Barrie's Royal Canadian Legion gears up for Spring Convention, looks to attract new members
For the first time in roughly 10 years, the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 147 in Barrie will host this year's Spring Convention.
Roughly 30 legions will participate in the convention, allowing members to catch up and discuss pressing issues.
"Conventions are really important because it gets the branches together that wouldn't normally see each other if they are from different zones and whatnot," said Judi Giovanetti, local arrangements chairman with the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 147.
"There's a lot of networking. We talk about whatever new business is coming down from our provincial command, our dominion command, whatever information that they want the branches to know so we can all work effectively," Giovanette added.
Officials with Branch 147 added they have faced a few challenges since getting back into the swing of things following the pandemic shutdowns.
One challenge includes adding to their numbers as officials look to bring in new members.
"If we want to keep the doors open and the lights on, and keep operating, we need to have people coming in, joining the legion and taking part of all that stuff because the money goes towards the veterans and their families," said Fern Taillefer, Barrie Royal Canadian Legion's vice president.
"If we could bring the younger generation into the legion, that would help a lot. We've actually stopped saying [that] you have to be a veteran to join. Anyone can join now," Teillefer said.
Taillefer pointed out that the legion's finances are also strained, delaying much-needed renovations.
"We have an elevator that's older than me. It's going to cost us about $125,000 to replace this elevator, but it's crucial to have this elevator here because you have a lot of older folks in wheelchairs, canes, and they can't go up and down the stairs," said Taillefer.
The convention will kick off Saturday morning with various meetings followed by a parade just before 1:00 p.m. at the legion.
The convention will wrap up on Sunday afternoon.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Ukrainian child asylum seekers in St. John’s get class of their own
Roughly 50 children will gathered in a St. John’s classroom for the first time on Saturday for unique lessons on Ukrainian language, culture and history.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.