The Okotoks Legion will soon be celebrating 10 years in the community, and while they've made an impact on the community during that time, they've had to do so without a base of operations.
Mandy Barker, Secretary of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #291 Okotoks, says that despite having a sizable and active membership base, they don't have a building to call their own.
“We got our charter in October of 2014 as the first new Legion in Canada in 33 years. That was partly because most of the legions nowadays with dwindling numbers are closing, but here in Okotoks, we have a large number of veterans. We currently have a membership of 190 plus.”
With the Okotoks branch being a fairly young one, it didn't have the same means of acquiring its own headquarters.
“The issue is that in the days when the men came home from the war, towns would give them a small building and they would grow over years. Unfortunately, our Legion started in 2014 when buildings were already a ridiculous amount of money and getting a building is extremely expensive now. Towns can’t afford to give us a building like that.”
On top of being a venue to conduct Legion business, it would also serve as a communal space for veterans to gather with others with whom they can relate.
Barker says the Legion has lost a fair few members because of it.
“We know for sure that we’ve lost at least 75 veterans that have come and said ‘We need a building, we’ll come back when there’s a building,’ because they want the comradery that comes with us being together and enjoying each other’s company in the same way that we always did int he forces. It’s more important than we know until we don’t have it.”
Barker explains that a dedicated space for veterans is extremely beneficial and often vital.
“We’re looking for about 3 to 4 thousand square feet at this point. We just need a place where we can go where there’s a bar, and a kitchen, and rooms where the guys can go off and be in a quiet room if they need to, or if they need to meet with a counsellor. We just need a place to go where we can just be together and do what we need to keep ourselves level.”
The building would also serve as a local hub, as Legion buildings often do in their respective communities.
Barker says the Okotoks Legion has raised over $400,000 for community groups and causes over the last 10 years, and that a home for the group would go a long way in furthering that work.
She estimates a building of that sort would cost the Legion around $800,000.
They have been fundraising at a few dedicated events, but it’s made more difficult by the fact that the Legion’s Poppy Fund cannot be used to pay for a building, and Legions are only permitted to hold online fundraisers for the Poppy Fund.
Barker is inviting anyone who has any ideas for a location or for potential fundraising opportunities to contact the Legion at okotoks.legion@gmail.com