Barbara Roden
Free Press
Rick Smale, the secretary of the executive committee of The Royal Canadian Legion Branch #260-100 Mile, would like everyone to know that the canteen is open, and a going concern, once more.
“We closed down at the end of July last year to reassess things. Financial difficulties had hit, and we had to step down and decide what to do,” says Smale.
“The feeling was that we should try to re-open and take measures to control our costs.”
The canteen re-opened in September, and now operates Wednesday through Saturday from 1 to 8 p.m.
He adds Thursday nights are busy with the Pool League and Texas Hold ’em poker, and Saturday’s meat draw (at 3 p.m.) is popular. However, Smale admits the branch – like many other Legion branches – is struggling.
“We’re basically a service club, which started off supporting veterans and their families. Now, we support youth, mainly through sports, and donate to the community. We try to be good citizens and benefit other organizations.”
The Royal Canadian Legion was founded in 1925 to help veterans of the First World War who wanted to be with people who understood what they’d been through. It remained popular through the Second World War and the Korean War, but for some reason, Smale says it doesn’t strike a chord with younger veterans.
“They deal with issues in other ways.”
That’s one of the reasons why membership in the Legion is now open to anyone, even if they are not veterans or serving members of the Armed Forces or RCMP. Membership is $52 for a full year.
Smale notes that it can be hard to get people to the canteen in winter, when road and weather conditions and night driving come into play.
“A lot of our members come from outlying areas.”
He adds finding enough volunteers to help operate the canteen is also difficult.
“No one has stepped forward to help with entertainment, which would help with the revenues.”
The newly elected executive was sworn in recently, and will be continually assessing the branch’s situation.
“We seem to be holding our own at the moment, which is encouraging. We’d encourage people to come out and see what we’re about. The Legion is very friendly, and there’s a lot of comradeship.”
Volunteers do not have to be members of the Legion. Anyone interested in membership can drop by when it’s open, or call 250-395-2511 for information.
“People should come out and enjoy the Legion atmosphere. People coming through, having a good time and enjoying themselves keep us going.”
