As poppy campaign nears, Roxboro Legion puts renovations on hold after fire
Posted October 21, 2023 3:51 pm.
Last Updated October 21, 2023 7:13 pm.
Nearly a year to the day after a fire tore through the Royal Canadian Legion in Roxboro, the branch is still not fully restored.
The Legion’s General Vanier branch was heavily damaged by the Oct. 25, 2022, blaze believed to have been caused by a faulty electrical setup.
They have been working for months to rebuild and reopen.
BACKGROUND: Roxboro Legion trying to recover from fire before Remembrance Day
“We’re still a work in progress, so not everything we can offer the community is up and running yet,” said Martin Bruyere, president of the Royal Canadian Legion, General Vanier 234. “As we get back to it, we’ll have dart tournaments, we’ll have bingo, we’ll have all kinds of things that bring in the community and gives more of a sense of community for everybody.
“It’s a step-by-step process here. We just had the ventilation installed last week.”
With Remembrance Day approaching, Bruyere says renovation efforts needed to be put on hold.
“Because now our entire focus is on selling poppies,” he said.
WATCH: Roxboro Legion reopens after October fire, with help of Montrealers
Every year, Legion branches across Canada roll out poppy campaigns. The Roxboro legion is holding its campaign from Oct. 27 to Nov. 10. The poppy fund goes toward supporting all veterans in need, which Bruyere says is quit often.
“We’re here for veterans. That’s why we exist,” he said.
Part of the Roxboro community since 1957, the General Vanier branch was ravaged by fire and smoke last October. Artifacts from WWI and WWII were damaged.
RELATED: Roxboro Legion reopening after October fire
The branch was able to recover some precious artifacts damaged by the smoke, like a copy of the Charter signed by former monarch Queen Elizabeth.
The branch told CityNews earlier this year it was not properly insured at the time of the blaze. The Legion raised more than $30,000 in the fire’s aftermath to get it back up and running. Bruyere says he can’t thank the community enough for the help.
As Roxboro’s Royal Canadian Legion puts all its emphasis on the upcoming poppy campaign, it hopes Montrealers take the time to honour all of those who served. The red poppy is a symbol of remembrance traditionally worn as a tribute to all military veterans who served or fell in service of their country.
“I can’t emphasize more how important it is to not only remember the veterans that fought and died to give us the freedoms we have today, but all those that have served,” said Bruyere. “Because every one of them signed basically a blank cheque payable to you and me for a price up to and including their lives. That’s something.”
