Members of 99-year-old Halifax legion want answers as branch set to close

Members of one of the oldest Royal Canadian Legion branches in Nova Scotia say they’re not being given a chance to try to keep their branch open.

Executives with Vimy Branch 27 in north-end Halifax were told at a meeting last month with the Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command, which is in charge of legions in the province, that the branch was closing for financial reasons.

“There was no due process, no nothing for the members, and they've been slighted and left in the dark,” said Gwen Hayden, the branch’s longtime secretary.

The branch, which opened in 1927, has been struggling financially since it lost its lottery licence last year after its former vice-president pocketed more than $25,000 from Chase the Ace draws.

Hayden said staff have been doing their best to get fundraising back to normal by hosting other events but losing the licence was a big blow.

“Chase the Ace was our big money-maker. Every Friday we'd have the draw and when we lost that, that was a lot of our income,” she said.

Plan to get back on track

The branch, which has about 350 members, was closed for about three months last year when the province’s gaming authority investigated the Chase the Ace draws.

Hayden said a board that was put in place by the Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command to oversee the operations of the branch when it reopened has left staff and members out of the loop about their future.

“None of us has been able to do our jobs since they came and took over,” she said.

Since it reopened, the branch hasn’t held monthly meetings in which members are updated and vote on operations, she said.

The executive team presented a business plan to Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command for how the branch would raise more money going forward, Hayden said, but they haven’t received a response.

“They haven't even looked at it,” she said.

Some members of the legion have retained a lawyer who has sent a letter to Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command stating legal action will be taken if the branch is closed.

“If a unilateral decision has been made to shut down this branch, that has been decided without appropriate investigation, consultation, warning or other tenet of procedural fairness,” the letter said.

‘Legions are the heart of any community’

Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command declined an interview request.

In an email, executive director Carrie Hogan said they appreciate the members and volunteers of the branch.

“Vimy Branch 27 has a proud and longstanding history of service,” Hogan said.

Leslie Coyle has directly benefited from the legion’s service.

Coyle, who has been going to the legion for 30 years, said members supported her when she was involved in a car accident several years ago.

“Legions are the heart of any community and the people are what makes it the best,” she said.

She said the actions of former executives shouldn’t punish all the veterans and non-serving members who rely on the legion for a source of community and support.

“We've had a couple of, sort of, bad eggs,” Coyle said. "But I feel that one bad egg doesn't spoil the bunch.”

MORE TOP STORIES