Members of Calgary’s northeast Chapelhow Legion have turned to the public for help with make-or-break repairs. 

On Nov. 12, staff at the 284th branch of the Royal Canadian Legion announced a partnership with elected officials and the Greenview Industrial BIA to spread the word and explore new funding sources. 

The alliance comes as the building, located along 38 Avenue NE, has suffered the physical effects of aging over its 40-years of operations, with required roof repairs totalling nearly $400,000 and additional repairs estimated at $262,000. 

Deicha Carter, the BIA’s co-executive director, said the building’s worsening condition has threatened the life expectancy of a facility locals depend on for a variety of purposes, making their alliance the obvious choice. 

“They are an important community gathering space that brings families, businesses, and neighbours together throughout the year,” she said.

“That kind of community space is valuable, and we want to make sure that it continues to be here for years to come.”

In addition to a GoFundMe the Legion launched in July 2025 — which has earned only $1,500 of its $30,000 goal — they have teamed up with the BIA to host a holiday fundraising event on Dec. 18. 

Priced at $65 per person, the ticketed event will open at 6 p.m. and feature a roast beef dinner and live music from Peter and the Wolves, a local rockabilly band. All proceeds will go toward roof repairs. 

Carter added that this event is expected to be the first in a series of similar initiatives aimed at improving the building today to ensure it’s available for tomorrow’s users — a growing pattern at Legions across the province. 

Closures a risk of minimal donations

Ward 4 Coun. DJ Kelly, who once sat on the board of the Greenview BIA, said residents will play a vital role in keeping the building alive, stressing the gravity of the situation provided the critical nature of the damage. 

“I want to be clear of the urgency here,” he said. 

“The Legion cannot continue to function without a new roof, and the reality is the cost to replace the roof has grown alongside the need.”

President Bill Reynolds, who has been involved with the Legion since 1990, explained that they have repaired the roof several times over the years and that a full replacement is long overdue, leading to persistent leaks, primarily in the main banquet hall. 

“We’ve got functions going on in this Legion all the time,” he said. 

“If we don’t get the roof fixed, we have veterans that come in here, and all of a sudden, one day the roof comes down — where do the vets go?”

Hosting their own events and renting out the space for birthdays, weddings, and other occasions is how they make most of their income, treasurer Don Ross explained. He said that the damage has jeopardized whether this can continue in the future, 

“What we’re looking to do is to do a minor repair first to make sure that this building can stay open,” said Ross. 

“Because if we cannot rent out this stuff, what will happen is we’re probably going to have to shut down, and that would be very sad.”

Repairs, closures plague more locations

Amid the Royal Canadian Legion’s centennial year, this branch is not alone in its struggles, grappling with costly deterioration and low membership. Just last year, Calgary’s downtown branch reported similar roof damage totalling around $350,000. 

The Kensington Legion had to be rebuilt back in 2018, and recently the Ogden Legion was demolished after years of neglect.

Reynolds acknowledged that the dwindling number of both members and visitors hasn’t helped, a trend across branches. He said support from younger generations would be beneficial, and encouraged them to stop by. 

“The younger crowd seems to have found places on their own,” said Reynolds. 

“What we’re hoping to do is dance: we split it up to a different demographic, we get more people.”

Coun. Kelly added that the Legion offers other perks that residents might find enticing.

“Trust me, it doesn’t take very much to be able to see the price of a pint of beer here to want to bring a whole bunch of people in here,” he said.

“This is the right place.”