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More funding approved for Legion

An almost century-old building that’s become a popular venue in Turner Valley is receiving some much-needed TLC.
Turner Valley Legion President Ray MacGregor, left, and First Vice-President Linda Macaulay accept a cheque from Livingstone-MacLeod MLA Pat Stier for $10,000 from the
Turner Valley Legion President Ray MacGregor, left, and First Vice-President Linda Macaulay accept a cheque from Livingstone-MacLeod MLA Pat Stier for $10,000 from the Community Facility Enhancement Program grant on Nov. 18. The windfall comes just as the Legion is needing to replace most of the plumbing in their aging building.

An almost century-old building that’s become a popular venue in Turner Valley is receiving some much-needed TLC.

The Royal Canadian Legion has been undergoing a series of renovation projects, paid for by grant money and donations collected through the annual Poppy Fund.

Most recently, the facility was approved for the Community Facility Enhancement Program (CFEP) grant to replace waterlines throughout the building - some of which are 87 years old.

“The piping is galvanized iron, four-inch pipes,” said Linda Macaulay, first vice-president of the legion. “They are clogged and not up to code anymore.”

Following a water leak last summer, a legion member with plumbing experience removed a piece of piping and noticed how bad the situation was, said Macaulay.

“When he took a piece of pipe out there was barely a pinhole for an opening,” she said. “It was calcified and rusted. The new water lines will make a tremendous difference on how our equipment operates.”

Macaulay said volunteers noticed problems with the water over the years, but didn’t think much of it.

“The dishwasher would take forever to fill, the water would take forever to get hot, little things like that,” she said. “We just blindly went on.”

The grant is one of many the Legion has received in recent years to address aging infrastructure in the building, which was built in 1929 with a series of add-ons over the decades.

A wheelchair-accessible ramp was built on the north side of the building in June, using $14,000 from the Poppy Fund to provide better access for veterans and visitors with limited mobility.

An automatic door was also installed at the east facing entrance last summer, using about $6,000 from the Poppy Fund, Macaulay said.

Members applied to the New Horizons for Seniors Program for $25,000 to replace the flooring.

“Our hardwood floors in the hall cannot be refinished anymore, they are so thin,” she said.

The carpet, which was installed in the 1980s, has thread-bare sections and the flooring near the bar was uneven when one of the additions was built, Macaulay said.

“There’s a bit of a rise,” she said. “We’ve had people trip on it because they shuffle when they walk.”

A year ago, the legion received $25,000 from the New Horizons for Seniors Program to replace its two furnaces and three air conditioners.

In 2013, the ceilings were replaced and new wiring and lighting installed using another $25,000 New Horizons grant.

Macaulay said it’s important to keep the building upgraded as it’s a vital part of the community, serving not only 385 legion members but the community as a whole with weddings, markets, parties, pool, poker nights and meetings.

“It’s one of the few halls in the area that can accommodate 200 people for a sit-down dinner,” she said. “We need to keep it up to grade so these people can use it.”

Legion president Ray MacGregor, who joined the legion in 2013, found the building, like many other legions, outdated and in need of repair. He said it was also inadequate for users with limited mobility.

“Our ramp was out of code because of the degree at which the slope was,” he said. “In my opinion you need two exits in case of an issue. The able-bodied have two or three exits where those less mobile only have one.”

Next on the to-do list for the legion is adding some type of siding to the outer building, said MacGregor.

“It’s a painted stucco and it’s nappy, it’s old,” he said.

With various renovation projects complete, MacGregor said the building is coming along nicely.

“It breathes new life into it,” he said. “Our volunteers and our members work hard to keep this place open.”

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