A legion hall’s last days

The Great War Memorial Hall in Verdun, which was built for the legion and opened its doors in 1929.
Photo by Owain Harris

At the end of this month, the Great War Memorial Hall in Montreal’s Southwest will no longer be the home of Royal Canadian Legion Branch 4 Verdun. Citing insufficient membership, the branch was forced to sell the building that has housed it for 83 years.

Though initially resistant to opening its membership to non-veterans, the legion is now looking to expand its base by welcoming any Canadian citizen, particularly younger ones, to join its ranks and help sustain it. Many branches will have to boost their membership numbers through this means if they are to survive.

The last few months at Branch 4 have been difficult for many members. Some have called the Great War Memorial Hall their second home for almost 40 years and are leaving with heavy hearts. The branch will open the doors to its new home, at a former pharmacy building a kilometre away, at the beginning of December.

In light of Remembrance Day, Cult MTL presents this photo essay on the last days of the hall. ■

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