After an exhaustive search, the Airdrie Legion #288 has found a new home at 132 – First Ave downtown.
The legion – and its 500 members - are slowly making the move over from its current location at 508 – Third Ave where it has spent the better part of 30 years serving veterans and their families.
“We have to downsize,” Bob McNevin, president of Airdrie Legion #288, said of the smaller location.
“We have to meet the needs of number of veterans today.”
Their new home – which cost the legion $350,000 – will host a flag raising ceremony this summer in honour of their new chapter.
The club sold the building in which it currently operates because operational costs were too high.
“It cost $5,000 per week to run this place,” he told the Airdrie City View in November 2013.
“We used to have all paid staff that would help with running the bar etc, but we’ve had to go to all volunteer roles now, and our volunteers are tired.”
“We’re hoping to have everything ready and up and running by July 1,” McNevin said. “The whole group wanted to buy a place that meant (we were) debt free.”
During the Legion’s annual post Remembrance Day 2013 ceremony, there were doubts about the legion’s ability to host the ceremony in 2014 as no locations had been selected.
McNevin is hopeful the new location will continue to provide bar services and a recreation room for the community and for veterans, but time will tell to see if that will be a possibility.
“It’s going to be an emotional move, I’ve been here since it opened 30 years ago,” he said.
The legion supports the Airdrie Army cadets, and McNevin said that they have their own separate location, so the move did not impact them.
The Airdrie Air Cadet’s are still looking for a location, according to McNevin.
