ESTEVAN - The Estevan branch of the Royal Canadian Legion will celebrate National Legion Week by hosting an open house on Sept. 21 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Estevan legion president Jim (Frosty) Forrest said there will be a free barbecue lunch, and people can take a tour of the facility to see the club room and the displays for the Â鶹ÊÓƵ East Military Museum. Information tables will have details regarding membership, what the legion does in the community and its support for veterans.
"People can have a look," Forrest said. "People who have never been to the legion can come and see what we have to offer. We'll have good information on hall rentals and banquets, and we're going to try to get people familiar with the legion in our town."
Legion members will be on hand to answer questions about the organization and what it has available for the community for rentals and amenities.
The Wylie-Mitchell Air Cadets Squadron and the Estevan Army Cadet Corps will have tables set up to promote their efforts with young people. Forrest said these are two great programs.
Forrest said the legion wanted to have an event not just for the second-ever National Legion Week from Sept. 15-21, but to let people know about the branch.
The Estevan legion currently has about 175 members. Forrest said the branch took a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic and some people never came back once its regular operations resumed. A lot of their members are older and each year the service group loses a few more people.
"We always need volunteers. We need some younger people to step up to fill in the spots for those people that maybe aren't able to do as much anymore," said Forrest.