The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada became a unit of the Active Militia of Canada by a General Order issued on April 26, 1860. They are allied with the Buffs, an East Kent Regiment in England. Active service for the Queen's Own Rifles commenced on Christmas Eve in 1864. Two companies were ordered to the Frontier (now the Canadian/United States border) in consequence of St. Alban's raid. In 1866 the Regiment received its baptism of fire at the Battle of Ridgeway. It also fought in the Red River Rebellion in 1870 and the Second Northwest Rebellion in 1885.On October 25, 1899 the Toronto quota of the first Canadian Contingent to the Boer War was despatched to the Front. In that group of men were a number of the Queen's Own Rifles. During World War I, 205 officers and 8 104 other ranks were sent from the Queen's Own Rifles before the enforcement of the Military Service Act. On February 3, 1923 the Queen's Own Association was established out of the Queen's Own Rifles Ex-Members Association which had been formed October 10, 1916 to assist, in the form of food and clothing, the men who were prisoners of war in Germany. It was also formed to consolidate and foster a strong sentiment of fraternity and good-will among the ex-members of the Regiment. At the 1923 meeting of the Association it was decided to allow members of the entire regiment to participate and not just ex-members. The objective of the new association was to bring together all men who had been, at one time or another, connected with the Regiment.