Lest We Forget / 23 The original charter was given on April 8, 1930 to the Souris Branch of the Canadian Legion of the British Empire Service League and was to be known as Souris (P.E.I. No. 3) Branch. The original Charter Members were Harold C. Croucher, Lambert Cheverie, Michael Richard Cheverie, Louis Fougere, Isiah J. Horne, Alphunsus James MacDonald, Emanuel MacDonald, Michael Francis McIntosh, Daniel Leonard O’Hanley, Arthur A. Paquet, M. Leander Paquet, George Perry, Norman Henry Richards, Frederick Stillman, Joseph Walsh, and Eliel Lorenzo Paquet. The charter was renewed on March 5, 1968 and the Branch was to be known as Souris (Prince Edward Island No. 3) Branch of The Royal Canadian Legion. The current Executive consists of President David Perry, Past President Kenny Mallard, 1st Vice President John Higginbottom, 2nd Vice President William Gillam, Treasurer Clarence MacDonald, Secretary Basil MacDonald, Sgt at Arms Gordon Robertson, and Honorary President Margaret Doiron. The branch also had a very active Ladies Auxiliary up until 1998 at which time they gave up their charter. The original Legion was situated above what was once the old Shoppers Drug Mart, then it moved to the McQuaid building for a number of years and then it moved to a building behind the old fire hall owned by Dr. Fred MacDonald until it burnt. Then the building we are now in was built in 1954 and a piece was added to the end facing the water at a later date. Then a few years later there was a piece added to the side next to where Allan MacDonald lives now and a porch added across the front. Then a few years later the underneath part of the legion was dug out and a basement put under it, this housed a meeting room and a second bar. The cannon in front of the branch was once situated on the corner of Chapel Street and Main before being moved to its present location. It was there that the first Remembrance Day celebrations took place with the accompaniment of our own Legion band. The Branch is most recognized by a number of veterans, such as the Honorable Daniel J. MacDonald who served with the Cape Breton Highlanders during WWII and lost an arm and a leg in action during fighting at the Senio River in Italy on Dec. 21, 1944. He was a member and was past President of the Branch. He was elected in the Cardigan riding in 1962, and became Minister of Veteran Affairs in which he served this portfolio from 1972 - 1980. Also nursing sister Rena MacLean was drowned when her ship, the Landover Castle, was torpedoed and went down while taking wounded soldiers back from the war. Also we had Colonel Daniel MacCormack as a member of our branch. We also had 4 families in which 6 members of the family were involved in WWII: the Cheverie, Creamer, MacDonald, and MacIntyre along with the McIntosh’s whose father was in WWI and 4 sons and a daughter were in WWII. There also is a picture memorial in the branch of hundreds of veterans who served our country in many ways over the years. Norman Richards Lambert Cheverie Louis Fougere Lorenzo Paquet Cenotaph Leande Paquet Isiah J. Horne George Perry Harold Croucher The Royal Canadian Legion Prince Edward Island Command Branch No. 3 - Souris
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