The Malahat Legion, known as the little Legion with the big heart, is celebrating 90 years.
“It’s a great accomplishment,” said Legion president Isabelle Hammer. “With a lot of the hardships, and COVID, and everything that we’ve gone through throughout the years, we are now thriving as we celebrate 90 years, so I’m pretty thrilled about it.”
“I think it is very special because a lot of the social clubs today are disappearing either because of a lack of volunteers or because they can’t maintain the locale anymore,” said Legion vice-president Bob Cleroux. “I think it’s special that we have been around for 90 years and continue to thrive.”
The Malahat Legion Branch 134 in Shawnigan Lake was founded in 1934 and falls under the Dominion Royal Canadian Legion that was first incorporated in 1926. Their mission is to serve veterans, including serving military and RCMP members as well as their families, while promoting remembrance as they serve their community and country.
“We had a lot of veterans coming back from the First World War and the Legion was formed as an advocacy group for those veterans,” said Cleroux. “I think veterans really needed a place where they could gather and talk about their experiences, and share together what had happened during World War I, and just having that comradeship. Of course after the First World War it was almost all men. Of course we welcome all veterans today.”
The Legion’s milestone celebration will be held on April 12 with refreshments and cake along with a few dignitaries and some members of the BC Command. Older members and founders of the Legion will also be present, and getting the party started from 6:30 to 9: 30 p.m. will the Copper Canyon Band. The Legion is currently collecting old photos for their slideshow for their upcoming celebration on April 12, that will run on the 13th as well.
“We want it to be a warm and friendly atmosphere,” said Hammer. “That’s how we celebrate here.”
The Malahat Legion currently has 263 members. Cleroux who has been with the Legion for 15 years and was elected as vice president this past January said that just before Christmas they had 330 members and expect numbers to creep up again as many members either forget to renew, or headed south for the winter. The Legion is always looking for new members and the annual fee to join is $55.
“Anyone who would like to support the Legion or the veterans should become a member,” said Hammer who has been with the group since 2018. “We are also always looking for volunteers either in the kitchen or the bar or to help out with some of the events that we have. We want to draw in on the young business community to let them know that we are here and as well we are hoping to gather more of the young veterans.”
The Malahat Legion is open to the public on Fridays and Saturdays from 1 to 7 p.m., but during the weekdays Young Senior Action Group Society (YSAGS) that is housed in the Legion offers activities with everything from knitting to cards and more.
“YSAGS is another organization within our organization and have been with us for about 35 years,” said Legion treasurer Virginia Bauder. “They are in here for free, and have about 14 senior activities that go on during the day. The knitting group donates everything they make back to the community — they made a lot of quilts of valour for veterans during COVID.”
The Legion has seen a lot of renovations over the past four years, including having their floors redone after they suffered a flood, renovations in the kitchen in 2019, as well as a complete overall on their bar during COVID, and their new sign out front that was installed shortly after the pandemic. Hammer notes that Bauder, who has been with the Legion since 2009, is magical at getting grants for them which enables them to stay fresh and relevant for all their veterans.
People can stay current with what is happening at the Legion through either following their Facebook page or looking at their website.
Come June they will host their fishing derby on Father’s Day, as well as their chili cook-off, where the proceeds will go towards the annual Military Police National Motorcycle Relay for blind children. They also have a huge Canada Day celebration with a pancake breakfast that runs from 8:30 to 11 a.m., and on the third Friday of every month the South Cowichan Jam group comes in to play for free, while encouraging others to jam with them from 7 to 10 p.m.
Being around for 90 years, and supporting an array of community events is certainly one reason the Legion should be celebrated, but they should really be saluted for all they do for their veterans including helping them with private matters and the myriad ways they give back to the community, like their weekly random meat draws every Saturday. Tickets are only $1 per ticket and all meat is provided though Thrifty Foods with whom the Legion has partnered for the past three years.
“With our meat draws we support the community,” said Hammer. “We donated over $21,500 to veterans last year, and $24,750 to the community. We have three pockets of money. We have our veteran money — that is what we collect with our poppies — then we have our BC Gaming and on Saturdays we have our meat draws that attract everybody and that is a separate pocket that we have to return to the community. This enables us to help different groups in the community like Discovery Elementary or anybody else that is on the gaming list. Then we have our bar that helps us keep the lights on, and so on.”
Over the years the Legion has raised money through online auctions, as well as their Christmas, Flea, and summer markets. They are continuously collecting for groups in the community such as the Christmas campaign Toys, Toiletries, and Toques, the Mill Bay Food Bank, and Broken Promises Cat and Dog Rescue. Hammer says the money raised from their auctions and markets goes towards groups that don’t necessarily fit under the umbrella of BC Gaming [provincial funding].
Bauder says that Tour de Rock is another annual event that doesn’t fall under provincial funding either but though their other initiatives they were able to support a participating RCMP officer with $1,200 last year. The Legion presented a cheque to the Wounded Warrior Runners on March 2, donating more than $10,000, and were at $3,300 and climbing for this year when the article went to print.
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“I’ve been involved with the Wounded Warriors right from the beginning before they actually even stopped here,” said Bauder. “The first donation we gave them was $25, and it’s been growing ever since, so we have a one-on-one relationship with the run. I myself sponsor a leg for the run which is $1,000 and that money that I sponsor goes towards that $10,000, and there is Paul Richard who owns a service dog named Canuck sponsors the other leg, so that is $2,000 right there alone. It’s very rewarding. Our quilting group also presented two first responders with two quilts last year — one police and one ambulance officer, and they are making me a few more for this year’s presentation.”
Cleroux notes that last year the $24,750 raised for the community was divided among 25 different charities, and not only did the Legion recently help the Mill Bay Lions and the YSAGS through online auctions with raising funds for their insurance, they are also currently raising money for an upcoming trip Shawnigan Lake’s Discovery Elementary has planned for their students. The Malahat Legion is the little Legion that could when it comes to giving back to the community, but more importantly it is a safe place of support for anyone who has served, as well as their families.
“A lot of times more focus is put on our veterans from the First and Second World War, but there is a whole section of veterans since the Second World War,” said Cleroux. “The Korean War peacekeepers, the Gulf War, Afghanistan. As long as you pass basic training and serve, then retire or get out of the forces you are considered a veteran. We want to take care of those veterans too; we want them to know that this Legion is for them.”
“I hope people who visit us feel that this is a very friendly and positive atmosphere and that they want to join and be a part of our group or volunteer,” said Hammer. “I hope they see us as a safe place in the community that does a lot, and feel that comradeship. A lot of people once they come in, even for our meat draws see how everybody gets along and it takes away the cliche that you have to be a serving member, and see that they can just support the past and present serving members and that it is really just a fun place to be.”