War Pensioners of Canada celebrate 99 years in Sudbury
The War Pensioners of Canada celebrated its 99th anniversary in Sudbury Wednesday by having a luncheon.
The group formed in the early 1900s and helped guide veterans through the process of getting pensions and medical care.
The local War Pensioners of Canada group held one last Christmas lunch before they surrender their colours next year.
“We’re surrendering our colours and our artifacts to the Canadian war museum so it’s there for other people to see,” said Chris Pick, president War Pensioners of Canada Sudbury, Espanola/Manitoulin.
"But as each individual member dies, we are retaining the title of ambassadors of the War Pensioners of Canada."
Also at the lunch, the Sudbury and Espanola/Manitoulin branch amalgamated.
“That’s an important thing in itself. But it puts all of our resources and finances into one pot, ready for when we go to Ottawa, which makes it much easier when we close the books,” said Pick.
People in attendance said they will miss these gatherings and hope they will all keep in touch in the years to come, even after they disband the group.
“For me, it’s to be with people that we’ve been with for a long time,” said member Wayne Golden.
"I’m a veteran and I joined to help serve veterans. I hate to see it happen, but we have to live with it. We are the sole survivor left out of a few hundred."
The War Pensioners are planning to make their way to Ottawa in September of next year to officially hand over their colours to the Canadian War Museum.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.
Pro-Palestinian protesters demand endowment transparency. But it's proving not to be simple
Over the last decade, students have pushed universities to cut financial ties with fossil fuel producers, weapons manufacturers, tobacco companies and prison firms. Here's why it's not always that simple.