Breakfasts and barbeques… and a Sportsnet focus on Legion work

OTTAWA, ON, 2 July 2024 – Royal Canadian Legion Branches across the country once again held special July 1^st celebrations this year, inviting their communities in for events like breakfasts and barbeques.

Ontario Branch 344 in Toronto held an inaugural free breakfast serving the works such as eggs, sausages, fruits, and fixings. Community members who stopped by included several area police officers from Toronto’s 14 division who are not only great community supporters of the branch, they’re always ready to lend a hand.

“We just have to pick up the phone,” says Mary Keates, Branch President. “They’re Legion members, I have nothing but good to say and I adore them,” she says.

Through a great partnership, Sportsnet radio 590 The Fan Morning Show with Ben Ennis and Brent Gunning broadcast live from branch 344’s patio overlooking Lake Ontario, peppering the show with promotions not only about the July 1st events, but with facts about the Legion. Legion national spokesperson Nujma Bond had a chance for a sit-down interview to talk about significant provincial and national initiatives, from the Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships, to Ontario Command’s Operation Service Dog – and – how Legion Service Officers across the country are there to help all Veterans.

Ontario Command First Vice President Lynn McClellan stopped by for the morning breakfast and says he was honoured to visit the Queen’s Own Rifles branch.

“Thanks to all for the genuine hospitality and opportunity to visit and I look forward to returning in the near future,” he says. “Also, my thanks to the hundreds of Legion Branches across Canada who provided so many activities for their members and their communities. What a great way to celebrate our history.”

A later day barbeque and entertainment by a local band of great musicians also featured picturesque patio views and great food, a 50-50 draw that brought in over $700.00 with half going to the winner – fittingly – a local Korean War Veteran. Sportsnet also donated a pair of tickets to a Toronto Blue Jays game, a Jays Jersey, and a Jays hat, and those will be given away at a future branch event.

Guest speakers included local MP the Honourable Arif Virani, also Canada’s Minister of Justice and Attorney General, as well as the branch padre, alongside piper and branch member Michael MacDonald clad in a full kilt.

At Toronto’s branch 344, the day to celebrate Canada was also a day to celebrate the Legion and its mission.

“It was an outstanding day,” says Keates. “My heart was singing. We even welcomed four or five new members. I’m just so happy, happy, happy.”

About The Royal Canadian Legion

Founded in 1925, the Legion is Canada’s largest Veteran support and community service organization. We are a non-profit organization with a national reach across Canada as well as branches in the U.S. and Europe. With 250,000 members, many of whom volunteer an extraordinary amount of time to their branches, our strength is in our numbers.

National Public Relations / Media Inquiries: PublicRelations@Legion.ca/ 343-540-7604 – Nujma Bond

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Finally! Our Grand Opening.

The full story is on our News page and includes the photos. Needless to say the weather forecast of “heavy downours” right when all the ceremonies started turned out to be wrong and we had beaufiful sunshine. All good.

At long last we have finally found our new location! We are moving to the former Shriners Club at 51 Hyland Avenue. Huge thanks to the Relocation Committee, Realtor Jamie Troke and Mike Stevens, who graciously offered the branch a five year lease for free! 

This was the article published in the Quinte News:

Royal Canadian Legion Branch 99 confirmed it is moving to the old Shrine Club building.

A press conference was held Tuesday at the building located on Highland Avenue announcing the details of the move.

Chair of the relocation committee for the branch, Mike Benson, says the deal was put together thanks to the efforts of realtor Jamie Troke and property owner Mike Stevens.

“(Troke) advocated with (Stevens), which I am told did not take much convincing because Mike is very community oriented and supports the Legion. He knows we could not afford the asking price. As well, Jamie waived all his realtor fees for Branch 99 to be able to do this tonight,” Benson said.

The new agreement is a five-year lease where the Legion will not have to pay rent but will be responsible for the utilities and maintenance of the building.

Renovations and upgrades to the building’s interior will be underway as of Wednesday.

“It’s going to get a fresh paint job, probably new carpeting, new lighting. We’re going to make it our home,” Benson told media.

“We’re here for roughly five years until we’ve secured something else, the same as Shriners did, or build our own.”

No changes will be done to the exterior of the building.

With the move to the new location come some costs.

Benson says there will be some changes to pricing for some elements of the Legion branch.

“The Legion has been known for a lot of free pool tables, shuffleboard, stuff like that. It’s going to change,” Benson told media.

“If you want to play pool, you’re going to rent the balls just like you would downtown at the arcade. You’re going to pay $10 an hour or whatever the going rate is. Beer prices are a topic at our executive meetings. We’d want to stay in comparison to other places in the city. Right now, that’s not changing. Could it change in the future? Inflation changes every thing.”

Downstairs bar at the new location for the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 99. October 17, 2023. (Photo: Zach McGibbon/Quinte News)

132 Pinnacle Street had been the location for the legion since 1971.

The City of Belleville had given the branch until December 31 to find a new location as development continues in the Memorial Arena area, including at 132 Pinnacle Street.

“The way they explained to me is the building has to be torn down and make room for parking, like for delivery parking for the Memorial Arena. That’s my understanding on it,” Benson said.

With the renovations ongoing, there is no set date for when the Legion will fully move into its new location.

However, back in August, president of the branch Shirley Stewart told Quinte News it hoped to secure a building by October so that it could move in by December.

There are 272 members of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 99.