A long-time member of the Weyburn Legion, Julian Goski, had an extensive collection of war movies and documentaries, as well as books.
Goski passed away in 2023 at the age of 85, and his family recently donated his collection to the Legion's Poppy Store Lending Library.
"Julian was very active in the branch for many years, so after his unfortunate passing, Julian wanted to make sure that a lot of his materials, tapes, books, etcetera are available for the public to understand a little bit more about the history of Canadian military and the Legion itself," shared Weyburn Legion Board Member Jerry Ponto.
"This gift from Julian was added to the library that we had, the small library that was donated by many veterans that have no longer able to make use of them or had no place to store them themselves."
Ponto said the items are able to be borrowed by anyone in the community, whether they are Legion members or not. This is done easily via a clipboard containing a sign-out sheet, located on one of the shelves at the Poppy Store, which is just at the left inside the front entrance of the Legion Lounge.
"There's no time restriction on it like the library, but you're more than welcome to list what you want, take it away with you, and then just sign it back in when you come back," he said. "It makes it easier for us to keep track of what's out there."
Not having a due date is especially helpful, he noted, due to the content of the books and DVDs being "a lot of information to grab and to absorb."
"With all things Legion, you do not have to be a member to come and take advantage of what we have to offer down here, but we certainly encourage you to come and take advantage of it, and I guess embrace some of the history and as well," Ponto invited. "There are all kinds of things available for sale in the Poppy Store, from caps to cups to mugs, golf balls, all kinds of little trinkets that people may want to have. It's not totally associated with Remembrance Day by any means. A lot of it is poppy-themed, needless to say, but there are other events that go on throughout the year. Decoration Day takes place in June and it's just another time when veterans are recognized by the branch locally."