Welcome to

Royal Canadian Legion Branch 641 Barrhaven

What the Royal Canadian Legion Does Our Mission Our mission is to serve Veterans, including serving military, RCMP and others to promote Remembrance and to serve our communities and our country. The Legion serves all Veterans The Royal Canadian Legion was founded by Veterans and for Veterans. We advocate for the care and benefits for all who served Canada, regardless of when or where they served. The Legion also provides representation and assistance to Veterans, including currently serving Canadian Armed Forces and RCMP, their families and others. Access to our services is available to Veterans at no cost, whether or not they are Legion members. The Legion helps thousands of Veterans each year and makes significant positive changes in their lives. The Legion exists so that Canada never forgets The Legion understands the importance of honouring past sacrifices and acknowledging the courage of those who served and still serve today. Through Remembrance Day ceremonies, the Poppy Campaign, commemorative activities, youth education programs and more, the Legion helps Canadians to honour and remember. The Legion serves our communities and our country Legion branches are the cornerstone of communities across Canada and provide one of the largest volunteer bases in the country. With more than 1,400 branches from coast to coast to coast, our members provide local services and supports to build a stronger Canada. Whether helping local Veterans, supporting seniors, providing youth sports programs, raising funds, volunteering to help those in need, or simply offering a place to

gather for fun and celebration, Legionnaires provide essential services in their communities. Importance of Remembrance Canadians often associate The Royal Canadian Legion with Remembrance ceremonies and events. Through these initiatives, we honour and remember Canada’s fallen Veterans and help ensure Canadians never forget. The Legion is responsible for planning and co-ordinating annual Remembrance Day ceremonies in communities across the country, including the national ceremony in Ottawa. For many, our most widely known activity is the annual Poppy Campaign that leads up to Remembrance Day. Legion members and other volunteers distribute tens of millions of poppies, and gratefully accept donations to raise money in support of Veterans and their families. While November is recognized as a time of Remembrance, for the Legion and for many across the country, Remembrance is a year-long commitment. At any given moment, there are many opportunities available to anyone wishing to show their appreciation for those who served, including: • Becoming a Legion member to support Veterans year-round • Making a donation to the Legion’s Poppy Trust Fund at any

Legion Branch • Saying “Thank you” to a Veteran • Wearing a Poppy • Honouring a fallen Veteran on the Legion’s Wall of Honour

and Remembrance • Planting Poppy seeds or growing a garden of Remembrance • Visiting a cenotaph

• Inviting a Legion branch to make a presentation at a school or community group

• Participating in the Legion's Pilgrimage of Remembrance • Wearing or displaying commemorative items from the Poppy

Store • Visiting the Canadian War Museum or local history museums • Volunteering to help Veterans, and more! An Introduction to the Barrhaven Legion Since receiving our charter in 2006, our little branch has enjoyed tremendous growth in the suburb of Barrhaven, in the south-west corner of Ottawa. Our Membership boasts approximately 600 Members, with ages ranging from 18 to 90+. The Barrhaven Legion runs solely through the generosity of our volunteers. Our Branch is committed to fulfilling its mandate to support Veterans and their families in our community. Our Veterans Service/Branch Service Officer is active in the community, ensuring the voices of our Veterans are heard at all levels of the government. Our volunteers get the job done!

Thanks to a very generous community, the Barrhaven Legion enjoys a very successful Poppy Campaign which allows us to give back to our community. In addition, our volunteers participate in weekly Bingos and the profits from this are used to support worthy charities in the community. • Barrhaven Food Cupboard • Carleton Lodge • Children’s Hospital of Eastern

(Ontario (CHEO) • Ottawa Heart Institute Foundation • Ottawa Hospital • Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation • Perley and Rideau Veterans' Health

Centre • Queensway Carleton Foundation • Queensway Carleton Acute Care Centre • Rogers House • Royal Ottawa Mental Health Foundation Our branch supports a number of Veteran-centred donations in our community including youth bursaries, homeless Veterans’ programs and Veteran comforts in local retirement residences. We will, and do, remember and support our Veterans.

Remembrance Day is when we gather to remember our fallen Comrades. It’s a solemn day that is shared with our community.

The Barrhaven Legion is a proud supporter of three local cadet corps:

• Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps 2332 Major Holland V.C. • Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps Falkland • 75 Barrhaven Royal Canadian Air Cadets

Everyone is welcome at Branch 641. Guests – regardless of whether or not they are Members – are greeted with a warm and friendly smile and are made to feel right at home. It’s been noted by many people that our Branch is one of the friendliest around. Friday nights are when we host our weekly dinners with live entertainment. Our entertainment includes country, rock, and a blend of both genres of music.

Our meals are often accompanied by theme nights/meals which are a big draw for our Members and guests: • Vegas night • Medieval “Knight” • Valentines’ Day • St. Patrick’s Day • A Taste of Mexico • A Taste of China • Halloween • Western Night

Tuesday night is when the Barrhaven Fiddleheads come to Valour Hall and entertain our guests. They are longstanding friends of our Branch and donate their music to many events at 641 including Canada Day and St. Patrick’s Day. Our branch has a large and friendly dart league on Wednesday nights from September until April. Everyone’s welcome to play regardless of skill level. The teams change each week depending on attendees and they use a “blind draw” format to ensure everyone gets to know each other. The entry fee is $3 per person per night. The dart league supports the Barrhaven community through donations to the Barrhaven Legion and sponsorship of families at Christmas among others.

Barrhaven and Manotick Legions dart teams present cheques to the Perley Rideau Veteran’s Health Centre. Thursday day night is Euchre Night and we have a very enthusiastic group of players, as many as eight to 10 tables. The

entry fee is $5 per person.

Each year, the Barrhaven Legion hosts its annual golf tournament in August. Normally this sells out early so if you’re interested, sign up as soon as the registration board goes up. The tournament is held close to the Legion and the steak or roast beef dinner is held in Valour Hall, back at the branch. Our community generously supports this fundraising event through volunteer participation, hole sponsorships and prize donations.

If you’re looking for a venue for party or celebration, Valour Hall is our rental space which can hold up to 150 people. We’ve held private functions such as weddings, funerals, showers, and craft fairs in this space, as well as hosting post-election celebration parties! Our space is a blank canvas for you to decorate to your own specific needs. For more information, please contact the branch.

To learn more about the Barrhaven Legion, here’s how!

You can also join our Facebook Community Barrhaven Legion 641

If you aren’t already a member of our Branch, what are you waiting for?

Applications can be picked up from our branch or

downloaded from our website www.rcl641.ca or www.legion.ca