Pandemic nearly shutters 3 Royal Canadian Legion branches in Alberta
CTV
The COVID-19 pandemic took a massive toll on the 161 Royal Canadian Legion branches in Alberta, with three of them nearly being forced to close forever.
The COVID-19 pandemic took a massive toll on the 161 Royal Canadian Legion branches in Alberta, with three of them nearly being forced to close forever.
Public health restrictions cut off all major sources of revenue for legion branches as they could not rent out their spaces for events, open their canteens and bars, nor host sport programs.
This time last year, the Kingsway legion branch worried its lights would go out forever.
“We had bills to pay whether we were open or not,” said Bill Fecteau, Kingsway legion branch president.
“We were so bad that we actually had to contemplate selling the building,” he added. “It was that bad.”
According to John Mahon, Royal Canadian Legion Alberta-Northwest Territories command president, 19 branches were particularly struggling, with three of them thinking they would not make it through the pandemic.
“The other 16 were thinking if this goes on too long without revenue or without the government stepping in or without us (as legion command) stepping in, those 16 would have joined those three,” Mahon told CTV News.
