The Gore-Niagara Sub-Commandery of the Canadian Commandery was established in 2017 to provide additional opportunities for members living west of Toronto to gather for social and fundraising events in the region.

Leading the Canadian Sub-Commandery of Gore-Niagara is  Captain the Chevalier Jason Burgoin KCJ, CD, FSA Scot.

Captain the Chevalier Jason Burgoin graduated from Huron University College at the University of Western Ontario in London, Canada, where he studied Globalization and Government. He was sworn into the Canadian Armed Forces in 2001, subsequently taking a commission as an Officer in the Canadian Army, and currently holds the rank of Captain. During his career he has had the opportunity to work in a multitude of positions in Windsor Ontario, ASU London, CFB Trenton, and is presently posted at CFB Borden at the Regional Cadet Support Unit (Central) as the J5 Plans Officer (CTC).

He is a member of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada and currently holds the office of National First Vice President and President of the Toronto Branch. He was honoured with the Society’s Meritorious Service Award (MSA) in 2019, and has been a long-standing editor of Hogtown Heraldry, the quarterly newsletter of the Toronto Branch. He is a Past Worshipful Master of Dufferin Lodge No. 291, West Flambourgh, Ontario, and is a member of the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of Canada.

Captain the Chevalier Jason Burgoin has worked with St. John Ambulance in a number of roles at the Branch level for the past decided and currently sits as the Honours & Awards Chair for the Hamilton Branch.

The Gore-Niagara Sub-Commandery is host to the very popular annual Trafalgar Night Dinner, held in Hamilton. This traditional dinner celebrates the life and career of Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, hero of Trafalgar and Knight Grand Cross of The Order of Saint Joachim. A Trafalgar Night dinner is steeped in tradition and is celebrated in Royal Navy Mess Decks and Wardrooms throughout the Commonwealth and on Royal Naval vessels serving overseas.

The evening itself follows a of traditions, including a toast to HM The Queen , which true to Naval tradition, is performed sitting down, as well as a toast to the “immortal memory of Admiral Lord Nelson”. Toasting at Trafalgar Night is always done with port, which is passed around by table hosts who take great care to pass Port in a clockwise manner and ensuring to pour for ladies first. The Sub-Commandery’s Trafalgar Dinner has added the tradition of a spirited trivia contest, pitting one side of the long table against the other in their knowledge of Nelson’s life and career.

The Trafalgar Night Dinner is also a fundraising event for the Canadian Commandery, where anonymous donations can be made, accompanied by the ringing of a bell and a cheer of “Huzzah!” from the assembled members and guests. Several thousand dollars are raised at the dinner through the generosity of Order members.

The Sub-Commandery also hosts several casual pub nights throughout the year to bring members together in a relaxed social setting.

Captain the Chevalier Jason Burgoin KCJ, CD, FSA Scot., can be reached at burgoin@stjoachimorder.org.