Veterans Affairs Committee on Oct. 6th, 2011

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. We have a quorum.

We're very pleased this morning to welcome the Royal Canadian Legion representatives. They have been very faithful witnesses in the past and, as we know, certainly very important in the lives of our veterans.

So if we are ready to go.... Are you going to act as point this morning for your side? Okay.

I say good morning to Brad White, dominion secretary. You certainly went before. And it's nice to meet Steve Clark, director of the national Remembrance Day celebration, administration. Is that correct? Do I have that right?

[Steven Clark, Director of Administration, Director of the National Remembrance Day Celebration, Royal Canadian Legion]

Close enough.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Okay.

Welcome, gentlemen. Certainly we look forward to your opening comments. You know the routine in terms of questioning and so on. We look forward to an active engagement this morning.

We always start, as I said, Brad, by inviting you to take about 10 minutes to do an introduction. We try to stick close to that, because we know that when Peter starts asking questions, he fills the wavelengths up pretty full.

Please, go ahead.

[Brad White, Dominion Secretary, Dominion Command, Royal Canadian Legion]

Honourable Chairman and members of the committee, thank you for the invitation to the Royal Canadian Legion to appear before you today to speak on commemorative activities in the 21st century. On behalf of our dominion president, Comrade Patricia Varga, it is a pleasure to be with you here today.

We will make our statement in English, but you should have copies in both French and English.

I'm Brad White, the dominion secretary of the Royal Canadian Legion. Since my arrival at the Legion in 1998, I have been involved in pretty well every major commemorative activity the Legion has participated in, as well as being the past director of the national ceremony.

Accompanying me today is Mr. Steven Clark. He is my director of administration and he is also the director of the national ceremony.

As guardians of remembrance in Canada, the Royal Canadian Legion works tirelessly to keep alive the memory of the more than 117,000 Canadians who have fallen in the military service of Canada. But commemorating is more than just providing Canadians with an opportunity to stand in collective reminiscence of our fallen comrades at occasions throughout the year.

Commemoration is an appreciation of the past, an understanding of how past actions in wars, missions, conflicts, and peacetime will impact future generations. We recall our moments of triumph, and of course of tragedy, of excitement and despair. It is this understanding and appreciation that enables us to remember and honour our veterans. Instrumental to effective commemoration is of course effective communication. It is this philosophy that has led to a number of milestone programs and projects of the Legion, as we strive to never forget the deeds of the fallen and to perpetuate remembrance into the future.

[Steven Clark]

The major program of the Legion in fulfilling our mission to promote remembrance is of course the annual poppy campaign. Since the early 20th century, beginning in 1922, Legion members from branches throughout the country have distributed the lapel poppy.

By wearing a poppy, the international symbol of remembrance, Canadians will ensure that the memory and sacrifices of our veterans are never forgotten. It is so encouraging that every year approximately 18 million lapel poppies are distributed to Canadians during the two-week remembrance period.

This campaign culminates in the Remembrance Day ceremonies on November 11. The Royal Canadian Legion is deeply honoured and proud to organize and conduct remembrance ceremonies in hundreds of communities throughout the country, including the national Remembrance Day ceremony here in Ottawa.

The Legion's commemoration program also includes pilgrimages. In 1936 the Legion organized its first pilgrimage to Europe, when 6,200 veterans and family members travelled to Vimy for the unveiling of the Vimy Memorial. This program has since evolved into a biennial youth leaders pilgrimage of remembrance. Through their visits and experiences at numerous significant World War I and World War II sites in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, these youth leaders gain a unique perspective and unprecedented level of understanding, and upon their return, they have an audience of young Canadians eager to hear of the places and events they experienced first-hand. Participants in the pilgrimage succeed in promoting remembrance in a way that few can.

In the mid-20th century, in 1950, the Legion instituted an important remembrance program aimed toward youth: poster, essay, and poetry contests. Students from kindergarten to grade 12 are asked to show what remembrance means to them through their artistic and literary compositions. This has been a tremendously successful program, with over 100,000 students participating on an annual basis.

As the 20th century came to a close, the Royal Canadian Legion introduced the two-minute wave of silence as a millennium project. This was an education and communications activity, with the primary aim of reminding Canadians of the importance of taking two minutes of time to pause and remember at 11 a.m. on November 11.

We were also honoured to initiate and coordinate the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier project in which the remains of an unknown soldier from Vimy were entombed at the base of the National War Memorial on May 28, 2000.

We were also pleased that our suggestion that 2005 be declared the Year of the Veteran was accepted and instituted.

[Brad White]

Throughout our history, the Legion has maintained a leading role in the creation and care of memorials to the contributions in valour of our brave veterans and Canadians. Working in concert with other veterans organizations and the Canadian government, the Legion has vowed to ensure that the preservation of the records and memories of our fallen heroes and returning veterans continues in perpetuity.

These and other commemorative projects and activities led by the Royal Canadian Legion have been welcomed by Canadians, who have never hesitated to demonstrate their support in acknowledging the debt that is owed to those who sacrificed so much. We repay this debt in our remembrance.

What of commemorative celebrations in the 21st century? With over 100,000 students taking part in our annual remembrance contests and with audiences of up to 55,000 in attendance at the national Remembrance Day ceremony and over four million television viewers of the ceremony, are we really witnessing a resurgence of remembrance in the country? Will the traditional methods of commemorating remain effective as we progress through the decades of this century?

The importance of honouring our military heritage and paying tribute to those who fought and fell will remain a cornerstone of the Legion's mission. We will continue with our existing programs and develop new national initiatives while remaining cognizant of the importance of participation in community-led events.

We believe that memorials and observances at cenotaphs are an important facet of any commemorative program. They convey a sense of national unity and a manner of recognizing loss, and they stand as our visual pledge to never forget. They enable Canadians in every community to share our common history of sacrifice and commitment.

We will continue to focus on educating youth on why we remember. This concept is paramount as we strive to raise awareness among all Canadians and those of future generations.

The Legion supports in-country recognition of significant anniversaries of milestone events, and to that end we have initiated internal discussions to recognize the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I in 2014 and the 100th anniversary of Beaumont Hamel in 2016. In 2017 we will observe the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, the 100th anniversary of the Halifax explosion, and the 150th anniversary of Canada. In 2018 we will mark the 100th anniversary of the end of the World War I. I will add here that in 2026 we will also commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Legion.

For the Royal Canadian Legion, commemorative celebrations in the 21st century will continue in order to honour and thank our veterans. We will remember them.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Thank you very much, gentlemen.

We'll now go to the NDP and Mr. Stoffer.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you both very much for coming.

I don't know if I'll be here in 2026, but I hope you have a good party on that day.

I have just one question for you, gentlemen. The poppy is actually a trademark symbol of the Royal Canadian Legion, if I'm not mistaken. I'm just wondering if you can tell me how and when this came about.

[Brad White]

The poppy, of course, has been the symbol of remembrance since about 1921, when the idea was brought over. The Legion does own the trademark of the poppy, and we protect that trademark very rigorously all the way through the country. That actually came about in around 1948 through the act of Parliament that incorporated the Royal Canadian Legion. So today we try to make not only government aware but also other civilian organizations and commercial organizations aware that the poppy is the trademark. We use it for specific purposes, which is for remembrance, of course.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Ms. Mathyssen.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you very much for being here. It's truly a privilege to meet you. I've heard a great deal about your leadership, so I'm pleased that I'm able to make your acquaintance.

You made mention of the fact that there has been great success in regard to commemoration, and I'm very impressed, especially with 100,000 students entering essay contests and poster contests. As a former teacher, I know the kind of work the Legion does in the schools to let kids know, to make them part of the commemoration and the remembering.

In light of the fact that it's the 21st century and things change and people have different preoccupations, what is the Legion preparing to do or thinking about doing or planning in order to maintain that level of interest and participation?

[Steven Clark]

One thing we're looking at is incorporating technologies that students would be following now. We have poster, literary, and poetry contests. We've also trialled a video contest where students can actually use their skills in digital media to show what remembrance means to them. It hasn't been widespread across the country. We're starting in British Columbia just to see if in fact it is successful.

For a student to enter into this type of media contest does require certain skills, certain equipment, and whatnot. The positive and interesting thing about the contest that we currently run is that you don't need any special equipment. Anybody can do it. It borders all economic areas, if I can say that. If you venture into something that requires specific video equipment, then there is some cost involved, unless things can be supported through the school. But we are looking at that. We are looking at ways we can embrace technology, moving forward, but with the same purpose: promoting remembrance.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Thank you very much.

Now I know that one of the challenges the Legion faces today is declining membership. The reality is that members are aging and perhaps are not as able to attend or participate in Legion activities. Do you think the commemorations that you currently do and are planning to do will begin to appeal to that younger generation and bring them into the activities of the Legion as members, as volunteers, as participants?

[Brad White]

People talk about the declining membership of the organization. We have 342,000 members of the Royal Canadian Legion across the country, over 1,500 branches, not only in Canada but also in the States and Europe. About one-third of our members, 120,000 to 130,000 people, are actually those who have served, like me. The largest proportion of our membership are those who are associated, like military families. And then we have a very small percentage of average Canadians who have joined the organization because they believe in the ideals. I tend to look at the organization as an organization that not only looks after serving people or people who have served, but also that predominantly looks after their families.

We have instituted programs recently to attract the newer veterans from Afghanistan. We have a welcome home initiative that's just going on across the country. We have seen an increase in membership. We've offered them a one-year free membership in the organization.

Today's military individual is a different cat from my days, 13 or 14 years ago. They use technology differently. They talk differently amongst themselves. And they have different experiences from what I experienced when I was going back.

So yes, we're trying to reach out to them and bring them in. They don't always want to join an organization or become part of the bricks and mortar. They want to make sure they're communicating with people with like experiences. So that's what we're going to do, reach out through what we're calling a “virtual branch”--develop a virtual branch so that they can have that ability to come together and talk about their shared experiences. Through that, as well as bringing them into the remembrance cycle, it's one way of attracting those members.

As I've said before, in my day, when we stood at the remembrance ceremony we were talking about our grandfathers, our great uncles, and everybody else. Today these individuals are standing at the Remembrance Day ceremony and they're remembering the guy who used to stand beside them, their friends who are no longer there. That's a heck of an impact. And that's why we've seen a bit of resurgence of people commemorating since about the year 2000, with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It's also nice that Canadians have really cottoned on to the idea of commemoration and are actually going out and celebrating commemoration in November every year.

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Thank you very much, Mr. White. We're a little over, but I didn't want to cut that off. It was very important.

Mr. Lobb, for five minutes.

[Ben Lobb, Conservative, Huron—Bruce, ON]

Thanks, Mr. Chair. I'm going to share my time with Mr. Lizon.

Thanks again for attending. Mr. White, this is certainly not your first time before the committee here.

The Legion's utmost goal, I guess, is to preserve the memory of the over 117,000 men and women who've paid the ultimate sacrifice. This little report we're working on is to look at commemorations and celebrations of the 21st century.

If you're looking ahead at the department or you're looking within the Legion itself, do you see any gaps at this time, as we're moving forward, that need to be addressed as far as commemoration goes?

[Brad White]

I would always say that the largest gap in anything is the awareness of Canadians of our military history. If Canadians were aware of our military history, they would be aware of the sacrifices that were made on their behalf. In Ontario, Canadian history takes up half a semester, or whatever, in grade 11. That's really not a lot of Canadian history. The knowledge of Canadians of military history and of the sacrifices made on their behalf is a big gap, I'd say. Since 2000 I think people are becoming more aware of what's going on.

Commemorations should centre on major activities, and this is what we've said here. We don't think it's necessary to go overseas every five years to commemorate a celebration. There are all sorts of celebrations that need to be done. We have to celebrate, basically, every theatre we were in--World War I and World War II, including the Italian campaign, which gets left off the battle map every once in a while. There are also the actions of the people who went through Africa. So we don't celebrate all of that all the time. We need to pick very significant commemorative dates--hundredth anniversaries are coming due now--and work on those projects.

[Ben Lobb, Conservative, Huron—Bruce, ON]

Within the education field, from province to province, obviously during the week leading up to Remembrance Day most teachers try to incorporate a bit of that. I know the legions are very active in trying to be involved with schools at various levels if they have the resources and the ability to get in.

Is there a message you'd like to see us send to the departments or the ministries of education, through this report, to encourage them to look a little differently at the way they deliver their history?

[Brad White]

I would say the biggest message is to get on board. Through our means and our branches, we approach the schools annually. We have a lot of veterans who go into the schools to talk to the kids on Remembrance Day. They could be veterans from World War II, or what you might want to call modern-day veterans—peacekeepers, people who are serving today. It's really important, and we're also working through our provincial commands to approach those provincial bodies of education and get them to make sure they have a dedicated ceremony at their schools. Most schools do, but some don't, and some actually come to us and have us run the ceremonies for them in their gymnasiums on November 11. Really the message is: Take time to remember.

[Ben Lobb, Conservative, Huron—Bruce, ON]

Can I turn it over to Mr. Lizon?

[The Chair, Conservative, Greg Kerr]

Sure.

[Wladyslaw Lizon, Conservative, Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON]

Thank you.

Good morning, gentlemen. You mentioned how you involve young people in your work. Is there something you do so that young people can actually meet one of you, people who are veterans? Despite the great technology we have, the Internet, I think person-to-person interaction is very important.

[Steven Clark]

We encourage interaction. One strong program is the annual poppy campaign. Veterans and Legion members are distributing the poppy, but we also encourage youth, particularly members of the cadet organization, to partner with Legion branches and Legion members to distribute poppies to the public. It was encouraging to see a youth and a veteran side by side distributing the poppy and promoting remembrance. That's the strongest and most visual message we can send nationwide. We have other initiatives, but that's the strongest one.

[Brad White]

In addition to cadets, you're talking about the guide movement and the scout movement as well. Branches across Canada are sponsoring and supporting youth movements, whether they're cadet movements, scout movements, or guide movements. They're involved with them and we support that. We are the largest supporter of the cadet movement in the country right now.

People should understand that we don't sell poppies; we offer them for a donation. That is one message. But the money that's gathered through the poppy campaign is kept locally to help the local veterans. It's not brought to the national level and it's not made part of the Legion funds. This money is very much a sacred trust from the Canadian people. We keep it separate. When a veteran is in need, whether he needs a new roof or maybe new teeth, all he or she has to do is approach the branch, make the application, and we're there to help with those poppy trust funds. That's what they are: trust funds to look after our veterans.

Thanks.