Premier Scott Moe and Laura Ross, minister of parks, culture, and sport, visited ANAVETS branch #252 on Nov. 3 to announce support for 77 projects across Saskatchewan in 2023/24 through the Saskatchewan Veterans Service Club Support Program.
"Our government is proud to provide grants under the Saskatchewan Veterans Service Club Support Program," Moe said in his address. "This program allows us to take care of veterans in our province and honour our fallen heroes while protecting community gathering places, including Legion branches and Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans (ANAVETS) units based in Saskatchewan."
Moe and Ross were joined for the occasion by Blaine McLeod, MLA for Lumsden-Morse, Lori Carr, minister of highways, and Clive Tolley, mayor of Moose Jaw.
Representing the Royal Canadian Legion and ANAVETS clubs were Don Purington, president of ANAVETS #252; Carol Pederson, president of the Royal Canadian Legion Saskatchewan Command; and Rick Taylor, president of ANAVETS Saskatchewan Provincial Command.
There were also many ANAVETS and Legion members in attendance to express their gratitude for the provincial government's support, which has revitalized their facilities.
Introduced in 2019-20, the Saskatchewan Veterans Service Club Support Program provides grants for facility repairs, upgrades, and operational costs to non-profit clubs in the province that support veterans. The Government of Saskatchewan invests approximately $1.5 million into the program each year.
"We want to thank our veterans service clubs for their tireless work on behalf of our communities," Ross said. "More than $4.5 million has been allocated to 312 successful applicants in 119 different Saskatchewan communities since the program started in 2019."
The program is administered by the Royal Canadian Legion, Saskatchewan Command, who also sits on the adjudication committee with the Saskatchewan ANAVETS.
Pederson said the Royal Canadian Legion are extremely grateful for their assistance, and noted that because of the grants, many Legion branches across the province have kept their doors open, kept their facilities heated and cooled, and performed essential maintenance and upkeep that would not otherwise have happened.
"Our branch received $71,800 since we applied for our first grant," said Marcia Lane, finance officer with Legion Branch #59 in Moose Jaw. "We've been able to purchase new chairs for our lounge, we did a whole kitchenette upgrade so that we're able to serve our veterans meals and have different meal events in our lounge, we got a new bingo machine so we can have bingo on Monday nights. If it wasn't for these grants, we would never have been able to do any of these things."
"We have seen all veterans service clubs utilize the funding for facility improvements," Taylor said in his remarks, "like new HVAC systems, flooring and upgrading accessibility. All of which enhance our ability to care for veterans."
Local president Don Purington took dignitaries on a branch tour following the event, pointing out upgrades made possible by grant money. Branch #252 was in a state of disrepair when he first joined, he said, and now they have new flooring, an efficient on-demand hot water system, a new roof, comfortable new chairs for their lounge, tables, a refurbished food area, and a new air conditioning unit.
"We feel very well taken of, and we're very grateful to have a provincial government that looks after us like this," Purington said. "We were struggling to keep the lights on, and now we're going to be able to take care of our members for years to come."
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