Service club * concerned with welfare of veterans and their families * supports community programs and minor sports * meeting rooms for rent * kitchen and bar facilities available * Seniors Club
Linked to the First World War, the Royal Canadian Legion (Galt Branch 121), a few blocks south of the armoury at Veterans Way and Walnut Street, occupies an old stone dwelling that in 1919 became the Galt Soldier's Home for returning veterans, with an attached memorial hall.
Constructed in the Georgian style c.1850, this ashlar gray granite home has seen many changes over its lifetime. The building is believed to have been built by noted city stone mason James Dalgleish. When it belonged to farmer James Moffatt, the main entrance faced Walnut Street and sported a detailed two-storey porch. In 1919, the building was purchased by the city for local veterans and became the Galt Soldier’s Home and Club for returning veterans of the First World War. In 1926, the Canadian Legion and British Empire Service League was formed and ran its operations from the building. In the late 1950s, the main entrance was moved to Ainslie Street and the organization was renamed the Royal Canadian Legion. The building has not been designated, but is considered significant based on its architectural and historical merits.
Linked to the First World War, the Royal Canadian Legion (Galt Branch 121), a few blocks south of the armoury at Veterans Way and Walnut Street, occupies an old stone dwelling that in 1919 became the Galt Soldier's Home for returning veterans, with an attached memorial hall.
Constructed in the Georgian style c.1850, this ashlar gray granite home has seen many changes over its lifetime. The building is believed to have been built by noted city stone mason James Dalgleish. When it belonged to farmer James Moffatt, the main entrance faced Walnut Street and sported a detailed two-storey porch. In 1919, the building was purchased by the city for local veterans and became the Galt Soldier’s Home and Club for returning veterans of the First World War. In 1926, the Canadian Legion and British Empire Service League was formed and ran its operations from the building. In the late 1950s, the main entrance was moved to Ainslie Street and the organization was renamed the Royal Canadian Legion. The building has not been designated, but is considered significant based on its architectural and historical merits.
The following are the memoirs of the history of the Galt Legion. As remembered and written by William Tales in April of 1977.
(branch’s first Secretary-Treasurer, Executive Committee of 1928)
GALT BRANCH 121 ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION
Last year 1976 we celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Royal Canadian Legion, and next year 1978 we are looking forward to celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Galt Branch 121.
This year 1977 is the 60th Anniversary of the formation of a veterans’ club in the City of Galt. How and when and why did it happen?
In the fall of 1917 and the spring of 1918, the casualties of World War One were coming home and returning to civil life. There was no D.V.A. or any rehabilitation plans for them, just grab what you can.
A number of them got together and formed a club. A room was rented
on the third floor of 35 Main St. and that is where they discussed their
problems. All over Canada the same thing - Veterans’ Clubs were
formed and out of this came the GWVA (The Great War Veterans Association). At the end of World War One Nov. llth, 1918 the quarters
on Main St. were too small and the club was moved to the Barrett and Martin block on North Water St.
Early in 1919 the club approached the City Council and asked them
to provide a clubhouse for the Galt Veterans. A Bylaw was passed
and the City of Galt purchased the Moffatt Homestead at the corner
of Ainslie St. and Walnut St. for a clubhouse for the Galt Veterans.
The manufacturers, businessmen and others were later canvassed
and the money was raised to build the Memorial Hall.
The cornerstone was laid on October 24th, 1919 by H.R.H. Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (the late Duke of Windsor). The following year on Thanksgiving Day, October 18th, 1920, the Memorial Hall was officially opened by Major General Sam Hughes K,C,B, and it was
following this ceremony that His Worship the Mayor (on behalf of the City of Galt) formally presented the buildings to the President and the Officers of the Galt Branch of the G.W.V.A.
Among the agreements signed by the officials on the occasion was one which stated that the Galt Branch of the Great War Veterans of Canada or its successor would operate the building as a club for the veterans of Galt, and that six months after it ceases to be a veterans' club, it reverts back to the City of Galt.
Many meetings of ex-servicemen and women have been held in the hall, and a good many discussion have been held in regard to veteran problems with recommendations being sent to City, Provincial and Federal Governments. 27 men have served as presidents of the organizations who have operated the club, and they along with executive members have done much to help in community work.
In the hall during World War Two with the co-operation of the Galt Businessman's Association and the War and Community Services and many other local organizations, 13,701 parcels of comforts for Galt men and women serving overseas were packed and shipped overseas. Henry Ford and his production lines had nothing on the gang who packed those parcels. One of the last shipments was 1,894 parcels, weighing over a ton, and took almost a thousand dollars worth of postage stamps.
For a good many years the Red Cross Blood Clinic used the facilities of the Memorial Hall in their good work.
In the early twenties the hall was used by the Boy Scouts and I believe the first Scout Hall in Galt was the old horse stable on the Legion lawn (now it’s our parking lot).
During World War Two students at the Galt Air School used the hall for recreation and study.
During the past fifty years many VIPs have visited the City of Galt, and if you take a look at the branch visitors book you will find that some of them took time to put their signatures in the book.
Among them were H.R.H. Edward Albert, Prince of Wales, Major General Sir Sam Hughes, five Governor Generals of Canada namely - Baron Byng of Vimy, Earl Besborough, Lord Tweedsmuir, General Alexander of Tunis, Vincent Massey, two Prime Ministers - Louis St. Laurent and John Diefenbaker, one Victoria Cross holder namely the Honorable Milton Gregg V.C. who unveiled the club honour roll for World War Two, also Rev. Dean J.C. Anderson, Dominion President.
Many other names also appear on the club records and were signed
at the annual banquets of the branch which were held in the Memorial Hall. These banquets were held from 1920 to 1945 on the 9th of April, the anniversary of the battle of Vimy Ridge, and from 1945 to 1950 they were held on May 8th, V.E. Day, and since that date, have been held the Thursday preceding Remembrance Day. We also held an Old Timers Banquet on April 9, 1965.
Three veteran organizations have operated the club since it was opened in 1919 namely:- The Galt Branch of the Great War Veterans Association of Canada (G.W.V.A.) from 1919 until 1922, The Amalgamated Veterans of Galt from 1922 until 1928, and from that date on, the Canadian Legion of the British Empire League, now known as the Royal Canadian Legion.
The Canadian Legion as most members know was formed in the Malborough Hotel in Winnipeg. Why, is the big question. After the end of World War One (a war to end wars, that is what the old veterans
thought), the veterans (male and female) who had enlisted to fight the war were discharged and supposed to go back to civil life. No plans had been made for their rehabilitation. The politicians in our government were forgetting the promises made of a better world to live in when they enlisted. All over the British Empire veterans organizations were being formed to fight for rights and privileges. In Canada there were quite a few of these organizations, and on 25th November 1925 Sir Douglas Haig got the leaders of these organizations together at a Unity Conference and formed the Canadian Legion of the British Empire Service League (B.E.S.L.) which organization in 1961 became the Royal Canadian Legion, an organization of which we are all proud. The first meeting of the Galt Legion was held in the Memorial Hall on April 4, 1928 and the following officers were elected:- President H.T. Moss, lst Vice President N.D. McKenzie, 2nd Vice President David Norwood, Secretary-Treasurer Wm. Tales. On April 10th another meeting was held and an application was made for a charter signed by the following comrades:- Col. Andrew J. Oliver, Major N.D. McKenzie, Dr. Harry J. MacKendrick, Daniel Cassidy, James Cluney, Joseph Downer, Ernest E. Lee, Joseph Macartney, Joseph Maich, David Norwood, Harold Simmons and William Tales. All of these comrades have now passed on with the exception of Ernest Lee and William Tales. The Charter was presented to the Branch on October 21, 1928 by Com. Alex Shields, Ontario Provincial Secretary and the Charter of the Ladies Auxiliary was presented on the same date by Mrs. Greenaway, Provincial President of the L.A.
During World War Two, the Galt Branch took part in many wartime activities, including Civil Guard, War Parcels, Victory Loans, Beaver Club, Xmas parties for Veterans' children (over one thousand of them).
After the close of World War Two the WW2 members took over.
They picked up the Torch and are still carrying on the traditions of the Legion. Honour the Dead by remembering the living.
Since 1947 every president has been a WW2 veteran. It would take many pages to tell of their achievements in the past 30 years, possibly I
could tell you a few:-
Youth Centre
One of their outstanding achievements was the opening of the Youth
Centre on Elliot St. in 1961 at a cost to the branch of $25,000 on land
donated by Mahlon Fisher. The building has housed many youth activities, Boy Scouts Troops, Track and Field, Boxing, Judo, Public
Speaking, etc. Many of the contestants have competed in Zone, District
and Provincial events. Jack Johns and his committees deserve a pat on the back.
The Service Bureau
The Legion Service Bureau has been a vital part of our organization.
While we have had a number of Service Bureau Officers in the past 60 years, there is no doubt that Comrade Reg Dearling has been an outstanding representative. His contacts with B.V.A., the V.L.A. and our Dominion Service Bureau has helped a large number of the veterans of Galt and their dependents both members and non-members.
Poppy Fund
Closely allied to our Service Bureau is our Poppy Fund. Many chairmen have handled this Committee and the thousands of dollars raised by this committee have helped the branch in its welfare work.
Hospital Visitors
These committees are busy boys. Both local and Westminster patients are all well looked after.
Sports
Today the Branch has many sports activities, both male and female members enjoy darts, bowling, crib, euchre, shuffleboard, billiards etc., whilst many of our sport activities take us to zone and District. One of the long time activities is the Monday Night Crib. Do not forget the $30,000 Sports Centre opened a couple of years ago. Sport goes back 30 years, and in closing sports, do not forget the old Trolley League.
Revenue
Most of our activities cost money, and there is no doubt that our downstairs lounge is the main source of revenue, but credit must also be given to our monthly draws and our bingo committee, our Ladies Auxiliary and others. When a man or woman joins our branch part of their initiation is that the aims and objects of the Legion are to constitute an organization of those who have served in the various services, so that their rights and privileges shall not be forgotten.
They also repeat "We Will Remember Them",
Galt Branch has remembered in many ways. On November 10, 1930 they assisted the City of Galt to unveil the War Memorial in the Garden of Remembrance and has conducted services there at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month continuously since that date.
On Nov. 11, 1949 the names of 144 Galt men who paid the supreme
sacrifice were added on the Memorial and Nov. 11, 1955 3 names from the Korean War were added.
On 14 June, 1951 a Memorial Tablet was unveiled by Hon. Milton Gregg, V.C. in the lobby of the club.
Since 1930 the Branch has held Decoration Service in the month of August. The reason August was chosen was that the Horticultural Society had their Annual Show at that time, and all the flowers were donated to the Legion to place on the graves in the cemetery. The branch places an aluminum cross on every veteran's grave (there are over eleven hundred of them). On Aug. 1952 a beautiful Cross of Sacrifice was unveiled in Mount View Cemetery.
While the Branch has had many other projects such as a $5,000 donation as well as furnishing a ward in the S.Waterloo Memorial Hospital, the
Chandelier Lounge Jan. 25, 1971, Xmas Treat and others, it would be impossible to close this history if we did not mention our Ladies Auxiliary, who for over 50 years have assisted (worked) in the branch by catering for our banquets, helping on the children's Christmas Tree, Poppy Day, Bursaries, visits to Westminster Hospital, and many other projects, and now they are very active in all branches of sport.
Our Girl Vets (Women's Section) for over twenty years have also worked many years and now have amalgamated with the men's branch.
Our Associate Members have now entered the picture and my memory
is getting bad so I must close and while history is a subject which is both liked and disliked, I hope that you will like this history.
An Old Timer who has attended most of these events.
William Tales
(branch’s first Secretary-Treasurer, Executive Committee of 1928)
GALT BRANCH 121 ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION
Last year 1976 we celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Royal Canadian Legion, and next year 1978 we are looking forward to celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Galt Branch 121.
This year 1977 is the 60th Anniversary of the formation of a veterans’ club in the City of Galt. How and when and why did it happen?
In the fall of 1917 and the spring of 1918, the casualties of World War One were coming home and returning to civil life. There was no D.V.A. or any rehabilitation plans for them, just grab what you can.
A number of them got together and formed a club. A room was rented
on the third floor of 35 Main St. and that is where they discussed their
problems. All over Canada the same thing - Veterans’ Clubs were
formed and out of this came the GWVA (The Great War Veterans Association). At the end of World War One Nov. llth, 1918 the quarters
on Main St. were too small and the club was moved to the Barrett and Martin block on North Water St.
Early in 1919 the club approached the City Council and asked them
to provide a clubhouse for the Galt Veterans. A Bylaw was passed
and the City of Galt purchased the Moffatt Homestead at the corner
of Ainslie St. and Walnut St. for a clubhouse for the Galt Veterans.
The manufacturers, businessmen and others were later canvassed
and the money was raised to build the Memorial Hall.
The cornerstone was laid on October 24th, 1919 by H.R.H. Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (the late Duke of Windsor). The following year on Thanksgiving Day, October 18th, 1920, the Memorial Hall was officially opened by Major General Sam Hughes K,C,B, and it was
following this ceremony that His Worship the Mayor (on behalf of the City of Galt) formally presented the buildings to the President and the Officers of the Galt Branch of the G.W.V.A.
Among the agreements signed by the officials on the occasion was one which stated that the Galt Branch of the Great War Veterans of Canada or its successor would operate the building as a club for the veterans of Galt, and that six months after it ceases to be a veterans' club, it reverts back to the City of Galt.
Many meetings of ex-servicemen and women have been held in the hall, and a good many discussion have been held in regard to veteran problems with recommendations being sent to City, Provincial and Federal Governments. 27 men have served as presidents of the organizations who have operated the club, and they along with executive members have done much to help in community work.
In the hall during World War Two with the co-operation of the Galt Businessman's Association and the War and Community Services and many other local organizations, 13,701 parcels of comforts for Galt men and women serving overseas were packed and shipped overseas. Henry Ford and his production lines had nothing on the gang who packed those parcels. One of the last shipments was 1,894 parcels, weighing over a ton, and took almost a thousand dollars worth of postage stamps.
For a good many years the Red Cross Blood Clinic used the facilities of the Memorial Hall in their good work.
In the early twenties the hall was used by the Boy Scouts and I believe the first Scout Hall in Galt was the old horse stable on the Legion lawn (now it’s our parking lot).
During World War Two students at the Galt Air School used the hall for recreation and study.
During the past fifty years many VIPs have visited the City of Galt, and if you take a look at the branch visitors book you will find that some of them took time to put their signatures in the book.
Among them were H.R.H. Edward Albert, Prince of Wales, Major General Sir Sam Hughes, five Governor Generals of Canada namely - Baron Byng of Vimy, Earl Besborough, Lord Tweedsmuir, General Alexander of Tunis, Vincent Massey, two Prime Ministers - Louis St. Laurent and John Diefenbaker, one Victoria Cross holder namely the Honorable Milton Gregg V.C. who unveiled the club honour roll for World War Two, also Rev. Dean J.C. Anderson, Dominion President.
Many other names also appear on the club records and were signed
at the annual banquets of the branch which were held in the Memorial Hall. These banquets were held from 1920 to 1945 on the 9th of April, the anniversary of the battle of Vimy Ridge, and from 1945 to 1950 they were held on May 8th, V.E. Day, and since that date, have been held the Thursday preceding Remembrance Day. We also held an Old Timers Banquet on April 9, 1965.
Three veteran organizations have operated the club since it was opened in 1919 namely:- The Galt Branch of the Great War Veterans Association of Canada (G.W.V.A.) from 1919 until 1922, The Amalgamated Veterans of Galt from 1922 until 1928, and from that date on, the Canadian Legion of the British Empire League, now known as the Royal Canadian Legion.
The Canadian Legion as most members know was formed in the Malborough Hotel in Winnipeg. Why, is the big question. After the end of World War One (a war to end wars, that is what the old veterans
thought), the veterans (male and female) who had enlisted to fight the war were discharged and supposed to go back to civil life. No plans had been made for their rehabilitation. The politicians in our government were forgetting the promises made of a better world to live in when they enlisted. All over the British Empire veterans organizations were being formed to fight for rights and privileges. In Canada there were quite a few of these organizations, and on 25th November 1925 Sir Douglas Haig got the leaders of these organizations together at a Unity Conference and formed the Canadian Legion of the British Empire Service League (B.E.S.L.) which organization in 1961 became the Royal Canadian Legion, an organization of which we are all proud. The first meeting of the Galt Legion was held in the Memorial Hall on April 4, 1928 and the following officers were elected:- President H.T. Moss, lst Vice President N.D. McKenzie, 2nd Vice President David Norwood, Secretary-Treasurer Wm. Tales. On April 10th another meeting was held and an application was made for a charter signed by the following comrades:- Col. Andrew J. Oliver, Major N.D. McKenzie, Dr. Harry J. MacKendrick, Daniel Cassidy, James Cluney, Joseph Downer, Ernest E. Lee, Joseph Macartney, Joseph Maich, David Norwood, Harold Simmons and William Tales. All of these comrades have now passed on with the exception of Ernest Lee and William Tales. The Charter was presented to the Branch on October 21, 1928 by Com. Alex Shields, Ontario Provincial Secretary and the Charter of the Ladies Auxiliary was presented on the same date by Mrs. Greenaway, Provincial President of the L.A.
During World War Two, the Galt Branch took part in many wartime activities, including Civil Guard, War Parcels, Victory Loans, Beaver Club, Xmas parties for Veterans' children (over one thousand of them).
After the close of World War Two the WW2 members took over.
They picked up the Torch and are still carrying on the traditions of the Legion. Honour the Dead by remembering the living.
Since 1947 every president has been a WW2 veteran. It would take many pages to tell of their achievements in the past 30 years, possibly I
could tell you a few:-
Youth Centre
One of their outstanding achievements was the opening of the Youth
Centre on Elliot St. in 1961 at a cost to the branch of $25,000 on land
donated by Mahlon Fisher. The building has housed many youth activities, Boy Scouts Troops, Track and Field, Boxing, Judo, Public
Speaking, etc. Many of the contestants have competed in Zone, District
and Provincial events. Jack Johns and his committees deserve a pat on the back.
The Service Bureau
The Legion Service Bureau has been a vital part of our organization.
While we have had a number of Service Bureau Officers in the past 60 years, there is no doubt that Comrade Reg Dearling has been an outstanding representative. His contacts with B.V.A., the V.L.A. and our Dominion Service Bureau has helped a large number of the veterans of Galt and their dependents both members and non-members.
Poppy Fund
Closely allied to our Service Bureau is our Poppy Fund. Many chairmen have handled this Committee and the thousands of dollars raised by this committee have helped the branch in its welfare work.
Hospital Visitors
These committees are busy boys. Both local and Westminster patients are all well looked after.
Sports
Today the Branch has many sports activities, both male and female members enjoy darts, bowling, crib, euchre, shuffleboard, billiards etc., whilst many of our sport activities take us to zone and District. One of the long time activities is the Monday Night Crib. Do not forget the $30,000 Sports Centre opened a couple of years ago. Sport goes back 30 years, and in closing sports, do not forget the old Trolley League.
Revenue
Most of our activities cost money, and there is no doubt that our downstairs lounge is the main source of revenue, but credit must also be given to our monthly draws and our bingo committee, our Ladies Auxiliary and others. When a man or woman joins our branch part of their initiation is that the aims and objects of the Legion are to constitute an organization of those who have served in the various services, so that their rights and privileges shall not be forgotten.
They also repeat "We Will Remember Them",
Galt Branch has remembered in many ways. On November 10, 1930 they assisted the City of Galt to unveil the War Memorial in the Garden of Remembrance and has conducted services there at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month continuously since that date.
On Nov. 11, 1949 the names of 144 Galt men who paid the supreme
sacrifice were added on the Memorial and Nov. 11, 1955 3 names from the Korean War were added.
On 14 June, 1951 a Memorial Tablet was unveiled by Hon. Milton Gregg, V.C. in the lobby of the club.
Since 1930 the Branch has held Decoration Service in the month of August. The reason August was chosen was that the Horticultural Society had their Annual Show at that time, and all the flowers were donated to the Legion to place on the graves in the cemetery. The branch places an aluminum cross on every veteran's grave (there are over eleven hundred of them). On Aug. 1952 a beautiful Cross of Sacrifice was unveiled in Mount View Cemetery.
While the Branch has had many other projects such as a $5,000 donation as well as furnishing a ward in the S.Waterloo Memorial Hospital, the
Chandelier Lounge Jan. 25, 1971, Xmas Treat and others, it would be impossible to close this history if we did not mention our Ladies Auxiliary, who for over 50 years have assisted (worked) in the branch by catering for our banquets, helping on the children's Christmas Tree, Poppy Day, Bursaries, visits to Westminster Hospital, and many other projects, and now they are very active in all branches of sport.
Our Girl Vets (Women's Section) for over twenty years have also worked many years and now have amalgamated with the men's branch.
Our Associate Members have now entered the picture and my memory
is getting bad so I must close and while history is a subject which is both liked and disliked, I hope that you will like this history.
An Old Timer who has attended most of these events.
William Tales
