The Legion is a year-round community hub

The Legion’s snooker league is one of many leagues that are open to both members and non-members during the winter. Branch 153 hosts a wide variety of activities for the community, as well as providing a veteran’s coffee hour and sponsoring the Royal Canadian Air Cadets squadron. (Jeff Helsdon Photo)

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

Every year, in the days leading up to Remembrance Day, the public's eyes are on the Legion. Its members lead the parade on Remembrance Day and sit in booths selling poppies throughout the community. But there is much more to the Legion, as it’s a hub of activity year-round.

While some branches of the Royal Canadian Legion struggle as veterans age, Tillsonburg Branch 153 is still healthy.

“We’re very fortunate here we have a lot of community support,” said president Dianne Hodges.

In turn, the Legion gives back to the community. Young soccer, hockey, ringette, and baseball players sport the Legion name on their jerseys. The Legion also supports youth through its literary poster and public speaking competitions. Competitors who do well locally can advance to the Legion zone, provincial, and national levels.

The Legion hall is available for rentals for weddings, funerals and other events. Several community groups regularly use the facility. There are monthly Friday night dinners and lunches on weekdays. The Tillsonburg Military History Club holds its meetings in the branch. Dances and musical events take place throughout the year. And the bar is open to the public.

“Years ago, it was members only, but now it’s open to the public,” Hodges said.

Snooker, darts, shuffleboard, and euchre leagues are held from fall to March for members and non-members. Tuesday afternoon darts are held year-round.

During the summer, the Legion hosts Friday night bike nights, a gathering for motorcycle enthusiasts. Hodges pointed to the recently resurfaced parking lot as a beneficiary of community support. The parking lot needed repaving, and instead of having to use Legion coffers, local businesses came together to pay for repaving and landscaping. Hodges said this was a huge assistance to the branch.

The Legion is still there to support veterans. Every other Thursday the branch hosts coffee hour for veterans.

“It’s veterans only, and they gather together to talk amongst themselves,” Hodges said. “They talk about their service.”

This activity started in 2023 with five members attending, averaging 25 to 30. Hodges said the challenge was getting word out about the gathering. Veterans attend from conflicts spanning more than five decades, including the Second World War, Afghanistan, Cyprus, Bosnia, Kosovo, Croatia, Korea and Vietnam.

Branch 153 also sponsors the Royal Canadian Air Cadets, which operate out of the hall on Thursday evenings. Money from the branch’s Nevada draw is devoted to the air cadets. The program is free for youth ages 14 to 19.

The Legion Ladies’ Auxiliary, an arm’s length part of the Legion, operates from the branch. Their members often provide meals and raise funds to help with upgrades in the branch.

Although Branch 153 is healthy, Hodges said they always need more assistance, and so too does the auxiliary. Those interested can join at the branch or online at legion.ca