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Friday, April 17, 2026

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Branch #8 of the Royal Canadian Legion hosted the annual Veterans & First Responders Banquet on April 9 in Virden Legion Hall. Master of Ceremonies Kelvon Smith welcomed about 100 guests to the event. All stood as piper Deklan Kyle led the parade of dignitaries into the hall. Kennidy Routledge accompanied the singing of O Canada on her violin and Padre Marcel Archambault said a prayer expressing gratitude for veterans and first responders, also honoring those who sacrificed their lives for freedom and justice.

Dignitaries present at the head table included Vice President of Manitoba Northwestern Ontario Command of the Royal Canadian Legion Chris Flood, local Branch President Andy Nash, Ladies Auxiliary President Christa Nash, Fire Chief Cory Nixon, acting Sergeant-at-Arms Evelyn Jorgensen and Base Commander from CFB Shilo Lieutenant-Colonel Jack Nguyen.

MP Remarks

Grant Jackson, MP for Brandon-Souris, acknowledged the significance of the appreciation dinner and commended the Legion for maintaining the tradition of recognizing veterans and first responders annually. Jackson said, “We have a very long and proud military history going back to Camp Hughes well over 100 years ago in this region. I think it has been recognized at the national level that Shilo is going to continue to play an important role moving forward with this redevelopment of the Canadian Armed Forces.”

Deputy Mayor’s tribute

Town of Virden Deputy Mayor Marc Savy, speaking on behalf of Mayor Tina Williams, council, and the broader community described those present as representing the best of the region—individuals defined by courage, commitment, and service.

He emphasized the role of military service in preserving freedoms and referred to the Battle of Vimy Ridge saying, “Canada lost 10,600 young men that day out of 15,000. Just picture that. 10,600 young men who did not come home. To our first responders, our firefighters, our paramedics, our police officers, dispatchers, and all the ones who answer the call, thank you very much. You are the ones who run towards danger when others run away. You are the steady voice in moments of crisis and the helping hand in moments of fear and the calm presence when people need it most.

Your work is demanding, often unseen, but always essential.”

Fire Chief Nixon

Nixon said, “I'd like to thank all the first responders, veterans, and everyone else in the room for your service and your time put in. I'd especially like to thank our spouses. They put up with a lot of us just dropping what we're doing and disappearing. They really support us all the time. The fire department itself, this last year, we've seen an uptake in membership. It's actually really nice to see we have a bunch of new members.”

RCMP

Sergeant Amy Doan of Westman RCMP is acting area commander, serving in Virden. She said, “Tonight is a moment to show gratitude to the professionalism, commitment, and sense of duty that every first responder demonstrates through their day-to-day actions. Strong communities are built on trust, respect, and collaboration and tonight is a really great reminder of all of those shared values.”

Captain Kyle

Captain Henry Kyle (ret’d CAF) provided historical context for the Legion banquet. Kyle said, “It started out in 1919, after the First World War, and it was in commemoration of all of the people that had lost their lives at Vimy Ridge and at that time we became a nation instead of a colony.”

Captain Kyle had previously started a pipe and drum band in the community. His grandson, Declan Kyle, was the piper for the event. Declan closed out the evening’s entertainment with a couple of Highland tunes.

Prayer for Astronauts

In closing, Emcee Smith asked Padre Archambault for pray for the upcoming Artemis II crew splash down in the Pacific Ocean after their historic 10-day mission.

The Padre prayed, “Heavenly Father…we remember these astronauts that have taken a trip that most of us can't even imagine, who saw the world that you created in a light that we will probably never get to see in reality…Heavenly Father, we just trust that they are in your hands this night.”