'Help save us': 95-year-old North Vancouver Legion fights to survive $345,000 strata bill

The North Vancouver institution says it is evolving with the times, but unexpected financial demands have put it in a precarious position.

Inside Royal Canadian Legion Branch 118, volunteers bustle between tables, cadets greet visitors and locals stop in for a drink, a game of bingo or an evening of karaoke. But a hefty repair bill now threatens its future. The Legion has been assessed $345,594 by its strata corporation to pay for essential building envelope and parking slab repairs, with payment due Dec. 1.

While the Legion can cover its day-to-day operating costs through its bar revenue, president Eva Hinchliffe said the unexpected levy is well beyond the branch’s financial means. For decades, Branch 118 has been more than just a place to gather. Its members help veterans and their families access benefits, medical support and other resources, and pitch in by driving seniors to appointments, helping with moves and lending a hand to people in the community who need it.

“This Legion is like a large family,” Hinchliffe said. “Anyone who needs help can just ask, and our members will step in to help.” The Legion also raises money throughout the year to support causes beyond its own walls.

Through its annual “poppy campaign”, gaming proceeds and fundraising, it supports veterans’ programs, cadets, the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation and other North Shore organizations. Hinchliffe said the branch has raised nearly $1.6 million for charity since 2010. The strata assessment was approved at a May 7 meeting after a depreciation report identified major repairs required to the building.

Hinchliffe said the Legion’s share of the cost was calculated based on the square footage it owns within the strata. Wynford Group, which manages the building, did not return a request for a comment on the strata’s assessment. As of Friday, the Legion had raised about $22,000 through online donations, cheques, cash and bank deposits.

But the first of two instalments, a $175,000 payment, is due Sept. 1, leaving the branch with less than two months to raise the money. Having moved through various locations over the years, the Legion sold its former property at 123 West 15th St. and later became part of the site’s 16-storey mixed-use strata redevelopment, which includes the Legion hall, residential units and commercial space. “We’ve had a lot of homes,” Hinchliffe said.

The branch currently has about 750 members and has welcomed newcomers through events such as trivia nights, while cadets regularly visit to learn about the Legion and connect with veterans. The Royal Canadian Legion was created from a long history of veterans advocating for support after the First World War. It now operates branches across Canada, providing veterans’ services, Remembrance programs and community support.

Branch 118’s fight to remain open comes as other Legions across B.C. face similar pressures, such as aging buildings and declining membership. In May, the Port Hardy Legion Branch 237 closed, citing a lack of volunteers to keep the place running. For Hinchliffe, the Legion’s mission is personal.

Her grandfather was a First World War veteran who joined the branch after coming home. “He came here because he knew he would feel safe and talk to people who understood what he’d been through.” Now, Hinchliffe hopes that same sense of belonging can carry on for generations to come.