Yorkton's Royal Canadian Legion, General Alexander Ross Branch No. 77 is beginning a fundraising campaign this month to pay for major renovations and upgrades needed at its headquarters on Broadway Street.
Last week, a letter from the Legion was issued to businesses around the city outlining a series of measures needed to address deficiencies found in the 50-year-old building. These include replacement of the roof over the main hall, replacement of the windows, upgrades to the mechanical and electrical systems, replacement of the original boiler, and upgrades to the kitchen and interior décor.
The fundraising campaign will begin with an auction at the Legion hall on Sunday, June 5. With Ukrainetz Auction volunteering to conduct the sale, the Legion now only needs donated items to sell.
Branch President Peter Wyatt estimates the total cost of the project at $600,000, which will be raised through a combination of fundraisers, grants, and private donations.
The work will be undertaken in stages as the money comes in, with the first priority being the building's deteriorating roof. Two of the five laminated beams in the hall are already supported by posts.
"We can get by with supporting the other three beams, but that's not the way to go," Wyatt says. "We can't have posts sitting in the middle of the floor."
An engineered truss roof is planned to be installed over the existing flat roof to take the weight off the beams.
Replacing windows and lighting, installing a more efficient boiler, and updating the kitchen are items farther down the list. If there is money left over, the branch plans to build a glass addition to the front of the building to house and display the Legion's portable cenotaph when not in use.
As the building's foundation and wall structure are sound, Legion members hope the renovations will be enough to keep their branch in operation for years to come. In 2026, the Legion's 100th anniversary, the branch is scheduled to open a time capsule buried in 1986.
After decades of supporting the community, Wyatt hopes that the community will come through in the Legion's time of need.
"Any money we've raised previously we've always donated to youth, and senior programs, and all that. We were never in a position to save money to do a major renovation of a building. So we have to rely on the community now.
Hopefully people will come forward and keep the Legion going."
Individuals and businesses interested in making donations can call the Yorkton Legion at 783-9789.
