Legion settles in to new home

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This article was published 13/02/2021 (1461 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Leaders of the Royal Canadian Legion in Steinbach say Branch No. 190’s smaller footprint will enable it to have a bigger impact on the community.

The branch recently completed its move to #5-227 Main Street from its longtime home at 294 Lumber Avenue.

Members of the branch’s executive committee spent the past couple weeks unpacking boxes and hanging up memorabilia in the new space, which consists of a meeting room and back office.

“We want to get back into the community,” branch president Audrey Harder said.

The branch was established in 1946. Construction on the hall began in 1986. The branch moved in the following year.

In 2015, members voted to sell the building and sign a five-year lease that expired at the end of last year. Harder said utility bills and upkeep costs at the old hall continued to be untenable under the new arrangement.

“We were so focused on them that we didn’t have time for other things.”

A year ago, members unanimously agreed to find a more affordable space elsewhere. A relocation committee settled on the Main Street commercial suite, which has parking out the front and back of the building.

The rent in the new location is equal to the electricity bill in the old hall, Harder said.

“All our funds essentially went into keeping a roof over our heads over there,” Bill Richards, branch vice-president, said.

“Now we’re small, but I think that we’ll be out there more.”

Tables, chairs, and kitchen equipment were sold off over the past few months. Harder said they will display as much memorabilia as possible at the new location. Some items were offered to Mennonite Heritage Village for inclusion in the museum’s upcoming exhibit, “Mennonites at War.”

“The important thing for us is keeping the memorabilia,” she said.

It wasn’t easy to leave the old hall and all the memories made there. But Harder said members are energized by the financial sustainability that the move represents.

Richards said the branch has about four dozen paid members. No Second World War veterans are left, but membership renewals are holding steady during the pandemic. He expects the branch’s newfound sustainability will make it more appealing to prospective members.

For now, the office is closed and meetings are suspended owing to the pandemic. Members usually meet monthly for a general meeting but gathering restrictions have prevented that since October.

Harder and Richards are already looking forward to devoting more energy to community projects. Richards said they’d like to host a community barbecue this summer, pandemic permitting.

When the pandemic subsides, they hope the new location will function as a drop-in centre where members can meet for cards, conversation, and coffee. They also hope to rent the space to local support groups.