Dominion Convention 2026: In Their Own Words — Tong Chow
Continuing our “In Their Own Words” series from the 50th Dominion Convention in Winnipeg, Branch 44 delegate Tong Chow shares what she describes as her most memorable experience since becoming a Legionnaire — a week of learning, Remembrance, new connections and seeing the work of the Legion at the national level firsthand.
Attending the Royal Canadian Legion 50th Dominion Convention in Winnipeg from August 22 to 27, 2026 is the most memorable experience I have ever had since becoming a Legionnaire. I learned a great deal from the entire program in one week starting with Day One’s workshops on Veteran Services, Membership, Poppy and Remembrance, RCL branches, EDI and the Tuberculous Veterans Section Meeting.
The Parade to the Cenotaph took place on the morning of a beautiful sunny Day Two. It was an emotional journey for me as I could feel the serenity in the air when we paid our respects to those who sacrificed their lives for Canada.
The Opening Ceremony saw more than 1,000 delegates in full uniform at RBC Convention Centre, with speeches presented by senior executives and keynote speakers of RCL Dominion. The following days helped us understand the procedures for the election of senior executives, business sessions dealing with legal matters and the democratic process of discussing important Legion affairs from Dominion to Commands and branches.
The final installation of elected Officers and Closing Ceremony were very touching. I was deeply impressed by the entire open process of this Dominion Convention in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Legion.
I was active in communicating with many executives and delegates from across Canada, making new acquaintances with representatives from branches including but not limited to Tsawwassen, Cloverdale, Victoria, Nanaimo, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador.
It was truly amazing to see how warmly delegates met each other and how open they were to sharing their success stories. I was also delighted to share with everyone in our branch that many of these representatives from across BC and Canada would like to partner with each other to host activities by inviting each other’s branches to explore special events.
A very prominent part of the Convention was the international section, where high-level representatives from Britain, Scotland, and the USA presented very impressive speeches congratulating the Royal Canadian Legion on its 100th anniversary.
It was truly a learning and rewarding experience for me. I am very grateful to Branch 44 for this opportunity and I deem it beneficial to all executive members of our branch.
— Tong Chow
