Redcliff Legion finally on the mend

Posted on February 8, 2024 by Ryan Dahlman

By Anna Smith
Commentator/Courier

After a long battle to overcome a $60,000 deficit caused by theft, there’s finally a light at the end of the tunnel for the Redcliff Legion.

“We’ve had a good last quarter of the year, with a lot of volunteer help,” said president Barry Cole. “We managed to come back from a $60,000 deficit in June to about a $20,000 debt deficit. So we are increasing slowly, but the volunteers are certainly helping out.”

Cole stressed that it wouldn’t be possible without the help of the volunteers, who handle everything from cleaning to bussing tables during the food service hours. With their help, the Legion has been making a steady comeback, and Cole expects that should things continue as they are, they should be out of the woods by June.

To help with this, they’ve been working to put on more events, said Cole, hoping to encourage folks to visit on weekend evenings and stay for a while to see what the Legion has to offer.

“We’ve started up the family dances, which is the last Sunday of every month,” said Cole. “Again, it’s all done through volunteers, with the Legion in conjunction with the White Dragon Karate. So it’ll mean that we can help sponsor some of the children for their summer camp as well.”

These dances are completely free, but for the more adult crowd, they are also looking to host a dinner and dance on February 20, to invite people to come out and enjoy an evening among their community.

They hope to host one once a month, going forward.

In addition, they’ve started hosting something nearly every Saturday, with a monthly cribbage tournament, karaoke night, trivia night, and of course, their long-standing meat draws to draw in loyal crowds.

“I want to keep the place open. To keep the place open, we need people coming in,” said Cole. 

The Legion does currently have their Mother’s Day Raffle going, to be drawn day of, with plans for a Father’s Day Raffle as well. These events, as well as continuing to push their status as a venue for community events, are hoped to keep things on course for a full recovery after months of uncertainty regarding the fate of this longstanding pillar of the Redcliff community.

“It’s really good to see everyone coming in and supporting us,” said Cole. “We’re really grateful for the members, and the businesses, and the visitors.”