The Royal Canadian Legion in Mississauga
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Cooksville Legion, Branch 582.
2026 marks the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Legion.
The Royal Canadian Legion traces its roots to the years following the First World War from a collective desire to established care and support for veterans. More than 650,000 Canadians and Newfoundlanders served during the First World War, with many returning home with injuries, trauma, and very limited support. In many local areas, veterans formed associations which advocated for pensions, medical care, and social support. In 1925, with support and advocacy from Field Marshal Douglas Haig and others, the Canadian Legion of the British Empire Services League was formed.
The Royal Canadian Legion was formed through the merger of 3 organizations: the Great War Veterans Association (GWVA), The Canadian Legion of the British Empire Service League (BESL), and the Army, Navy, and Air Force Veterans in Canada (ANAVETS).
Officially founded in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the organization was incorporated by a special Act of Parliament on July 17, 1926.
Port Credit Legion Branch 82.
During the 1930s, the Legion grew steadily, expanding its membership and influence. After the Second World War, the Legion experienced rapid growth, reflecting the increased number of veterans and the need for rehabilitation and community support. In the mid-1950s, local Legion branches deepened their impact through a variety of community services, including support for veterans’ families and youth programs. In 1960, Queen Elizabeth II granted the organization royal patronage, officially renaming it the Royal Canadian Legion.
Historic Mississauga became home to several branches of the Royal Canadian Legion, each with their own histories and legacies.
The oldest veterans’ association in Mississauga is the Streetsville Overseas Veterans Club, which was established on November 11, 1925 to “perpetuate the sense of comradeship which was engendered among and between all ranks in common service overseas during the Great War; to contribute by joint action when necessary and possible for movements having their objective of safeguarding the interests of overseas veterans; to contribute by personal and joint effort to perpetuating among the younger generation of Canada a realization of the horrors of warfare and the necessity of each citizen being prepared to defend his country against such horrors by building up a nation within the British Empire strong in the power of defense; and to assist by corporate action in all movements seeking the welfare of the community or country by the development of the spirit of service rendering citizenship.”
Streetsville Legion, Branch 139.
On December 20, 1928, the Streetsville Overseas Veterans Club became Branch 139 of the Canadian Legion of the British Empire Service League. The current home of the Streetsville Legion, located at 101 Church Street in Streetsville, was built in 1956-57.
In 1927 the Col. Alex Thomson Branch 82 of the Royal Canadian Legion was formed in Port Credit to serve the needs of local disabled, sick and wounded veterans of the First World War. The Port Credit Legion has been an integral part of the Port Credit community ever since.
The current home of the Port Credit Legion was built in 1966 and is located at 35 Front Street North in Port Credit.
Today, the Port Credit Legion remains a vibrant community institution, offering recreational activities, live music, and social events while continuing its mission to support veterans and their families:
The Colonel Tom Kennedy Royal Canadian Legion Branch 582 in Cooksville was chartered on February 26, 1960, with the late Colonel Thomas Laird Kennedy (1878-1959) being posthumously appointed as honourary patron of the Branch. The formation of the Cooksville Legion was led by Harry Hassall, who had been a long-serving member of the Port Credit Legion, when Command at the Royal Canadian Legion asked Harry to form a new Legion in the Cooksville area. The current home of the Cooksville Legion was built in 1968 and is located at 456 Hensall Circle:
One local Mississauga branch of the Royal Canadian Legion that is no longer with us is the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 528 in Malton. The Malton Legion formed in 1951, and for many years were based out of a property whose modern address is 7025 Legion Road (the road name today remembers the former Malton Legion). In 2001, faced with declining membership and rising costs, the Malton Legion sold their building and moved into a rented facility. The Malton Legion ceased operations around 2012.
Another early local branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 86, was formed in Lakeview in 1926-27. They only operated briefly, closing in 1930, with many members joining the nearby Port Credit Legion. A new Lakeview Veterans Association was formed in 1936, and in 1938 became the Lakeview Army and Navy Veterans Association, Unit 262. While the ANAF is a separate organization from the Royal Canadian Legion, all of the legions and veterans’ associations here in Mississauga, past and present, have created a legacy for providing support for veterans, their families, and the surrounding community.
Legions regularly lead the way in terms of community remembrance activities, Remembrance Day ceremonies, the Poppy Campaign, and youth education initiatives to ensure the stories and sacrifices of veterans are not forgotten.
Special thank you to Nick Moreau from the Region of Peel Archives for assistance with this article.
