In 1949, the Canadian military decided that it would be "wholly responsible for the control, supervision and distribution of welfare facilities abroad, afloat and within fixed service installations in Canada." Accordingly, the military organized its own small auxiliary and welfare units for service during the Korean War (1950-1953).

With the onset of the ‘Cold War’, the Salvation Army continued its role as a familiar friend to Canada’s military forces. This was not without initial opposition from some Canadian military officials who believed that if the SA was allowed to set up an official auxiliary service, other organizations would demand similar privileges at a time when there was no perceived need for their services.

In 1952, the first two Salvation Army officials, Captain and Mrs. A. Hopkinson, arrived in Germany to open a ‘Canadian’ hostel and snack bar for the thousands of Canadians stationed alongside British forces near Hanover with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces.

In 1954, Canadian forces moved 250 kilometres southwest to Soest, and the Hopkinsons’ moved with them, opening up a Red Shield lounge on their own initiative. The overwhelming popularity of the lounge obliged skeptical Canadian military officials to sanction formally the Salvation Army’s presence.

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