'Slowly building back up': Royal Canadian Legions seeing membership spike

Legion membership in Manitoba has risen by more than 30 per cent in one year, topping 2019 membership numbers.

Dominic Jones, the president of West Kildonan Legion Branch #30, has been a legion member for nearly 50 years and has seen the demographics change over time.

"No First World War veterans left this day in Canada,” Jones said. “We have very few from the Second World War left. We do have Jerry Little, he's 101 now."

While many of the men and women from the history books are long gone - packed nights are far from a faded memory at the West Kildonan Legion.

"We had the music bingo in here if you've never seen it you've got to go to one. You will die laughing, it is hilarious and this place was full."

Across Canada - the Royal Canadian Legion says membership has grown five per cent over the past two years after a pandemic slump.

Joan Wright, the membership chair for the Manitoba and Northwest Ontario command, says the area has surpassed 2019 membership numbers.

"There's 75,000 plus repossessed for 2024. That's up 30 per cent of the 2023 membership,” Wright said.

West Kildonan's Legion saw an increase to 860 members this year - up 5 per cent from 2019.

"It's slowly building back up again. And we are getting younger ones in now and applying for membership,” Jones said.

That’s what Wright wants to see happen across her zone, however, the increase in membership doesn’t offset the costs that came after the pandemic. Jones says West Kildonan has been able to keep up with the extra pinch in the pocketbook but not all locations are thriving.

“Everything's gone up - its price - and it has,” Jones said. “It's the cost of living has increased and it's getting harder and harder."

In March 2022 - the legion on Selkirk Avenue- once a hotspot - closed its doors due to maintenance costs.

Over the past 12 months - four legions across the country shuttered its doors.

"It's been a real downtrend and it's time that we've encouraged people to really become legion members,” Wright said.