FAQ’s About the Legion
Currently serving and retired Canadian Armed Forces, RCMP members, their spouse, children and grandchildren of Veterans can all be Members.
Membership is open to Canadian citizens, Commonwealth subjects or non-Canadian citizens/non-Commonwealth subjects from an Allied Country.
For the purposes of membership, age of majority shall be the Federal voting age.
We also welcome those without military affiliation who support Canada’s Veterans.
Through WestJet, all currently serving CAF members and Veterans can check four pieces of luggage free of charge.
Through Air Canada, all currently serving CAF members and Veterans can check three pieces of luggage, each weighing up to 32 kg (70 lb.), free of charge.
To have your baggage fee waived, see an airport agent after you check in and present your military identification. There are several acceptable forms of Canadian military identification:
- CAF or Veteran CFOne Card (with photo identification)
- DND ID card for National Defense (NDI 20)
- Record of Service Card (NDI 75)
- Discharge Certificate from any branch of the Canadian Military
- Statement of Service from any branch of the Canadian Military
- Certificate of Service (CF54 or CF75) from any branch of the Canadian Military
- Valid DND Temporary ID card (NDI 10)
Air Canada also accepts any Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) Benefit Card as acceptable identification.
Please note that these offers do not extend to current and former members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
If you have any questions about your eligibility, be sure to contact the airline prior to booking.
No, our Command does not have this service in place.
Our services are offered free-of-charge to all Veterans, RCMP and their families regardless of whether or not they are members of the Legion.
The Legion’s Command Service Officers have training in the disability claims process and are empowered by a Memorandum of Understanding.
The Command Service Officer can offer advice and representation to any Veteran seeking benefits through Veterans Affairs Canada.
Or you can speak with a Service Officer at your local Legion Branch for a referral to a Command Service Officer.
All proceeds, received through donations, are placed in trust to be used in support of Veterans and their dependants. Through these Poppy Fund donations, the Legion provides emergency financial assistance to Veterans and their families who are in distress.
Poppy Trust Funds are to assist Veteran defined as:
Any person who is serving or who has honourably served in the Canadian Armed Forces, the Commonwealth or its wartime allies, or as a regular member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, or as a Peace Officer in a special duty area or on a special duty operation, or who has served in the Merchant Navy or Ferry Command during wartime and their families.
Please note: A financial means-test will be conducted, and you may be asked to provide substantiating documents such as a proof-of-service document, a recent tax assessment, and a quote or invoice for service or an item you need. Further documentation may be requested.
The Poppy is placed on the left lapel, over your heart and can be worn year-round.
Text-to-Donate FAQ’s
The Calgary Poppy Fund is using the services of another charity, The Mobile Giving Foundation (MGFC), to enable us to offer the convenience of mobile giving to our donors during Remembrance. MGFC does not receive any of the funds from your donation. However, you will receive your tax receipt from MGFC. Your donation is charged to your cellphone bill. Other questions you may have are answered below.
The Mobile Giving Foundation Canada (MGFC) is a non-profit public foundation and a registered charity, (Business/Registration Number 849455662 RR0001), whose purpose is to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of other registered charities in Canada, by providing a mobile technology platform for charitable donations. The mobile platform allows mobile users to make a one-time donation to a registered charity via their mobile device and have the convenience of the donation appear on their monthly wireless phone bill. In order to accomplish this, the Mobile Giving Foundation Canada has partnered with the Canadian wireless operators and the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association, as well as the Mobile Giving Foundation US. MGFC actively contributes towards the ongoing growth and application of this mobile technology to increase public awareness, promote the act of permissive giving and maintain a cost effective means, by which charitable organizations can broaden their existing donor base.
- Validates applicant charitable status and eligibility.
- Controls standardized message scripts.
- Provisions and tests campaign keywords.
- Tracks and reports donations.
- Consolidates individual carrier payments.
- Enables the issuance of official tax receipts to mobile donors.
- Provides support to all MGFC stakeholders.
- Conducts research, educates, promotes and builds awareness about the mobile giving channel.
Builds and enhances messaging platform capabilities, to expand the uses of the MGFC channel beyond one time donations, to increase the applicable uses of the channel for engagement and stewardship purposes.
SMS stands for Short Message Service, commonly known as text messaging. Text messaging is a feature available on almost all of today’s mobile devices. This feature allows short messages, up to 136 characters in length including spaces, to be transmitted to and from mobile devices.
Mobile giving encompasses the concepts of text messaging, using a short code, a keyword, and a call to action. Mobile giving can be described as the act of donating money to a registered charity through one’s mobile device via text messaging. Mobile giving is often referred to as “text-to-donate”.
No. All text messages that are required to initiate and confirm the donation are free. There are no standard rate text message fees associated with text messages sent to or received from the mobile giving short codes throughout the donation process. The only fee incurred by the mobile user is the dollar amount of the donation itself ($5, $10, $20, or $25). A mobile user may donate up to $30 per short code per 30 consecutive days.
After completing the necessary steps required to confirm a donation through text message, the charge(s) will appear on the donor’s next wireless bill/invoice statement.
All donations made via text message are charged to the donor’s wireless bill. The wireless operators remit all donations that have been collected, on a monthly basis, to the Mobile Giving Foundation Canada, which in turn remits these funds directly to the respective charities.
Official tax receipts can be obtained by visiting https://www.mobilegiving.ca/tax-receipt/. Please note that one must be in possession of the mobile device used to process the donation(s) in order to obtain an official tax receipt.
No. The wireless operators do not receive any portion of donations made through text messaging.
Currently, this service is available through the following wireless operators: Bell, Eastlink, Fido, Koodo Mobile, MTS, Rogers, Solo Mobile, TELUS, Videotron, Virgin Mobile, and WIND Mobile.
For any questions related to mobile giving in Canada, please send enquiries to support@mobilegiving.ca. If you have questions for the Alberta and NWT Legion Command, please contact info@calgarypoppy.ca.
Quick Response (QR) Code Donate FAQ’s
The CBPF is utilizing the ease of QR codes to connect people to a donation page where they can donate to the fund via Credit Card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
No. There is no cost to use/scan a QR code and most smartphone models have scanning ability built right into the camera feature. Alternatively, many free scanning apps can be downloaded directly to the device.
The donation will be charged to the account that the user selects to donate from, ie: Credit Card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Fees associated with those pay accounts will apply.
CBPF has a Stripe account. The funds are remitted from your chosen payment method, such as your Credit Card, via Stripe to the registered charity bank account.
Donations enable us to improve conditions for Veterans. Poppy Funds are held in trust by The Royal Canadian Legion. All funds are used in strict accordance with the Poppy Manual and General By-Laws. We are a registered charity in Canada #10683-0961-RR01. If you would like to receive a tax receipt, please contact accounting@calgarypoppy.ca.
Only to the charity, not to the donor. To offer a secure experience for donors, the CBPF processes payment through a 3rd-party digital payment processing merchant account. CBPF pays a “per transaction percentage” (2.2% for non-Amex + $0.30 | 3.5% + $0.30 for Amex) to utilize this service and leverage its advanced security features.
