October 22, 2026
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A solemn note this week as Branch 183 joins the entire Legion family in mourning the four Canadian Armed Forces members who lost their lives in a fire during a training exercise at CFB Wainwright, Saturday, Oct. 17: Sergeant Morgan Wong of Edmonton, Private Shaun Farrell of Prince Albert, Private Aidan Goulding of North Vancouver, and Private Hayden Lykkemark of Langley. Many more were injured. We thank the first-responders who raced to the scene, including the Canadian Armed Forces medics, and everyone who went above and beyond to save lives that day. Our thoughts are with their families, their comrades, and all those affected. Ontario Command has confirmed that Poppy Funds may be used to assist the immediate families and caregivers of those affected. We will remember them.
Our 2026 Poppy Campaign officially gets under way this Saturday, Oct. 24. Volunteers will be delivering poppy boxes to local businesses, Friday, Oct. 23, and our taggers will be out on Saturday. We are still looking for a few more friendly faces to help with Saturday's tagging. Each volunteer shift is just two hours, standing at a local store entrance with a poppy tray, handing out poppies and collecting donations. Every dollar raised goes directly into the Poppy Trust Fund, which provides emergency financial aid, mobility equipment, and medical care for our local veterans and their families. If you can help, please reach out to us. Local businesses, community groups, and families wishing to dedicate a Wreath of Remembrance at our ceremonies can purchase one for $65. Each wreath is individually labelled, and its dedication is announced by our MC during the ceremony. To reserve yours, reach out to our poppy chairperson, Jackie Tomajko, at jackietomajko.183@gmail.com.
Our annual Ceremonies of Remembrance are coming up quickly. We will gather in Tiverton at the Lions Memorial Park, Sunday, Nov. 8, at 2 p.m., and our Kincardine service takes place Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 10 a.m. inside the Legion Hall, followed directly by the traditional outdoor wreath-laying at the Cenotaph. If you are interested in joining our Colour Party, practices run at the Legion, Tuesdays at 6 p.m., and Wednesdays at 5 p.m., until Remembrance Day. Reach out to our Sergeant-at-Arms, Kirk Rutledge, with any questions. Knox Presbyterian Church, Kincardine, will also hold its Ringing of the Peace Bell ceremony, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m., with Branch 183's Colour Party participating.
No Stone Left Alone will take place Nov. 9 at the Kincardine Cemetery, where Grade 6 students from Huron Heights Public School will thank veterans and honour them by placing poppies on more than 300 veterans' graves. Also, a reminder that all local students are encouraged to participate in this year's Remembrance Day Poster and Literary Contests. Submissions are due to local schools or, in the case of home-schooled participants, to the Kincardine branch, by Nov. 11. More information about the contest can be found at remembrancecontests.ca.
A special word to our Centenary members, that is, everyone who joined Branch 183 for free this year as part of the Legion's 100th Anniversary. We're so glad you came aboard, and we hope you'll stay with us. To continue your membership into 2027, simply renew and pay your 2027 dues. There's a nice bonus for doing it soon: Centenary members who renew for 2027 by Dec. 19 are automatically entered in the Legion 100 Win Big Giveaway for a chance to win a Ford F-150 STX. Renewing early does double duty here at Branch 183, too. Get it done before the end of October and you're in our draw for two New Year's Eve party tickets, and the $55 Early Bird rate runs until the end of November. Please don't let your free year be your only year. We'd love to keep you as part of the Branch 183 community. One final way to save: all members who are paid up for 2027 will be able to save $10 on tickets for our New Year’s Eve party, which go on sale after Remembrance Day.
The Kin Cares 50/50 October draw is heading into its final week. Congratulations to Owen Montpellier, winner of the Oct. 16 Early Bird draw of $250. The October jackpot has climbed to $11,180 and tickets are on sale until Saturday, Oct. 31, on-line at kincares5050.ca, at the Legion bar, or at Grey Matter Beer Company. The jackpot draw will be Monday, Nov. 2, at the Legion. Come and be part of it, or watch it live on Facebook.
The Saturday Meat Draw produced a familiar double-dipper this week. Charlie Samms took home two wins for the second week in a row. Some of us are starting to think the ticket drum has his name on it! The afternoon's 50/50 draw went to Paul Hervieux, who pocketed $173. Congratulations to all the winners!
The Branch 183 Bingo team extends a big thank you to Brady's No Frills for providing the turkeys for our bingo night, Thursday, Oct. 8. The business' generosity helped make it a great evening, and we truly appreciate this support. Marty wanted me to let everyone know that at the Bingo, Thursday, Oct. 29, which is very close to Halloween, there will be cash prizes for best costumes: $200 for 1st place, $100 for 2nd place, and $50 for 3rd place. So start planning your costumes!
Next Friday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m., will be our next Music Bingo Night. Many people wear their favourite band T-shirts, but feel free to dress in costume, if you wish. We hope to see all of our regular players again, but if you haven't tried it yet, we would love to see you there! Here's how it works: instead of numbers, your card is filled with song titles. We play the hook of each song, about 40 seconds, and if it's on your card, you mark it off. Get any two lines and you've got a bingo. You don’t need to worry if you don’t know the song title and artist, as we have MC Russ helping you out so you never miss a dab. It's $10 to play all five games, with two cards per game. There's no team and no sign-up. Just show up, buy a card, and play. Food will be available from 6-7 p.m., so come early, grab a bite, and settle in for some singing, dancing and dabbin’.
In sports news, we want to wish good luck to our Branch 183 darts team going to the zone event in Clinton this Saturday, Oct. 24 (eight singles players and five doubles teams).
First Aid and CPR training is coming to the Legion in November, offered by FirstAid4U. A two-day, in-class course runs Thursday and Friday, Nov. 12 and 13, and a blended course, with part one completed on-line at home and part two in the classroom, follows on Saturday, Nov. 14. The training covers first aid, CPR for adults, children and infants, and the proper use of an AED. The two-day course is $135 plus tax, and the blended course or a re-certification is $125 plus tax. To register or ask questions, contact Lisa at 519-524-6914, or visit firstaid4u.ca.
One more for tomorrow: the Walkie-Talkies are hosting a Coffee Break Open House in the Legion Hall. Friday, Oct. 23, from 9:30-11:30 a.m., with coffee and baked goods by donation. Sandra Hong of the Alzheimer Society of Grey-Bruce will be there to share information about dementia and the supports available in Grey-Bruce. Everyone is welcome, so stop in and make your coffee count.
Coming Events:
Sunday, Oct. 25 - Branch General Meeting - 2 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 25 - Family Dinner - 5 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 6 - Trivia Night - 7 p.m. - Sign-ups open Monday, Oct. 26
Saturday, Nov. 7 - Cornhole Tournament - 1 p.m. - Details to come
Saturday, Dec. 5 - Mega Meat Draw with HWY 19 - 2-6 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 6 - Veterans Christmas Banquet
Saturday, Dec. 12 - Breakfast with Santa at the Legion - More details to follow
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