'Bad situation': Kingsway Legion on the brink of closing, members remain hopeful branch can be saved

The Kingsway Legion has launched a GoFundMe campaign in an effort to save its branch from shuttering for good.

Members are hopeful community support will help them pay the mortgage, fix the roof and keep the doors open.

Their fundraising goal is $150,000.

“We are in a bad situation, where it’s time to pay the taxes,” Ron Willis, the Kingsway Legion Branch #175 past president and financial committee chair, said.

According to Willis, arrears penalties from the city aren’t helping their situation either.

He told CTV News Edmonton he would like to see legions reocognized in a non-taxable category like churches and non-profits.

“(It’s) Currently 50 per cent of what we owe for our taxes, for our annual taxes.”

Back in November, CTV News spoke to the legion president about how they were holding up in the pandemic. At the time they indicated they’d survived the better part of COVID-19 and were in the black… or so they thought.

“Unfortunately those resources have dried up and we’ve had to take this hopefully last measure that will take us over the top and keep us up and running,” Willis added.

“We did good. We survived four waves. It’s this last one that finally kicked us when we were down.”

The structure beams on the building are also beginning to deteriorate. Willis said the water is starting to “repel” in.

“If we don’t get it fixed soon, we would lose supports for the front of the buildings.”

The legion opened its doors on Nov. 11, 2012, and lost membership when they moved from their prior downtown location. Willis explained they rely on those membership fees to operate.

“That’s where we get most of our income for this building, to pay for the bills and since COVID we haven’t been able to do that,” he said.

But, they’re not giving up without a fight.

Willis emphasized that it’s vital the space remains open to better serve veterans, current military members and their families.

“It’s incredibly important,” Andrew Wrenn, a veteran and branch member, said. “That support from like-minded people is, it’s golden.”

“We’re going to go through every possible means,” Willis added.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Amanda Anderson