MOOSE JAW — Executive members with Moose Jaw’s legion are thrilled that city council approved their request to convert a former commercial building into a new home for the veteran-focused organization.
Christine Simpson, the legion’s new president, told MooseJawToday.com recently that she was “very happy” with the decision since it allowed the organization to move forward with upgrades to the building and then — over several months — transition over from the current location at 268 High Street West.
“And I know the membership is going to be happy. And we look forward to the new move,” she remarked.
The legion’s lease for its current building expires on May 1, so it must vacate the premises by then, but Simpson was unsure when the non-profit would officially move into its new headquarters.
The organization has operated at its current site since 1926, one year after the Royal Canadian Legion was officially formed in Canada.
“So it’s got a lot of memories in it and a lot of the people that were in there. And you know, everybody’s a little bit sad about leaving the building,” Simpson said. “But then, we’re looking forward to moving ahead and starting something new.”
Simpson has been a legion member in Moose Jaw for 11 years, so she did not have as many memories of the building as others who have been there for 50 or 60 years. However, she pointed out that there are pictures on the walls of some notable events, such as the community-wide flood from 1974 that flooded the basement.
Besides the good times that Legion members and veterans have experienced, the building has also been special for volunteers who have supported the organization during the decades, she added.
Simpson and Sue Knox, the poppy campaign chairwoman, said they were unsure whether they would take any physical pieces — like bricks — from the current building and incorporate them into the new venue. However, they will take every piece of memorabilia from their space, including a warship’s bell and a First World War mural on the back wall.
“The only thing we have to leave behind is the safe,” Knox chuckled.
However, the Legion will not take the outside mural on the east wall since it’s part of the building and was updated a few years ago by a Chinese artist after the branch sold the venue to new owners, she added. The only exterior piece the organization will take is the Legion crest on the south wall.
The Legion executive held an all-members’ meeting in mid-November to discuss what was happening with their space and the possibility of moving to a new location, with Simpson noting that that meeting was “very positive.”
“And we had a near-unanimous decision about making the move … . And anybody that had questions … we answered them,” she said. “And in the end, it was a very positive move by the membership.”
Simpson added that her focus during the next few months will be moving forward with this project, while any major ideas she has as the new president to support the branch will come later.
