The Quyon Legion celebrated its 70th anniversary on Saturday evening with a full slate of events and music.
More and more people streamed in throughout the afternoon for the day’s festivities, which included games of ring toss, a pork dinner and then live music to cap off the day.
President Vikki Stanley said the branch continues to benefit from strong community support — whether through other community organizations or the people who stop in for a few drinks.
“We have a great community that helps support each other in all that we do. The Lions Club supports the Legion, the Legion supports the Lions Club. We try and all work together,” she said.
The Royal Canadian Legion was founded in 1925, originally intended as resource centres for those who fought in the First World War. In the following decades it expanded membership criteria to include members of police forces and family of military members. In the early 2000s, the Legion opened eligibility to all Canadian citizens.
Nancy Kilbride was president of the Quyon Legion when it celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2006. She remembers when eligibility was opened to women for the first time. Prior to that, women around the club formed women’s auxiliary groups that helped organize events.
“They needed it, because World War veterans were dying, and so that was the bulk of Legion members,” she said.
She said some of the original Legion members, including her husband – a Korean War veteran – wanted future generations to remember their military service.
“The original veterans were very proud of what they did during the Second World War and during the Korean conflict too. It was part of Canadian history, and they wanted to keep it so that people would remember,” she said.
While membership remained relatively steady, Kilbride said finding volunteers willing to serve on the executive was often a challenge.
“We hoped that our children would maybe get involved, and some of them did,” she said.
Stanley said the Legion has made a number of improvements to the building during her tenure, including a new paint job on the building, new floors and a renovation of the back deck.
“We’ve probably dropped close to $60,000,” she said.
The Legion has recently brought back some long-standing traditions, including the Barbotte Supper, a fish fry that was once an annual event. She said this year’s supper, held last week, fed 53 people.
“We had lots of volunteers that helped peel potatoes and make french fries, and so we have a great community for helping us out, so that helps.”
Asked why she thinks the Legion is still going strong, executive member Sharon Young said she thinks it’s the social aspect that keeps people coming back to support them.
“I think people like coming here. They don’t feel the pressure of a bar, and they enjoy the festivities, and the bands. I think that people still believe in supporting the veterans.”
This year is also the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Legion. Stanley said the Quyon branch will be organizing activities for the occasion later this year.
