Post CN20 is an entity of the American Legion Department of Montana. We are located in Calgary, Alberta and as such we are also a member of FODPAL - which if the Foreign and Outlying Departments and Posts of the American Legion. Before we were a member of the Department of Montana, we were a part of the Department of Canada and Ireland.

We are part of the nation’s largest wartime veterans service organization, committed to mentoring youth and sponsorship of wholesome programs in our communities, advocating patriotism and honor, promoting strong national security, and continued devotion to our fellow servicemembers and veterans.

The American Legion in Canada

BE IT ENACTED BY THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED – approved on September 16, 1919, the Act to Incorporate THE AMERICAN LEGION.

Although the records have been lost, it is a known fact that a branch of The American Legion was established in the city of Montreal during the year of 1919. It became known as Montreal Yankee Post 1. It officially changed its name in 1924 to Montreal Post 1 when it became the headquarters for the newly chartered “Department of the Dominion of Canada.” Its mandate asked for the creation of American Legion posts throughout the Dominion of Canada. Eventually, 10 posts were formed within the department – from Vancouver to St. John’s, Newfoundland. In 1992, this department surrendered the charter for Arctic Circle Post 15, (when its last member passed away) to National Headquarters in Indianapolis. The members of this particular post worked on the Alaskan Highway during World War II, and this post alone received “Commendations” from two U.S. presidents.

The Department of Canada was a member of FODPAL (Foreign and Outlying Departments and Posts of The American Legion). National Headquarters assigned the American Legion posts in Australia and New Zealand to this department, and when Hawaii officially became a state those posts were reassigned to the new Department of Hawaii, while the two posts in Southern Ireland were moved from the Department of France into the Department of Canada.

At the stroke of midnight on September 8, 1994, the Department of the Dominion of Canada ceased to be! On the subject of foreign departments, Internal Affairs Commission Resolution 33 – in summary – canceled the charters of the departments of Italy, Canada and Panama; reassigned the Department of Italy and the two Irish posts to the Department of France with Panama going to the Department of Mexico; then reassigned the remaining nine posts in Canada to the nearest contiguous U.S. departments. Membership in the Department of Canada at its closure was 551.

The four posts in Ontario were assigned to the Department of New York and have remained as members of FODPAL. The four posts were attached to the 8^th District (western N.Y.) and since the Department of New York had an Ontario County, it was decided to name this new county “Canada County.”

The nine remaining posts were: Montreal Post 1, Winnipeg Post 3, Toronto Post 5, Charles A. Dunn Post 7 (Vancouver, B.C.), Fort Pepperell Post 9 (Newfoundland), Ottawa Post 16, Tony Mathews Post 18 (Hamilton), Calgary Post 20 and Toronto Post 21 (Scarborough)

Today we are officially known as The American Legion, Department of New York, Canada County within the 8^th District. There are 63 counties within the Department of New York.

TORONTO POST CN05 was “chartered” on March 26, 1931, in a ceremony at the department headquarters in Montreal. On March 3, 1931, “The Star-Spangled Banner” was named as America’s national anthem, a mere 23 days before Toronto received its charter, the very same year Nevada became a state. Then on March 6, 1934, the City of Toronto was officially named TORONTO – just to put things into perspective.

From the Department of New York Headquarters in Albany, N.Y., Toronto Post 5 officially became Toronto Post CN05 as it was issued its new charter on September 19, 1994, as were Ottawa Post CN16, Hamilton Post CN18 and Toronto Post CN21.

Respectfully submitted, Bob Winder