Are you looking for a challenge, first aid skills and perhaps some social interaction - we are welcoming youth from 6 - 18 years old and adults from 19 and up to join us. We meet Wednesday nights from 6pm - 8pm to learn about first aid, emergency preparedness for home and how to work as a team in demanding situations. We provide service for communities and helping us helps youth towards high school volunteer credits.
In St. John Ambulance, Divisions are identified two ways: all Divisions are assigned a number based on the date of formation of the Division. Our Division is 61c, meaning we were the 61st Division created in Canada. Division numbers can have one of two suffixes, or no suffix.
No suffix means the Division is a Patient Care Division, a Nursing Division, or a Therapy Dog Division. A suffix of "CD" or "C/D" means Combined Division, so one or more types of Division operate under the same leadership. A suffix of "C" means a Cadet Division. Some Cadet Divisions use a prefix of "Y" instead of a suffix.
No suffix means the Division is a Patient Care Division, a Nursing Division, or a Therapy Dog Division. A suffix of "CD" or "C/D" means Combined Division, so one or more types of Division operate under the same leadership. A suffix of "C" means a Cadet Division. Some Cadet Divisions use a prefix of "Y" instead of a suffix.
The second way Divisions are identified is by naming the Division in honour of an individual who was important to that Division in some way. There are three Divisions in Victoria, all named in honour of prominent Victorians:
So, that brings us to the question - who is Col. Michael Allen?
Michael Allen was born in Victoria in 1923, and passed in 2000. He joined Princess Mary's Canadian Scottish Regiment in 1944, was commissioned in 1950, and commanded the Regiment from 1962 to 1965.
Within St. John Ambulance, he was among the early leadership of our Cadet Division before becoming Chair of the Victoria Branch Executive Committee, as well as having uniformed roles as Provincial Commissioner for British Columbia / Yukon and later as Deputy National Commissioner for Canada.
For his efforts and support of St. John Ambulance across Canada, he was admitted to the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem as a Serving Brother (SBStJ) in 1971, promoted to Officer (OStJ) in 1975, promoted again to Commander (CStJ), and promoted and made a Knight of Grace (KStJ) in 1996.
We are grateful to Col. Allen for his time and efforts in the revitalization of St. John Ambulance volunteers in the late 1970s, and are honoured to have such a distinguished name attached to our Division.
- BGen David Coell Division 176 - Patient Care Division
- Col Michael Allen Division 61c - Cadet Division
- Adm Robert Yanow Division 1135 - Therapy Dog Division
So, that brings us to the question - who is Col. Michael Allen?
Michael Allen was born in Victoria in 1923, and passed in 2000. He joined Princess Mary's Canadian Scottish Regiment in 1944, was commissioned in 1950, and commanded the Regiment from 1962 to 1965.
Within St. John Ambulance, he was among the early leadership of our Cadet Division before becoming Chair of the Victoria Branch Executive Committee, as well as having uniformed roles as Provincial Commissioner for British Columbia / Yukon and later as Deputy National Commissioner for Canada.
For his efforts and support of St. John Ambulance across Canada, he was admitted to the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem as a Serving Brother (SBStJ) in 1971, promoted to Officer (OStJ) in 1975, promoted again to Commander (CStJ), and promoted and made a Knight of Grace (KStJ) in 1996.
We are grateful to Col. Allen for his time and efforts in the revitalization of St. John Ambulance volunteers in the late 1970s, and are honoured to have such a distinguished name attached to our Division.