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Members of a Royal Canadian Legion in north-end Halifax have lost their fight to keep the 99-year-old branch open.
Vimy Branch 27 was closed on Friday night after a meeting with officials from Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command, which is responsible for all branches in the province.
“The doors were locked behind us and that was it. So knowing that, there was a lot of tears and a lot of anger,” said Gwen Hayden, the branch’s secretary.
Members presented a business plan to Command staff to keep their legion operating after the executive team was told at a meeting in December the branch wasn’t financially viable.
Hayden said members desperately wanted to keep the longtime branch open because of what it meant to veterans and the wider community.
“That legacy just died. It’s heartbreaking. It really is,” she said.
Significant financial challenges
The head of Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command said the Vimy branch has been experiencing financial challenges for several years.
“A lot of it is due to the fact that they have an extremely high overhead. They’re renting their own space and you can imagine what the rental cost is there for them,” executive director Carrie Hogan said in an interview.
Hogan said the branch’s financial struggles are not related to the loss of its lottery licence after the former vice-president pocketed approximately $25,000 from Chase the Ace draws in 2023 and 2024.
The business plan developed by the Vimy branch’s executive team came too late to fix the problems the branch was facing, she said.
“They were just beyond that capability,” Hogan said. “It’s always, you know, deeply disheartening to witness a branch closing in the Royal Canadian Legion.”
Approximately 150 people renewed their membership for the Vimy branch for 2026 and they’re able to transfer membership to any other legion, she said.
“We are very grateful to the members for the work that they put into trying to change things around and their dedication to supporting veterans and their community,” Hogan said.
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