Although the North Burnaby Legion closed its doors earlier this year, the president is still braving the cold every week by selling off parts of the old bar – just to make sure his club survives.
With the building that houses the Burnaby Heights Legion Branch No. 148 going through redevelopment, president Dave Taylor is doing what he can to make sure his club will still have funds to last the next few years.
Redevelopment was the only option for the beleaguered legion because it suffered financially due to changes to B.C.’s smoking and drinking laws, and increasing property taxes. The branch, established in 1937, is expected to move into the western portion of the new four-storey development. The Legion is putting up the land as its part of the deal.
Since closing in January, Taylor stays at the Legion four days a week for its garage-type sale.
“I started bringing everything out that we’ve accumulated over 77 years,” he told the Burnaby NOW. “And bits and pieces of the building I took out, pool tables – just basically what we couldn’t afford to store because we’ll be closed for a couple of years and storage isn’t cheap.”
Most of the memorabilia is in storage, but Taylor said he’s selling some of it as it’s one of the only ways his Legion branch can make money at this point.
“I’ve been doing what I can to raise funds,” he said. “I’ve been selling off everything we don’t need, and that money will be used for anything to tide us over. Our expenses have also gone to nothing. There isn’t a lot of expense anymore because we’re not operating the building.”
Taylor cancelled the building’s heat and electricity, which means he’s at the Legion four days a week in the bitter cold trying to raise money.
“Now it’s chilly to sit here,” he added. “Sometimes we go outside and it gets warmer.”
Despite the roadblocks, the Legion is continuing its poppy campaign this year, according to Taylor. There are collection cans in various businesses up and down the Burnaby Heights neighbourhood.
“The only thing we can do here, basically, is with our poppy campaign,” he said. “The money we raise from them can help different organizations that look after veterans.
“There’s a lot going on. There’s nothing I should dwell on. When the need arises, we help out.”
Taylor said the organization helps make sure Canada’s veterans are taken care of.
“We have to make sure they (federal government) look after veterans still,” he noted. “Civilian command isn’t very involved in making sure the federal government looks after older veterans and newer ones coming back from some of these conflicts – especially in Afghanistan. We run programs to help them.”
Taylor said the Legion is important to keep around, ensuring that veterans and friends of veterans have a place to go.
“I would rather keep this one,” he said. “Unfortunately that wasn’t an option. So, we’ll have a new building.”
Membership applications and renewals are still rolling in, Taylor says the Legion keeps going because of a core group of volunteers.
“Membership fluctuates,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how many you have. We have a core bunch of people that are still keeping this going, and that’s what you need. We have lots of volunteers when we need something. It’s an ongoing deal. I retired two years ago, and I don’t see home much because I’m here all the time doing something.”
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