DORVAL – The Royal Canadian Legion in Dorval has been at the same location for the last 18 years, but just like the neighbouring Dorval Municipal Golf Course, it’s time to say ‘good-bye.’
“Well, it’s very difficult,” said Ron Diano, with the Legion.
“On top of that, all the people, most of the members, are long in the tooth, like myself, and the older you get, the harder it is to experience change.”
Yet, they know change is inevitable.
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Both the golf course and the legion sit on land leased from the Montreal Airport Authority, who plans to build a new security checkpoint.
That means the legion has to go.
“I’ve been here for 10 years, so you can imagine the people that have been here since they moved in 1998 and have been with the legion maybe 40, 50 years in Dorval,” said the legion’s past-president, Barbara Cunningham-Stokes.
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The legion has to be out of its current location by the end of April and will move temporarily into the building previously occupied by the Dorval Municipal Golf Course.
The legion said it’ll be there for about a month until it is able to move to a permanent location.
The ADM has proposed a location on Côte-de-Liesse Road, which will be presented to legion members at a general meeting Saturday, April 23.
“It’s because of the help, especially the ADM’s input, that we’re able to put this option on the table for our members,” said Diano.
“If they vote yes, then we will proceed with moving as quickly as possible.”
However, the new building won’t come cheap.
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The legion will be turning to the community for help.
“We’ll have to do many fundraising events,” said Cunningham-Stokes.
“It’s like we’ll do at home, when we want to go on vacation or save for something, we’ll be a little tighter with our money for a little while.”