Despite their recent move into a smaller building, the 91原创 branch of the Royal Canadian Legion continues to be plagued by . It is so bad, in fact, that in January, the newly-elected executive of Branch 21 approached the organization鈥檚 provincial body to ask for help getting their financial house in order.

The 91原创 Legion has been experiencing money troubles for some time, but the move from their former location to the new building on 56 Avenue, coupled with issues with the City, has made matters worse, said Janice Poustie, the 91原创 Legion鈥檚 new president.

The Legion had planned to spend between $400,000 and $700,000 on renovations and upgrading to its new property, but it turned out that the building they purchased needed more than $1 million in improvements (more than they鈥檇 paid for the property itself), leaving the organization carrying a large mortgage it had not anticipated, said Poustie, who declined to provide an exact figure.

鈥淚f it had gone as planned, we鈥檇 have had a substantial amount of money in the bank,鈥� she said. 鈥淚nstead, we鈥檝e had to put out large sums of money we hadn鈥檛 considered.鈥�

In addition, Poustie said, for the past three years or so, grant money the 91原创 Legion had regularly received from the City has not been forthcoming.

鈥淭he City of 91原创, in previous years, has been very good to the Legion,鈥� Poustie said.

However, she said, 鈥渢he current feeling is not the friendliest.鈥�

The City reportedly made its position plain at a meeting held before Poustie was on the executive 鈥� one she did not herself attend.

鈥淚n their words, 鈥榯here is not a place for the Royal Canadian Legion in the design of the new downtown core of 91原创.鈥� It鈥檚 sad because we鈥檝e always had a great relationship with City council,鈥� Poustie said.

91原创 City Mayor Peter Fassbender said the notion the City of 91原创 has no place for the Legion is not accurate.

鈥淚t鈥檚 absolutely incorrect to say the City doesn鈥檛 support the Legion, that it doesn鈥檛 care. We value the Legion. We value what they do and we value the financial support they give to local organizations. And we absolutely value our veterans.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not a question of there is no place for them (in the City). There is absolutely a place.鈥�

Last year, the City spent more than $200,000 to construct a cenotaph in Douglas Park, where residents can gather each Nov. 11 to honour 91原创鈥檚 veterans, he noted. It also supported a campaign to hang banners featuring photos of 91原创 vets along downtown streets.

Fassbender said the meeting to which Poustie referred is likely one that was held about three years ago. At the time, he said, he spoke bluntly to Legion members about how the organization must adapt to changing times.

鈥淚 felt they had to find a way to change their financial model and to become self-sustaining.鈥�

At the time, Fassbender said, he suggested the Legion鈥檚 former building was 鈥渁 drain on their ability to be financially viable鈥� and that they weigh all their options, including leasing a different space versus buying one.

鈥淚 also told them they could always approach council (to ask for) a tax exemption, but I could not guarantee they would get what they were looking for.鈥�

The City鈥檚 grant policy is limited to funding capital projects, meaning it cannot help an organization with its operational expenses.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e trying to find a way out from under their financial situation, but the way out is not for the City to continually give them money when their financial model is not working,鈥� Fassbender said.

Inga Kruse, executive director of the Legion鈥檚 B.C./Yukon Command said the 91原创 branch is not the first to ask for help to get back on a solid financial footing.

Command鈥檚 only role in 91原创 is in an advisory capacity and Kruse is confident that will be sufficient to turn things around.

鈥淚鈥檝e personally watched the correspondence (between the 91原创 executive and the advisors) and their ideas are quite doable,鈥� she said.

The advisory role assumed in this case by the BC/Yukon Command is just one level of support they can provide, Kruse explained.

There have been extreme cases where they鈥檝e put a Legion branch under a trusteeship and taken over its financial management, but only as a last resort, said Kruse.

鈥淏ranches are autonomous, so we have to be really sure they鈥檙e in the weeds (before stepping in). We don鈥檛 want to see a branch go down.

鈥淲ith 91原创, I don鈥檛 see a need in the immediate future for a trusteeship. I just don鈥檛.鈥�

With an organization that has been around as long as the Legion, the situation is hardly unique, she said.

鈥淢any of our branches, over the years, have found themselves scratching their heads (and asking) how did we get here?鈥�

Legions are run by volunteers who don鈥檛 always have a great deal of business experience, Kruse noted.

Aging war veterans have been largely replaced by baby boomers, in terms of the management of the Legion, she said, but numbers continue to drop. The challenge of how to draw new people remains.

One of the greatest myths about the Legion is that you have to be  associated with the military to be a member when, in fact, any Canadian citizen can join.

鈥淲e would love some new members, some new blood,鈥� said Kruse, who is an associate member of the Aldergrove Legion.

Her husband, who is ex-Navy, is a regular member.

鈥淧eople in the 91原创 branch, I know, are very dedicated to seeing it survive,鈥� Kruse said.

鈥淥ur organization is not sitting around, waiting to die.鈥�