Representatives and members of the Royal Canadian Legion from all corners of Saskatchewan and beyond gathered in Estevan to commence their 49th biannual convention.

Ceremonies kicked off with a parade down 4th Street, from the Legion hall to the cenotaph and back, followed by a number of presentations and speeches. These included welcomes from City Councillor Travis Frank, Moose Jaw-Wakamow MLA Greg Lawrence and Souris-Moose Mountain MP Dr. Robert Kitchen, and addresses from past presidents and Alan Stephen, a retired member of the Canadian Forces who spoke about the Legion adjusting to the future.

"There's nothing specific that we're trying to press upon this time, but you never know. Once it hits the floor, we'll handle it," said Chad Wagner, the Legion Provincial Command Executive Director, "Generally, we'll start with the financials. Then we'll go into our reports, things we've done in the past two years, and what the expectation is in the next two years."

"The main objective for this convention is to actually elect the new council. It will be formulated at the end of the weekend, and when our new president is elected, he'll be able to give insight as to what his expectations are for all membership across the province."

He added that Estevan's Branch number 60 was among the branches to put in a bid to have the convention hosted in their location. They felt that it could be held here due to factors such as building size.

"Geographically, the location is a little challenging for some of our members from up north. However, we have to move it around the province to make it equitable for everybody. In Estevan, they have that 'can-do' attitude, and we wanted to make sure that we provided that opportunity for them to be successful here."

Not only were members from Saskatchewan's 169 Royal Canadian Legion branches in attendance, but representatives from other provinces and branches in the U.S as well.

The conference continues throughout the weekend and concludes Monday afternoon.