Kingston Legion fundraising to repair aging roof at Collins Bay branch

A fundraising campaign is now underway to help pay for a new roof for the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 631 in Collins Bay, one that was almost paid for before COVID-19 hit.

“A bad roof in this case means our clubroom closes,” says project coordinator Gord Rittwage. “Our clubroom closing is like taking the heart and soul out of the building.

“This is where the veterans come, this is where our community members come to socialize and get involved in some of our activities and if we close this, we do not have the means to pay for this roof.”

Things look normal at first glance of the clubroom at the Matthew J. Dawe Memorial Legion on Outer Bath Road, but a closer look reveals plastic sheeting above the bar-area to catch water that may leak through the ceiling.

Replacing the roof has been the plan for a few years now, and Rittwage says the legion had budgeted for a new roof in 2020.

“We had two-thirds of our goal met when COVID hit,” he says. “Since then, we’ve been open sometimes, we’ve been closed, we’ve been operating at approximately 20 per cent capacity and unfortunately that two thirds of our commitment has been used for snow plowing, keeping the heat on, keeping the water on, all the things that go with running a 13,000-square foot building.”

The new roof will cost just under $100,000.

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Because the need is immediate, a sister legion has stepped up and offered a loan.

“We sold our branch, we’re waiting for the building to be re-developed and we’re moving back in,” says Royal Canadian Legion East Toronto Branch 11 president Jeff Paulin.

“Now we’ve got some money sitting in the bank and part of our mandate is, ‘Let’s take some of that money in the meantime and help  out some other branches that need it’.

“Due to no fault of their own they’re in a situation. They’ve got a roof that fell apart, they need the help, no problem.”

Rittwage says the Toronto branch will allow the loan to be paid back whenever possible.

“We’re hoping with this fundraising we’ll maintain our way of doing business, which means we do not go into debt unless absolutely necessary,” says Rittwage.

An additional fundraising campaign is already underway, so far raising $10,000.