Legion officially closes doors, looks forward to new building

Royal Canadian Legion Branch 25 officials held a ceremony on Wednesday to mark the closing of the old Branch building at 96 Great Northern Road.

Legion members are looking forward to construction of a new branch building, which will include a nine-storey, 107-unit veteran housing project and new Branch facilities to be constructed on the site of the soon to be demolished old branch building.

The cost of the new building project is still being finalized, said Pierre Breckenridge, Royal Canadian Legion Branch 25 1st vice president, speaking to SooToday after Wednesday’s ceremony.

The cost of the new complex was estimated to be between $22 million and $25 million depending on the cost of construction materials, said Helen Stewart, Branch 25 president when the new building project was announced in October 2021.

Financing for the project - from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) - is in place, Breckenridge said on Wednesday.

Sal-Dan Developments will be constructing the new building.

Branch 25 hopes to be moved into the new building in 2024.

As far as timelines are concerned, Breckenridge said plans to demolish the old Branch 25 building “will become more clear in the next month and a half. As far as the start of construction of the new building is concerned it can take up to two years to complete. That’s the time frame that we’re working with, less if we can. I believe they will be fencing off this property as early as this weekend or the start of the month.”

“Like any process this large there were a number of obstacles to go through. It was a learning curve for us. Ontario Command gave us a lot of assistance and support during this process and then they gave us 100 per cent approval to move forward and build this very first of its kind project for veterans here in Sault Ste. Marie,” Breckenridge said. 

Breckenridge said additional funding will be sought from the senior levels of government for some features of the new building, such as a replica of the beacon which sits atop the GFL Memorial Gardens Memorial Tower.

The additional funding for such features will be sought toward the completion of the new branch building.

Branch 25 will be moving its last items from the old building to a temporary home at The Marconi Cultural Event Centre.

The Branch will have its office in place and sharing the Marconi’s bar space by Tuesday, Breckenridge said.

Breckenridge said Branch 25 looks forward to its temporary space at the Marconi and working with that club’s management and 1,600 members.     

Branch 25 officials and members headed to the Marconi Wednesday afternoon for coffee, tea and beverages from the bar.

Wednesday morning’s ‘Departure Ceremony’ included speeches from Legion officials, Acting Sault Mayor Matthew Shoemaker, Sault MPP Ross Romano, Sal-Dan Developments President Sam Biasucci, a performance by the Legion band and lowering of the flags in front of the building.

Wednesday’s ceremony came after Legion officials, members and friends held one last celebratory bash at the Great Northern Road building on Tuesday, as reported earlier.