Roch Voisine and George Stroumboulopoulos voice 100 years of Royal Canadian Legion history

Short doc features iconic voices of Canadian singer, Canadian broadcaster

OTTAWA, Ontario, Oct. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A short documentary officially released today reflects the story of The Royal Canadian Legion’s 100-year journey, from its early roots to its ongoing mission a century later. The highly recognizable voices of two stars: Canadian singer Roch Voisine and Canadian broadcaster George Stroumboulopoulos add a unique backdrop, weaving their vocal talent into a documentary that shares facts that many Canadians do not know, and imagery they have not seen.

Both men were pleased to take part in a project connected to the mission of helping our country’s Veterans. “I think it’s important,” says Voisine. “We’re very lucky to live in this country, and people had to pay the price for this…if these brave men and women hadn’t been there, we would probably live in a different world, I think we have to remember this,” he shares. “For me, it was a way to say thanks…these people are important and we have to take care of them. I’m glad I did it.” He says it was interesting and informative to learn about the Legion’s past, who was behind it, and how it came to be.

“It’s a privilege as a storyteller to be able to connect to meaningful things,” says Stroumboulopoulos. “I absolutely wanted to be part of this, because it’s important history that we can’t forget.” He shares how when he was very young, his mom would have him visit a senior citizens’ home to learn about their lives; many of them were Veterans from the Second World War. “They would just tell me stories,” he recalls. “And for sure it had an impact on me.” He also spent a lot of time in Legion branches in the past, talking to older people. “They (branches) feel like important parts of the community,” he describes.

The two artists’ voices lend a special tone to the Legion’s documentary, with their own personal histories also a part of Canada’s fabric forever.

“There is something very special about this,” says Legion Dominion President Sharon McKeown. “To have these two incredible artists telling our story is so fitting, given their own contributions to Canada. We are honoured they shared their talent with us.”

The video story recounts the organization’s early history, which is anchored in being the very first major source of support for Veterans in Canada, having coalesced in the wake of the First World War. The documentary is also a window into Canada’s own past, reminding us of our military history and bravery, with glimpses into the decisions and actions that helped shape our country and its people.

Many Canadians have families with direct connections to Canada’s military past and present – including Voisine whose family and friends have served, some in Afghanistan. Stroumboulopoulos’ himself joined the reserves as a teen and stayed for six months, where he gained a greater understanding of military life. Both men feel Canada’s Veterans are deserving of much more recognition and support for their commitment to our country. They describe a void in caring that bothers them both, tangibly.

Through the documentary, viewers and listeners learn how the Legion sparked the establishment of hospitals dedicated to Veteran injuries; how it chartered massive steamships to ensure many Veterans could get to the unveiling of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France; and how Canada’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier came to be. It illustrates the Legion’s early advocacy efforts on behalf of our country’s Veterans, showing how it set the stage for the breadth of ongoing work it does today. Not only to support Veterans and their families, but to promote Remembrance, and serve communities.

View the history of The Royal Canadian Legion documentary in English
View the history of The Royal Canadian Legion documentary in French

As for both artists, they are on to new adventures.

Recently inducted into the Canadian Songwriter’s Hall of Fame - an event where incidentally both men met for the first time - Voisine’s journey is coming full circle. With his early days spent singing just for the fun of it and as a way to quietly express himself – with singer Gordon Lightfoot as an early muse – he is about to set out on a tour that was perhaps destined to be: singing his own versions of the celebrated Canadian songster’s music.

“It’s called The Lightfoot Sessions,” says Voisine, who has just finished recording songs based on Lightfoot’s music. The tour begins in early November and will also include some of Voisine’s own music – creating a blend, and putting his own touch on some of the arrangements – for example the addition of a fiddle. “It’s really fun to do!” he expresses. “It’s really acoustic, it’s really light.”

Similarly, Stroumboulopoulos’ life continues to unfold in ways he could not have predicted, as a young man figuring out what he wanted to do with his energy. Among many projects, he’s releasing a documentary where he traveled the country talking about Canadian film and television and is launching a new interview series with Canadian filmmakers. He is also completing a significant charitable work, including with the UN World Food Programme.

In a creative media line of work, “it’s your responsibility to do really neat stuff,” Stroumboulopoulos shares. “And to push boundaries with people, not to get them to change because that’s their responsibility, but to present them with ideas.” He sees connecting people with each other and with challenging ideas, as his role. “That’s the role I want to take,” he asserts.

As for the Legion and Veterans, Stroumboulopoulos shares a final sentiment; he believes this is a chance for all Canadians to give the wider picture more thought: “This is about who we are, how we are, and what responsibility we believe we have for somebody else…This is about mutual aid, this is about community…this is about all the groups of people in this country who should not feel abandoned.”

The short history documentary is the latest is a series of Legion centenary projects and events unveiled throughout 2026.

— Artists’ views as relayed to Nujma Bond

Original format video available to media upon request.

About The Royal Canadian Legion
Established in 1926, the Legion is Canada’s largest Veteran support and community service organization. We are a non-profit organization with a national reach across Canada as well as branches in the U.S. and Europe. With over 300,000 members, many of whom volunteer an extraordinary amount of time to their branches, our strength is in our numbers.

National Public Relations / Media Inquiries: PublicRelations@Legion.ca/ 343-540-7604 - Nujma Bond
Legion.ca
Facebook.com/CanadianLegion
Twitter.com/RoyalCdnLegion
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youtube.com/user/RCLDominionCommand
Linkedin.com/company/royalcanadianlegion

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

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