Much has been made of the financial relief the province has provided to the food and beverage industry, but at least one sector of that industry was left out in the cold until now.
The Royal Canadian Legion’s primary fundraising activity to help veterans, their families and communities is the annual Poppy Campaign, but the organization also relies on its bars and special events at the Legion halls to distribute more than $1 million annually to B.C. local communities.
The Legion halls, of course, were also shut down when B.C. suspended indoor dining in March, but the Province did not extend its Circuit Breaker Business Relief Grant to non-profits.
Last week, the government corrected that oversight with $1.5 million in funding for Legion branches.
“We are thankful to Premier Horgan and the B.C. government’s commitment to honour and remember our veterans and their families by supporting the sustainability of our entirely volunteer-led branches,” said Val MacGregor, President of the BC/Yukon Command of the Royal Canadian Legion.
Distribution of the funds among the 143 B.C. Legion branches has not been finalized, but the BC/Yukon Command said they would be allocated by need.