The future at Dresden’s Royal Canadian Legion Branch 113 has never been brighter thanks to a $97,800 Ontario Trillium Foundation grant being used to upgrade the building.
Branch 113 hosted a celebration dinner/St. Patrick’s Day party on March 16 with 90 people in attendance.
Branch building chair Janice Wilmott said funds are being used to install new windows and siding on the branch as well as a new patio door to allow easier access to the branch’s waterfront patio on the east Branch of the Sydenham River.
She said the work is the latest in a series of renovations.
“We received a Chatham-Kent community grant in 2023 to replace a part of our ceiling and upgrade our security system,” she said. “It was a matching grant of $10,000 so we had to raise $10,000 ourselves. We started a fundraising campaign and raised our $10,000 in three months. Our whole membership is behind our projects so it makes things much easier.”
Branch 113 has also received Chatham-Kent Ward Funding through Ward 4 councillors Jamie McGrail and Rhonda Jubenville.
Branch past president Ryan McCabe said those funds were used to install exterior artwork by Feddes Fabrications on the north and east sides of the building.
McGrail, who attended the dinner, said the Trillium and Chatham-Kent funds ensure the health of the branch.
“This brings us into the present and ensures we have a place for now and for years to come,” she said.
President Brent Mossop said Branch 113 was able to sustain itself throughout the pandemic, which was an issue for many branches across Canada.
“We had some donations and we kept things going as best we could,” he said “Our membership is at 131 and climbing, with transfers and new members joining us steadily.”
Mossop said he is thrilled with the community support.
“Lumberjack and Agri-Urban in Dresden did the work and Feddes supplied the artwork,” he said. “It shows the value of the branch to the community as a whole and the support we have within Dresden and the area.”
Branch 113 was founded in 1928, only three years after the national formation of the legion.
“We have been serving veterans, their families, and our community for a long time,” Mossop said. “We’re happy to be able to continue our work.”
The Ontario Trillium Foundation invested more than $110 million into 1,022 community projects and partnerships last year.
