Sarnia Legion resignations follow trusteeship linked to executive standoff

Ontario Command says it appointed trustees after the branch executive indicated it would limit its involvement until Ron Realesmith, temporarily removed from office pending an investigation, was reinstated. Several executive members have since resigned.

John Surins has resigned as president of Sarnia’s Royal Canadian Legion Branch 62, with Cathy McBride stepping into the position as a series of executive departures deepens a leadership crisis under provincial trusteeship.

In correspondence received by The Sarnia Journal on November 5, Ontario Provincial Command Executive Director Pamela Sweeny said it was her understanding that three people, including Surins, had resigned the previous evening. She did not identify the other two. Longtime executive member and former president Les Jones had resigned earlier.

The latest departures follow Ontario Command’s October 14 decision to suspend the branch’s governing powers and appoint trustees. Provincial officials explicitly attributed that intervention to the administration and executive’s indicated intention to provide “minimal engagement until the reinstatement of the branch president.”

The dispute began in early October, when Ontario Command temporarily removed Ron Realesmith from the presidency and restricted his clubhouse privileges while a formal disciplinary complaint was investigated.

The measure was taken under Article III of the Legion’s General By-Laws. In an October 7 email to The Journal, Sweeny explained that provincial authorities can temporarily remove a branch president from office and restrict clubhouse privileges while a properly lodged complaint is considered. If the complaint is withdrawn or ultimately found unsubstantiated, the bylaws require reinstatement.

Sweeny confirmed that Surins, previously the branch’s first vice-president, had assumed the presidency. Realesmith’s temporary removal was not a finding of wrongdoing, and Ontario Command did not disclose the particulars of the complaint.

The following day, Jones publicly expressed support for Realesmith while assuring members and the community that branch operations would continue normally.

“I stand with Ron and look forward to working with him again in short order,” Jones wrote in a statement reported October 8 by Sarnia News Today.

Jones said the branch would await the investigation’s outcome while continuing its normal activities, including the poppy campaign, candlelight vigil and Remembrance Day ceremonies.

Six days later, Ontario Provincial President Lynn McClellan suspended Branch 62’s governing powers and appointed Mark Rogers, Gabriele Janka and Caroline Mayo as trustees.

The October 14 notice explained the decision:

“This action is being taken as the current administration/executive have identified minimal engagement until the reinstatement of the branch president. This is for the general welfare of the branch.”

The notice did not identify which officers supported that position, whether participation had already been curtailed or precisely which responsibilities would be affected. It established Ontario Command’s stated reason for intervention, but did not independently establish what individual executive members had agreed to do.

The trustees were appointed for up to 90 days, with their initial term scheduled to end January 12, 2027.

As The Journal reported October 21, existing officers were permitted to retain their positions but could exercise only the authority allowed by the trustees. Administration, staff direction and financial transactions came under trustee oversight, with expenditures requiring written approval.

In a November 5 interview with The Independent, Surins said a disagreement over contractor payments was the immediate reason for his resignation.

He said he had insisted that contractors should be paid and was threatened with disciplinary action as a result. Surins also said the trustees had not explained why the requested payments were being refused.

The Journal has not independently established which contracts or payments were involved, whether approval was formally denied or the trustees’ account of the dispute.

Surins offered a broader explanation of the leadership conflict in a lengthy statement published on Branch 62’s official Facebook page under the heading “Mass Resignation of Sarnia Legion Executive Committee.”

“During the last few weeks, Branch 62 has been in turmoil,” Surins wrote. “There are two opposing sides at a time we should be united as one team.”

He described a conference call during which Jones had asked provincial officials to postpone Realesmith’s temporary removal until after Remembrance Day, arguing that losing the president during the branch’s busiest period would disrupt operations.

Surins accused provincial officials of being rude and condescending during the discussion. He said their treatment prompted Jones to resign his executive position, ending more than a decade of involvement in branch leadership.

The statement also reflected deep divisions within the membership. Surins repeatedly characterized critics of the former leadership as “naysayers,” accused Ontario Command of favouring a small group of disgruntled members and said Article III complaints against himself and others contained exaggerations, fabrications and hearsay.

He defended the former executive’s record, saying he, Realesmith and Jones had helped rebuild a branch facing declining membership, financial difficulties and deteriorating facilities.

“Following years of hard work and fostering community relations, Branch 62 is now a viable business,” he wrote.

Surins credited the former leadership with increasing membership, improving the building and restoring financial stability. He also pointed to the success of the branch’s Catch the Ace lottery, which attracted widespread public attention and concluded in July with a grand prize exceeding $4.51 million. That figure represents the winner’s prize, not money retained by the branch.

Surins also questioned the process by which McBride assumed the presidency, arguing that she had not been elected to that position.

Sweeny’s November 5 correspondence confirmed that McBride, previously the branch’s third vice-president and lottery chair, had stepped into the presidency. The trustees continue to oversee Branch 62’s administration and finances.

The Article III proceedings involving Realesmith remain unresolved.

The leadership changes come as Branch 62 prepares for Remembrance Day during its centennial year.

In her November 5 correspondence, Sweeny said the effect of the resignations on the traditional candlelight vigil, parade and Remembrance Day services would depend on members volunteering to assist.

She encouraged those willing to help to contact the branch and offer their time, emphasizing its role as a veterans’ support organization.

“Many hands make light work,” she wrote.

The branch’s website continues to advertise the November 11 parade and cenotaph service. A November 6 notice from the City of Sarnia also identifies planned road closures for the November 10 candlelight vigil and November 11 parade.