Stephen J. Thorne

Tough talk: Advocates mince no words delivering inclusion message to Legionnaires

STORY BY STEPHEN J. THORNE

Addressing a longstanding bugaboo of one of the country’s most revered institutions head-on, a former regional president of The Royal Canadian Legion delivered a firm message to its grassroots membership in May.

Marion Fryday-Cook was Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command president from 2019 through 2021. She’s now a member of the Legion’s national committee on equity, diversity and inclusion. She didn’t mince words when presenting a report on the organization’s draft plan to address what some consider the Legion’s single-biggest challenge.

“We’re moving into a new world,” Fryday-Cook said before an all-white convention audience in Sydney, N.S. “Somebody once said, we’re all volunteers and the Legion sometimes tends to eat its own and go after its own.

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CAF Image Gallery

The master lens of Darrell Jason Priede

STORY BY PAIGE JASMINE GILMAR

“Like I say, only the good die young,” Roxanne Priede of Grand Forks, B.C., tells The Globe and Mail.

Roxanne is the mother of Master Corporal Darrell Jason Priede, a military photographer who stole the hearts of his family, friends and fellow military personnel with his quiet voice, fantastic listening skills and photographs that left the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Regional Command spellbound.

“[His photography] was definitely more than a job…his pictures were top-notch,” said Lieutenant Brian Owens, public affairs officer at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown to The Toronto Star.

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Canadian homeowners aged 55+ can access up to 55% of their home’s value without having to sell. As a proud partner of the Royal Canadian Legion, HomeEquity Bank offers Legion members $500 cash back* upon funding their CHIP Reverse Mortgage. Learn more at https://bit.ly/3ln5vfo

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