Royal Canadian Legion Branch 50 in Burns Lake will remain open, pending a change in management, following a meeting held on November 26 to determine the future of the local branch.
The meeting was called after the Legion had been considering closure due to financial concerns. Legion trustee Jeanne Parkinson said that community members showed strong support for the Legion to stay open.
“We got a lot of very positive feedback from our members and other people. They’re very excited about the Legion staying open and a lot of volunteers came forward to help keep it running,” she said.
The decision to consider shutting down stemmed from "a lot of financial irregularities and lack of reporting," according to Parkinson, prompting the BC/Yukon Command to step in and investigate.
“We have found out what’s going on and we’re gonna fix the problem,” Parkinson added.
As part of the plan to address the financial issues, the management of the Burns Lake Legion will be overhauled. The trustees will vet applicants and select a new management team.
“There were a lot of volunteers, but we still have to decide who it’s going to be at this particular moment in time,” Parkinson explained.
Regarding volunteer support, Parkinson said they have 152 members even though not everybody is able to volunteer.
"But there were sheets last night that were filled out with people that wanted to help and volunteer for different positions.”
The process for selecting new management will involve an interview process. “We’ll have a look at the ones that decided they wanted to volunteer for various positions, and then we’ll decide who might be the best,” Parkinson said. The trustees will conduct the interviews, with Parkinson herself considering the role of treasurer.
When asked about the relevance of the Legion in today’s society, especially as many others in Northern B.C. are closing their doors, Parkinson emphasized the Legion's ongoing importance.
“The Legion is certainly relevant because we need to look after our veterans, and we are the frontline. That is our mandate. That is what we are there for. So that makes the Legion relevant in communities,” she said.
Burns Lake's legion has been in the community for nearly 96 years and will mark its centennial in 2028.
Parkinson also highlighted the Legion’s broad community role. “We have a liquor primary license, so anybody is allowed to come into the Legion... we have events, dinners, crib nights, music nights. There are all kinds of possibilities for entertainment over in the hall, for weddings or for parties.”
Reflecting on the community's support, Parkinson said, “I’m very thankful that the people in Burns Lake have decided that they really want to continue having a Legion and they turned out in droves to support us.”
