Royal Canadian Legion Branch #113 will soon be seen in a much better light, after receiving a grant of up to $28,000 from the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) for energy efficient electrical upgrades at its building in Ashcroft.
The funding comes from the Federal Gas Tax Revenues - Community Works Fund allocated to TNRD Area “I” director Steve Rice. He had been approached by Legion members asking for financial assistance to help them with the electrical upgrades, which branch president George Cooke says will mean new lighting inside and outside the building.
“We’ll be taking out all the old interior and exterior lighting, and replacing it with LED lighting,” he says. “We hope to get the work done by summer.”
The electrical upgrades are the latest in a series of renovations and replacements recently carried out at the Legion building. A new vinyl floor was installed in the upper level, new chairs were purchased, a new fence was built around the yard, the roof has been replaced, the women’s bathroom is now wheelchair accessible, air conditioning has been added, and the building’s exterior was repainted with assistance from the Business Façade Improvement program offered by Northern Development Initiative Trust and the Village of Ashcroft.
Cooke says that in addition to the electrical upgrades, work will continue on the men’s bathroom, which is already wheelchair accessible but has plumbing that needs updating. There will also be more work carried out in the Legion’s yard. “We’re also looking for a grant so that we can update the bar and the coolers,” he adds.
He says that the Legion is “absolutely” going to continue the children’s Christmas party, which debuted in 2018 and hosted more than 100 area children aged zero to nine.
“We’ve got a good start on funding for this year, because we didn’t spend all the money we raised last year. And we’ll be doing more fundraising.”
Membership in the Royal Canadian Legion is open to all, and costs $50 per year. In addition to serving dinner on Friday nights and holding a meat draw every Saturday, the Ashcroft Legion hosts a number of regular and special events, such as darts, cribbage, concerts, and a Canada Day celebration on July 1.
For more information, drop by the Legion or call (250) 453-2423.
editorial@accjournal.ca
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