Lest We Forget / 15 Our Legion Home has a long and proud history of involving both our Veterans and Ladies Auxiliary. The origins of the Charlottetown branch began in 1917 on the second floor of the old Market building (the present site of the Confederation Centre). Within a year, efforts were organized to form a branch of the Great War Veterans Association of Canada. The local branch was incorporated on October 9, 1918. This incorporation was followed by the adoption of the first by-laws a year later on October 17, 1919. Our first official branch home was located on the third floor of the Offer building on Queen Street. As more Veterans became involved in the branch, a permanent site was secured on Grafton Street between Queen and Pownal Streets in 1926. During this same year the Great War Veterans Association passed a resolution on June 16 to merge with the Canadian Legion of the British Empire Service League. Two years later on January 8, 1928, the Dominion Executive Council granted Charlottetown Branch No. 1 the first Charter on Prince Edward Island. Mr. Harry MacDougall was the first Branch President. The Grafton Street branch home was expanded three times prior to 1946 to accommodate a growing membership of returning Veterans and members of the local armed forces. Throughout this period the Charlottetown Legion’s Ladies Auxiliary operated a canteen in the branch home and served hundreds of thousands of meals to Legion members. The Auxiliary has always assisted the Legion in its’ endeavors. This is evident every Fall during the Poppy campaign. Their responsibility is the sale and delivery of the wreaths. Since 1936, and still today, the Auxiliary donates many thousands of dollars to the branch home for operational and capital needs. On August 16, 1963, the Charlottetown Legion opened their new branch home on Pownal Street at a cost of $234,000. Mr. Justice C.C. Sparling, Dominion President, Lieutenant Governor W.J. MacDonald and Branch President, Freeman Miles attended the official opening. Today, our branch home stands as a proud reminder of the many stories told, the many functions held and the many dedicated Veterans who volunteered their time. The Royal Canadian Legion Prince Edward Island Command Branch No. 1 - Charlottetown NAME DATES H. A. MacDougall 1926 Dr. J. E. Croken 1927 T. E. MacNutt 1928 Leo Bradley, DCM 1929,1944 A. G. Bruce 1930 A. J. Leightizer 1931 L. C. Lowther 1932 W. J. MacDonald 1933 F. B. Conrad, M. M. 1934 R. C. Chandler 1935 J. P. Hillion 1936,1937 J. S. Walker 1938 L. W. Goodwin, M. M. 1939 N. W. Lowther, M. M. 1940 J. F. Leightizer 1941 P .J. Rossiter 1942 E. M. Bagnall 1943 P. E. Palmer 1945 J. A. McGuigan 1946 A. W. Rogers 1947 J. J. Connolly 1948 H. R. Vessey 1949,1950 Ray Hughes 1951 C. M. Sinclair 1952 Leo Doyle 1953,1990,1991 S. G. Bryant 1954 F. A. Rush 1955 NAME DATES V. J. Bowlan 1956 S. W. Leard 1957,1958 F. P. Smith 1959 Vernon Larter 1960 Edward Brown 1961,62,65 & 1973 Freeman Miles 1963 J. J. Connolly 1964 Charles E. Ryan 1966 Alfred Peters 1967 George Reynolds 1968 Stanley Bryanton 1969,1970 J. A. “Tony” Gallant 1971,1983 Howard MacKinnon 1972 John Richard 1974 J. M. “Sonny” Gallant 1975 John Thistle 1976,77,80 & 84 Lloyd Larter 1978 John Murphy 1979 Robert Larter 1981,82,94,95 & 96 Charlie MacInnis 1985,86 & 89 Charlie Gallant 1987 Joseph Toombs 1988 James Bradley 1992,1993 Gerald Coyle 1997 Jack MacEachern 1998,99,2000,01 & 02 David Brown 2003
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