On Nov 6 at their Remembrance Day Tea, the Legion Ladies Auxiliary celebrated 95 Years of Service with a cake cutting ceremony.
The Auxiliary received its Charter dated May 2, 1927, as the Ladies Auxiliary to the British Empire Service League. There were 16 members and Janet Hamilton was the first President. Meetings were held in the current Fort Frances Museum building which served as a public school and then as a High School. This building was sold to the Legion in 1928. By 1945, the membership grew to 276 members and they were kept very busy through the war years sending thousands of cigarettes to the Forestry Corps, knitting hundreds of socks, making numerous quilts, packing overseas parcels, collecting salvage and working for the Red Cross. Faith Collett who served in many positions within the Auxiliary was awarded the Meritorious Service Award on September 11, 1952 and was the second woman in Canada to be so honoured.
The first annual Remembrance Day Tea and Bake Sale was held on November 11, 1946, and in 1985 it was changed to be held on the Sunday before November 11. The tea and bake sale is the Auxiliary’s most successful money raising effort due to their hard working members, generous donors and the supportive community.
The Auxiliary moved into the current Legion building in June 1968 which was built as the Branch’s Centennial Project. The Auxiliary also raises funds through monthly suppers, catering to weddings, parties and funerals. The Auxiliary gives monetary donations to Amethyst House, Rainycrest, Riverside Health Foundation, Veteran Organizations, Air Cadets, local events, bursaries to graduates of the Fort Frances High School, the Branch and many more too numerous to mention.
The Auxiliary members are dedicated, hardworking, caring woman looking to make a difference in our community and are looking for new members.
