Nicole Goldsworthy, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, SaskToday.ca
The Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 203 in Arborfield celebrated the organization’s national 100th anniversary July 17 by unveiling 16 banners honouring local veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice during the First and Second World Wars.
Nearly 100 people attended the ceremony at the Arborfield cenotaph before approximately 160 people gathered at the community hall for a community barbecue and entertainment, according to branch secretary-treasurer Mavis McCrea.
“We had Leonard Gray sing a song he wrote, Peyton Walton sang also Traveling Soldier to finish off the ceremony. We had a barbecue at the community hall with local entertainers, with the banners on display. We had 160 people for supper. Great turnout,” McCrea told SaskToday.
Arborfield, a community of about 285 residents, marked the Legion’s national centennial while also celebrating an important milestone for its local branch, which received its charter on Feb. 5, 1936, after operating as a branch of the British Empire Service Lodge beginning Nov. 13, 1935. The local branch celebrated its 90th anniversary earlier this year said McCrea.
The Royal Canadian Legion was founded at the Unity Conference in 1925 and officially incorporated by an Act of Parliament on July 17, 1926. Since then, the organization has advocated for veterans, supported their families and communities, and promoted remembrance across Canada.
For McCrea, the centennial serves as a reminder of the Legion’s ongoing purpose.
“The 100th anniversary, I would say is the remembrance to keep thanking veterans from past, present and future, to attend functions that the Legion puts on. Never forget the ones who fought for us and our country. Keep Remembrance Day services going and attend them, selling poppies and wearing them with pride.”
The ceremony featured the unveiling of 16 banners recognizing soldiers from the Arborfield area who served during the First and Second World Wars and never returned home.
The veterans honoured were:
- Kenneth Arthur Ferguson
- Alfred (Fred) Lindsay
- Clarence Lloyd
- Richard Newell
- John Phillip Miller
- Lorne Gibson Shewfelt
- John George Sterling
- William Ross Fields
- Perry William Head
- Steve Holdstock
- Maurice McCrea
- Philip McGunigal
- Jackie Oliphant
- Terrance O’Riordan
- Roy Norman Peddie
- William Pendleton
“These soldiers were from the area or lived here for a short time, then enlisted into the wars. All were so very young,” McCrea said.
She added the banners recognize those who never made it home.
“The 16 veterans we honoured at the unveiling ceremony on July 17, were WW1 and WW11 soldiers who did the ultimate sacrifice who went to fight for our country and never returned. Leaving behind their mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, some had wives, some even had children.”
Family members unveiled banners honouring their loved ones, while Legion member Jarvis Vineyard unveiled banners for veterans who had no family members present.
The Arborfield Legion currently has 28 members after experiencing a significant decline just a few years ago.
McCrea said membership had dwindled to only a handful of people by 2020, making it increasingly difficult to organize the annual Poppy Campaign and Remembrance Day service.
Community volunteers stepped in to help, and on Nov. 11, 2025, the branch held a membership drive that brought in 28 members.
“We did a membership drive on Nov. 11, 2025, with 28 signing up. I believe we have to keep our Legion active, whether it’s for Remembrance Day services, going to the school to keep students informed of the importance of the Legion, doing special teas every community should try and keep the Legion going. We need to remember and honour our veterans for the sacrifices they did and continue to do. ‘Lest We Forget.'”
The branch now plans to continue hosting Remembrance Day services, community teas and educational activities while expanding its veterans banner program.
McCrea said 32 banners will eventually be displayed along Arborfield’s main street and at the cenotaph from late October until mid-November each year.
Speakers at the ceremony included McCrea, Legion vice-president Trevor Campbell, Cathy Wagantall, RM of Arborfield Coun. Willie Schmitt and Town of Arborfield Coun. Wendy Ralph.
McCrea said the project was made possible through community support.
The Legion thanked Spectrum Printing in Nipawin for printing the banners, Danny Edwards for constructing the banner posts and hardware, and the Town of Arborfield employees for securing grant funding.
Additional financial support came from AgGrow Consulting, Riverside Co-op, Thunder Rail, Morris and Mildred Peddie, Rocky Mountain Equipment, Nutrien Ag Solutions, CanPro Farms Ltd., the late Eleanor Alyea, Arborfield Child Care Society, Prosperity Credit Union and Morgan’s Hog Haven.
“We want to thank everyone who helped make this project possible and helped us honour these veterans for generations to come,” McCrea said.
