A series of townhall meetings meant to engage Saskatchewan residents about Western independence has been disrupted by the Royal Canadian Legion’s national office by cancelling eight of the event venues. Unified Grassroots (UG), the group behind the events, says Legion branches across the province were told on Monday to cancel the bookings. UG’s first event in Saskatoon raised over $5,000 and over 200 people showed up to the event at Praireland.The Legion halls had been reserved for June events aimed at explaining how democratic tools such as plebiscites and party nominations work.“As a former RCMP officer, former army reservist, I find this decision deeply disturbing,” said UG President Nadine Ness, a former RCMP officer and army reservist. “Veterans didn’t serve to protect authoritarianism and censorship, we served to protect freedom and democracy. Cancelling democratic events at the very halls built to honour that service is a betrayal of the Legion’s own mission.”.“Is this the East silencing the West, again?” said Ness. “Because when buildings raised to honour freedom are used to block it, Canada has a serious problem.”Ness called the forums non-partisan lessons on Saskatchewan history, constitutional rights, and the West’s feeling of exclusion within Confederation. She insisted the evenings were not rallies for a new political party but open discussions on how citizens can shape policy from the ground up.The Legion’s national office has not publicly explained its reasoning for cancelling the events and did not respond to the Western Standard’s questions.Local Legion officials told UG they were following a top-down directive, according to Ness. .UG is asking the Legion to reverse the decision, respect branch autonomy, and rewrite its bylaws to protect community events that promote democracy. “If the Legion truly exists to serve veterans and communities, then it should welcome and celebrate conversations like these, not shut them down,” said Ness. “We are asking them, respectfully but firmly, to reconsider.”UG also wants answers on what policy allows the Legion to block what it calls “peaceful, educational” gatherings.Ness said her group will look for other venues and plans to hold the town halls even if it must move them to community centres or churches.“We are not going away,” said Ness. “We will not be silenced.”
