 11th , 2009 at
1:30 pm by the City of Saint-Lambert mayor, Mr. Philippe Brunet, Legion Branch President, Comrade Pierre Richard, Mrs
Charlotte Bastien, Quebec Director General for Veterans Affairs Canada, and Mr. Allan McEvoy of St-Lambert Lions Club.
The Branch acknowledges that many of the foregoing activities could not have been completed successfully without the help
and assistance of our fellow citizens and the support of the Civic authorities and employees of the City of Saint-Lambert.
The members of the Saint-Lambert, Quebec Branch No 68, Royal Canadian Legion, look back with pride to their services to our
Sovereign, our Country and our Community.
Prepared by Pierre Richard
Branch President
14 September 2010
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