North Bay has warm welcome for veterans and legion members as convention continues
Their medals were gleaming in the sunshine as veterans and legion members proudly sang 'O Canada' standing at the base of the Memorial Park Cenotaph in downtown North Bay Sunday morning.
The Royal Canadian Legion's 52nd biennial covention of the Ontario Provincial Command is continuing this weekend.
North Bay Legion Convention
Legion members and delegates laid wreaths at the cenotaph before taking to the streets to march to the North Bay Museum with a crowd of supporters.
"I have been a part of many conventions. This is my first one in North Bay and I have to tell you, it's been a great time," said Royal Canadian Legion Branch #281 Beaver Valley President Shawn McKinlay. "You guys have certainly rolled out the red carpet."
North Bay Legion Convention500 delegates from nearly 400 legions from all across Ontario and other Canadian guests began arriving Friday and they say they've been welcomed with open arms from the community.
"We're here to let people know the legion is still here and what it represents," said Fern Taillefer, First Vice-President of Royal Canadian Legion Branch #147 in Barrie. "I've met quite a few friends this morning already that I haven't seen in years. That's what it's all about."
Convention business began Sunday afternoon at Nipissing University. There's a lot to do. One item on the agenda is laying out new legion policies and procedures.
"Then we'll get on with our election of new senior executive officers for Ontario Command for the next three years," explained the legion's Ontario Command Provincial President Garry Pond.
North Bay last hosted the convention in June of 1965. On Friday, the Royal Canadian Legion's flag was raised at city hall to kick off proceedings and to welcome the delegates into the city.
"We're so proud to host this," said convention organizer Marc Picard. "We had a social gathering Friday as everyone started to register and attend."
North Bay Legion ConventionRecently, the legion passed a milestone by helping just over 1,000 homeless veterans with financial support and connecting them to community services for long term solutions. Legion members say there's still work to do to help veterans suffering from PTSD.
"There's all new medical practices and therapies," explained the legion's Dominion Command First Vice-President Owen Parkhouse. "We've now put a new focus on families because families are affected by what veterans have gone through."
The convention ends on Tuesday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.