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Legion member receives Life Membership during Canada Day celebrations

July 14, 2022   ·   0 Comments

Member of the Orangeville Legion for 35 years, Barry Kimber, received the Royal Canadian Legion Life Membership on during a local Canada Day celebration on July 1. The award is for members of long-standing, consistent and outstanding service to the Legion.

Orangeville’s Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 233’s Canada Day festivities on July 1 became especially memorable this year for Comrade Barry Kimber when he received a special honour.

Kimber had the Royal Canadian Legion Life Membership was conferred upon him, which is among the highest honours for Legion members and is awarded to members of long-standing, consistent and outstanding service to the Legion. In Comrade Kimber’s case, he has been a member of the local Col. Fitzgerald Branch (#233) for 35 years. 

He has actively served in the branch executive committee since 2014 and was elected Branch President in 2019, an appointment he held through the difficult days of Covid-19 restrictions. Last May, he was re-elected to that post for an additional one-year term. 

Comrade Kimber has been instrumental in steering Orangeville’s Legion Branch through the last three years, applying sound business practices and countless hours of voluntary service to ensure the branch’s survival. 

Seeking and securing both government funding and private donations have dominated his efforts, providing the sound financial base branch operations will require moving forward.

“I was pleasantly surprised to see my entire family on hand for Canada Day,” said Kimber early in the proceedings, unaware of the greater surprise yet to come. 

The presentation was made by Branch 233 First Vice President Chuck Simpson who had taken special efforts to preserve the surprise. 

MPP Sylvia Jones, Orangeville Mayor Sandy Brown and Deputy Mayor Andy Macintosh, the Legion’s Ontario District “E” Commander Rick Preston, Deputy Commander Betty Smith and Secretary Betty-Jean Murray were also on hand, joining the approximately 100 Orangeville residents witnessing the presentation. 

The ceremony was part of the Branch’s Canada Day celebration on July 1 at the Legion.

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