In the entrance of the Legion branch on Henderson Highway in East Saint Paul, Man., stands a “please wait to be seated” sign.
It’s something many wouldn’t expect to see at a Legion building, but at this location, it’s necessary.
“We have membership around 530 and we have a very, very strong base of volunteers which really helps,” branch president Diane Tashe said.
The Henderson Legion is welcoming more and more members every year. Tashe believes the location and restaurant are reasons why, as well as the variety of events like bingo, dances and more.
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“We have to support the vets. The veterans did a lot for us and they deserve to be honoured and the Legion is there for that. We keep the place active, this is recreation,” Tashe said.
For nearly 100 years, the Royal Canadian Legion has served as an organization for veterans by advocating for their rights, promoting remembrance and supporting families.
Today, Legion memberships are open to any Canadian 18 and older.
One of those members is like Zonneveld, who comes to the Henderson Legion almost daily.
“Definitely a sense of community. I know a lot of people that come here so we often get together for dinners on Friday night,” Zonneveld said.
After years of decline, the number of members at Legions across the country is up for the third year in a row. A national spokesperson says the latest figures show 270,000 members across the country, which is up 20,000 from a couple of years ago.
Tashe hopes that trend continues at her branch.
“We just put a brand new roof on this place so we have been doing a lot of fundraising. Just keep on doing our activities,” Tashe said.
“We are open to new ideas all the time. We would really like to get some of the younger veterans in.”
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