National Legion Week 2025: Reflecting on the Legion and the Canadian Diaspora

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This story is a part of Branch 25’s on-going National Legion Week campaign.

I have had the privilege of collaborating with U.S. Branch 25 of the Royal Canadian Legion throughout my tenure as Consul General of Canada in Northern California.

From their engagement with local schools to the annual poppy campaign, Branch 25 plays a vital role in championing and organizing activities honoring Canadian veterans. The Branch has maintained and expanded the strong Canadian presence in veteran commemorations throughout the Bay Area, increasing the recognition of Canadian veterans among the local community and Canadian diaspora.

Their efforts foster a deeper understanding of our shared history and reinforce the enduring ties between our two nations.

During National Legion Week, I am deeply honoured to recognize the leadership, dedication, and unwavering commitment of Royal Canadian Legion, U.S. Branch 25 to increasing recognition of the contributions of Canadian and allied veterans in the Bay Area and Northern California.

——-

Rana Sarkar, Consul General of Canada in San Francisco, United States

Undying love, Part 1: A grieving mother secrets her Great War soldier son’s remains home to Canada

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An item from the Legion Magazine.
Front Lines
Front Lines

Anna Bella Durie repatriated her soldier
son’s remains from France after WW I. [Photo: City of Toronto Archives]

Undying love, Part 1: A grieving mother secrets her Great War soldier son’s remains home to Canada

STORY BY STEPHEN J. THORNE

In the dark of a summer’s night in 1925, four shadowy figures—two women and two men—stole into the Loos British Cemetery in Loos-en-Gohelle, France, dug up grave no. 19 in plot 20, row G, broke open one end of the coffin, dragged out the remains therein, and made off with them in a sack.

The bones were those of Captain William Arthur Peel Durie, a former Toronto bank clerk who had commanded ‘A’ Company, 58th (Central Ontario) Battalion. He had fought at Vimy Ridge, Passchendaele and Hill 70. The women were his sister Helen and his doting and, the evidence suggests, difficult mother, Anna Bella Durie.

Anna recognized the remains of the son she called her “poor darling bunny” by the boots she had bought him for Christmas just days before he died.

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Two-Toned Toque
The Briefing
The Briefing

Canadian crew members of 159 Squadron, Royal Air Force, in Burma on March 6, 1945.
[DND/PL-60366]

WW II researcher on Canadian airmen in Burma

STORY BY ALEX BOWERS

Canadian researcher Norma Graham understands that in the world of history, not least that surrounding Canada’s centuries-old military heritage, you’re a student for life, always learning and open to new ideas—and never admitting to knowing it all.

For years, the retired librarian from southern Ontario had fostered an interest in the country’s wartime efforts. It wasn’t until 2020, however, that she discovered a large and growing online community of WW II history buffs that had coalesced around the podcast “We Have Ways of Making You Talk.” Starring British historian James Holland and comedian Al Murray discussing various related topics, Graham had indeed found her people, later vowing to attend their annual festival in England.

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National Legion Week 2025: Promoting Remembrance Through Cadet Programs

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This story is a part of Branch 25’s on-going National Legion Week campaign.

The Royal Canadian Legion’s mission is to support Veterans, promote Remembrance and strengthen communities. As part of our commitment to our communities, the Legion is involved in developing youth leadership at the local and national level. Youth play a crucial role in the growth of our communities and in continuing the tradition of Remembrance. The Royal Canadian Legion has a long and valued partnership with Cadets. Cadets engage in varied and unique experiences and develop competencies in leadership, citizenship, and physical and mental fitness. Cadets support our Veterans and take active roles in commemorative ceremonies. These youth play a significant role in supporting Legion activities and promoting Remembrance. In return, Legion Branches assist corps, squadrons and patrols in various ways that add to the success of the programs.

Branch 25 (San Francisco) of the Royal Canadian Legion has sponsored the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps (USNSCC) – Arkansas Division since 1991. Each year as a part of their annual inspection, the Branch presents a Sea Cadet with the Royal Canadian Legion Cadet Medal of Excellence.  Additionally, Sea Cadets from Arkansas Division participate in each of the services the Branch hosts by performing as the Colour Guard, reading poems and other passages, placing a ceremonial wreath, and a variety of other activities.

In their own words…

SN Oscar Mellet – The fact that we are sponsored by a branch of Royal Canadian Legion veterans, means a lot to me, especially for the honor guard events that we do. The ones that we do at the cemetery give me a lot of color guard experience and we get to honor those that made sacrifices for the world we live in today. I’m proud to do it.

SN Justin Mostasisa – For me, it gives me an opportunity to acknowledge that the U.S. isn’t the only ally that helped maintain a free society. It’s acknowledging that the U.S. isn’t the only country that has a military, and all of our allies contribute to the freedoms we enjoy, especially with Canada, we have an opportunity to really honor our partnerships with a nation that has supported us in all major conflicts. And to be the only U.S. Naval Sea Cadet branch sponsored by a Royal Canadian Legion, really, it shows how, you know, as Sea Cadets can not only represent the U.S, but represent and honor other countries in the world that have militaries that make sacrifices for the betterment of the world, and we can honor those that served.

SA Mackenzie Mikulich – The events we do for the Royal Canadian Legion definitely are super important. 
It gives me the opportunity to represent those that have come before me and makes me a better person. It gives me opportunities, to not only grow, but understand that there are other people in counties other than the U.S. that make sacrifices for the rest of the world. Before my involvement in these events, I had no idea of all the wars Canada had fought in and how much they support the U.S. It’s just a really great honor to know, acknowledge, and honor that. 
 The events also have provided us with challenges like Color Guard where we are learning how to adapt on the fly, which has made me very adaptable in that way.

PO3 Xavier Mendoza – I think it’s interesting because as U.S. citizens, we usually think of the United States having veterans groups like the Veterans of Foreign Wars or American Legion, and the Royal Canadian Legion is similar, but Canadian. The Royal Canadian Legion gives us a different take on world events, impacts, and provides us with different insights than what we might get from U.S. focused veteran’s organizations. And they come from they come from a country and a culture where their cadet programs are more supported by the community, so they have been supportive for us and it’s just really uplifting to be around them because they believe very strongly in the cadet programs. 
I’ve met a bunch of cool people from around the Bay Area and around Northern California, and I’ve just learned a lot of valuable skills from the ceremonies and got to do a lot of cool things that people normally don’t get to do.

Chief Olivia Keesor – I think the Royal Canadian Legion has really embraced us with their sense of community. I mean, they’ve brought a bunch of supporters and veterans together from different parts of the area and world, and we’ve been able to learn about different backgrounds a sacrifices, especially from ones not commonly understood by people from the U.S. I think it helps the rest of the cadets gain new perspectives on cultural differences and courtesies that are present in the militaries of other nations.

National Legion Week 2025: Piping for California’s Legion

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This story is a part of Branch 25’s on-going National Legion Week campaign.

As the piper for Royal Canadian Legion Branch 25 (San Francisco), I have always had a keen interest in the history of Legion piping and pipe bands in the San Francisco Bay Area. Where once there were several full Royal Canadian Legion pipe bands in the San Francisco Bay region and Sacramento, the last branch associated band in the region was in San Jose and disbanded in the early 1990s. The Black Raven Pipe Band of San Francisco was officially the band of the Royal British Legion, San Francisco Post 1 but also performed as the band of Royal Canadian Legion Branch 25.

These pipe bands, dating from the very inception of the Royal Canadian Legion in California in the mid-1930’s, laid the groundwork and training for many regional pipers and pipe bands for decades to come.

I have been the piper for Branch 25 (San Francisco) since I joined in the early 1980’s. Then, I performed for most of the meeting openings and many events throughout the year.

I also piped as part of the Branch’s Honor Guard which was quite active in parades and ceremonies to the late 1980’s.

My current duties remain roughly the same though the need to open our meetings has passed with the advent of online meetings. Playing for Memorial and Remembrance Day ceremonies, member funerals, and the occasional veteran’s parade or ceremony are my bread and butter.

I also am privileged to oversee the awarding of a special commemorative trophy at the Redding Bagpipe Competition in memory of Past Branch President, and piper, Fred Rutledge. The “Piper of the Day” award is given to the piper at the competition who is determined by the event’s piping judges to have demonstrated an outstanding effort over the two-day event.

It is very meaningful to me to be able to present this award on behalf of the Branch and to keep Past President Rutledge’s name alive.

Outside the Legion activities, I am the Pipe Major for the Pipes & Drums of CAL Fire Local 2881. This pipe band represents the members of California’s fire and emergency response agency.

With duties throughout a huge state like California, my 20 years as Pipe Major, and 30 years as a piper with the Local 2881 Honor Guard has brought me to events all around the US and too many Line of Duty funerals for the fallen of CAL FIRE and other CA fire and law enforcement departments. It is always an extreme honor to pipe for the families of our fallen in their times of need. On the international stage, I’ve been privileged the last two years to perform with the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Pipes & Drums.

This civilian band of around 85 members, performs each year as part of the Tattoo’s massed Pipes & Drums and performs throughout the 90-minute Tattoo production. Composed of musicians from around the world who audition to participate, it is truly a great band and experience to be part of.

My association as a piper with San Francisco Branch 25 for over 40 years has provided me with many happy and meaningful memories. I’m always proud to perform at branch and veteran events and I plan on keep on adding to those memories for years to come.

——-

Charlie Martin, Branch 25 Piper

Today: student showcase; Fellow speaks at major conference

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A newsletter from one of our fellow Canadian organizations in the Bay Area.

Canadian Studies Announcements

In This Issue:

Canadian Studies News

• Graduate fellow Andrew Zhao presents research at top political science conference

Upcoming Events

• Student Research Showcase (Today!)

• “The Soul and Its Demons in New France: Possession and Obsession in The Life of Catherine of Saint Augustine, a French Missionary in Canada”

• 8th Annual Canadian Thanksgiving Dinner (Now with student discount!)

Academic Opportunities

• Nominations open for ACSUS service awards

External Events

• Kim’s Convenience at ACT San Francisco

• Exploratorium After Dark: Dancing in the Sky

• San Francisco Fleet Week Air Show

PROGRAM NEWS

Graduate Fellow Andrew Zhao Presents Research at Top Political Science Conference

Two weeks ago, Canadian Studies Hildebrand Fellow Andrew Zhao travelled to Canada to speak at the annual conference of the American Political Science Association (APSA), the most important political science conference in North America. Andrew presented a research project funded by Canadian Studies, exploring the political legacy of Canada’s residential schools.

Andrew is a second-year PhD student in the Travers Department of Political Science at UC Berkeley. His research focuses on the intersection of identity and politics. Originally from Alberta, he completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto and worked in public opinion research for several years before coming to Berkeley. He has received two Hildebrand Fellowships from Canadian Studies.

APSA is the oldest and largest professional organization for political scientists in the United States, and its annual meeting is the most important gathering of its kind in North America. This year’s conference, the 121st APSA Annual Meeting & Exhibition, was held from September 11-14 in Vancouver, Canada. It drew over 5,000 scholars and experts from across the United States, Canada, and even further afield.

Andrew spoke as part of the session “Indigenous Identities and Contextual Politics”. His presentation, “The Political Legacy of Indian Residential Schools”, was based on research he conducted over the summer, largely funded by the Canadian Studies Program through our Hildebrand Fellowship. It examines whether the physical presence of Indian residential schools had durable, measurable effects on voting patterns in nearby communities in Canada. His Fellowship supported travel archives in Edmonton, Victoria, and Vancouver, as well as translation services for French documents. Canadian Studies also sponsored Andrew’s attendance at APSA, to share his findings with the broader political science community.

If you are interested in learning more about Andrew’s work, don’t miss his presentation during today’s Canadian Studies colloquium. See below for additional information.

UPCOMING EVENTS
Student Research Showcase

Mon., Sept. 22 | 12:30 pm | 201 Philosophy Hall | RSVP

Learn about the research Canadian Studies funds through our Edward E. Hildebrand Graduate Research Fellowships, as recipients present overviews of their projects.

Measuring the Societal Benefits of Public Investment in Sport in Canada

Sophie Helpard, Master’s student, Public Policy

Sophie’s research examines how public investment in sport affects social welfare. Her fellowship supported her capstone project, a policy benefit-cost analysis on the impacts of increasing federal funding to Canada’s national sports organizations. It examines whether increased funding leads to general improvements in outcomes in wellbeing measures such as mental health, physical health, and labor productivity.

The Political Legacy of Indian Residential Schools

Andrew Zhao, PhD student, Political Science

​Andrew’s research explores the intersection of identity and politics. His fellowship supported a study on the long-term political impacts of Canada’s Indian residential school system on surrounding communities. The schools left a well-documented legacy of physical and psychological harm to survivors and their kin. But another legacy remains under-explored: how did the schools affect the politics and beliefs of nearby communities, and does that impact persist to this day?

The Soul and Its Demons in New France: Possession and Obsession in the Life of Catherine of Saint Augustine, a French Missionary in Canada

Tues., Sept. 23 | 5:00 pm | 3401 Dwinelle Hall

Part pre-hagiography, part autobiography, the Vie de Mère Catherine de Saint-Augustin (1671) alternates between the voices of Catherine and her biographer, the Jesuit Paul Ragueneau. The latter quotes extensively from the writings left by Catherine upon her death, in which she describes the diabolical attacks she claims to have experienced throughout her life. Ragueneau insists that God possesses Catherine – it is “only” that she is obsessed and besieged by demons. Catherine, who is experiencing a “martyrdom of love,” constantly questions what is driving her (God, demons, passions?), and interprets what she is experiencing as a way of keeping within her the “demons” that threaten to besiege New France at a time when the colony is in great uncertainty about its survival, and even its mission (political? economic? religious?). Both reflect on the tormented exchanges that take place between the outside and the inside, between the individual and the group. They question the alteration or even the dispossession of the soul, the difficulty of discerning what is driving us, and the intimate relationship that develops between an individual and “their” place.

About the Speaker

Anne Régent-Susini is professor of 17th-century French literature at Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris. She specializes in early modern religious discourse, rhetoric, polemics, the history of emotions, the writing of history and the history of pedagogy. She is the author of L’Éloquence de la chaire (Pulpit Eloquence), and Bossuet et la rhétorique de l’autorité (Bossuet and the Rhetoric of Authority).

This event is sponsored by the Department of French with the support of the France-Berkeley Fund and is cosponsored by the Canadian Studies Program, the Berkeley Center for the Study of Religion and the Renaissance and Early Modern Studies DE.

8th Annual Canadian Thanksgiving Dinner

Sun., Oct. 5 | 5:00 pm | Alumni House | Buy tickets

Canadian Studies is proud to partner with the Digital Moose Lounge to bring you a Canadian holiday tradition! Join us in celebrating the Bay Area’s Canadian community with a delicious turkey dinner and the chance to mingle with your fellow Canadians. Tickets include a classic Thanksgiving turkey dinner with all the fixings; a raffle with fabulous prizes; entertainment; and a chance to mingle with fellow Canadians from around the Bay!

Special Offer for UC Berkeley Students! Thanks to the generosity of our friends, Canadian Studies is able to provide subsidized tickets to UC Berkeley students. Please email canada@berkeley.edu to learn more.

ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITIES

Nominations Open for ACSUS Service Awards

Deadline: October 1

The Association of Canadian Studies in the United States (ACSUS) is seeking nominations for its two most prestigious awards, which recognize dedication to Canadian Studies and to the ACSUS Community.

EXTERNAL EVENTS

Kim’s Convenience at ACT San Francisco

Sept. 18-Oct. 19 | San Francisco, CA | Learn more

The hilarious and heartwarming, award-winning comedy drama that inspired the popular Netflix hit show is coming to SF! This feel-good play about a Korean family-run corner store is an ode to generations of immigrants who have made Canada the country that it is today. Mr. Kim works hard to support his wife and children with his Toronto convenience store. As he evaluates his future, he faces both a changing neighborhood landscape and the gap between his values and those of his Canada-born children. Playwright Ins Choi, who will also star in the production as the title character, calls Kim’s Convenience his “love letter to his parents and to all first-generation immigrants who call Canada their home.”

Kim’s Convenience is now showing at the American Conservatory Theater (ACT) Toni Rembe Theater. Thanks to our friends at the DML, you can click here or use code DML to save 20% on tickets! Limited tickets are still available for a special Canada Night performance this coming Saturday, September 27. We hope to see you there!

Exploratorium After Dark: Dancing in the Sky

Thurs., Oct. 9 | San Francisco, CA | Buy tickets

The Exploratorium invites you to buckle in for an evening of mystery, adventure, and airborne entertainment! Prepare to be dazzled by a performance from Earth Circus, where jaw-dropping moves from acrobatic dancers will have you questioning gravity. Uncover the secrets behind aerobatics with the Snowbird squadron, Canada’s iconic flight demonstration crew. And don’t miss a special cabaret co-hosted with our friends at KQED, where stories of flight – from the world of winged arthropods to the death of a daredevil aviator – will inspire your curiosity to soar.

San Francisco Fleet Week Air Show

Oct. 10-12 | San Francisco, CA | Learn more

The Canadian Forces Snowbirds, the acrobatic squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force, will be participating in this year’s SF Fleet Week Air Show! Held annually between the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz, the air show attracts fans from all over the globe. The waterfront event, sponsored by United Airlines, is headlined by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and is the only air show in the United States with a commercial airliner, the United 777, to perform a fully choreographed act. The Snowbirds will join this awe-inspiring performance to showcase the exceptional teamwork, skill, and dedication that defines members of the Canadian Armed Forces.

Canadian Studies Program

213 Philosophy Hall #2308

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Canadian Studies Program | Univ. of California, Berkeley 213 Philosophy Hall #2308 | Berkeley, CA 94720 US