'We literally ran out of money': Calgary Legion forced to close pub, sell building
'We literally ran out of money': Calgary Legion forced to close pub, sell building
It was supposed to be a model for Legions across Canada but, six years after it opened, the Royal Canadian Legion No. 264, known locally as the Kensington Legion, has closed its public restaurant and bar and sold its building, becoming a tenant in the property it once owned.
“It's sad from a couple of points of view,” said Alan Pentney, treasurer of the branch. “We could not generate the revenues we had expected. We wanted to put them back into the community. We had projected possibly a $250,000 in profits if everything had gone well, which would have gone back into the community.
“It’s also sad because we has such an excellent space that we were able to provide service to people.”
Legion No. 264 moved into its digs at 1918 Kensington Road as part of a land swap with Truman Development Corporation in 2017. The deal saw Truman build a four-storey office complex, with a street level pub, and exchange it for the Legion’s large property next door.
Under the new model, the Legion expected three revenue streams: memberships, office space leases and the 1918 Tap and Table Pub.
“The 1918 Tap and Table was very successful. For the first two years, you needed reservations to get in here,” said Pentney, “and then of course, COVID came along, but it still remained very popular.”
While the Tap and Table was profitable, it did not make enough to offset losses in the other revenue streams.
The Kensington Legion was hit hard by Calgary’s rising office vacancies.
“The leasing situation in all of downtown Calgary suffered drastically,” said Pentney. “So it was virtually impossible for us to lease space, especially since we didn't have the revenues to create the improvements to attract people into the space.”
Membership sales also fell. The Kensington Legion once claimed to be Canada’s largest, with over 4.500 members. In 2017, when it moved buildings, that was down to 1,400. Currently there are only 400 members on its roll.
“We have lost roughly 1,000 members over the past three years. combination of COVID and the fact our lounge was shut down and other legions were open,” said Pentney, “so people moved their memberships either didn't take up memberships or moved.”
Pentney said city property taxes were the Legion’s largest expense and the one that eventually forced the sale.
“We literally ran out of money. And so we had to offer the building up for sale,” said Pentney.
The Legion asked council for a break on its property taxes but was turned down. The area councillor told CTV News that council tried to work with the Legion, but eventually had to make a decision that was fair for everyone.
“The critical question for us, of course, is, whatever we do, how does that preserve equity across all other businesses that went through difficult times during COVID?” said Ward 7 Coun. Terry Wong.
“In other words, a tax relief of some sort, that would have introduced inequity, and the potential for others coming forward (to ask for the same break).”
Last week, the Legion completed the sale of its building to Ronmor Holdings Limited for $7.5 million. As a part of the deal, the Legion will lease the second floor of the building for the next 50 years.
Legion members are meeting Monday night to discuss what to do with the money from the sale. They are also looking for ways to bring back some of those members who left and attract new ones to the Legion.
Despite the financial difficulties the Kensington Legion faced, Pentney still believes the model is a good one for Legions in the future.
“At the end of the day, we're coming out ahead anyway, in that we have space – we have a lease for 50 years at a very reasonable terms and a home,” said Pentney.
“So, I still think it's valuable option for Legions to look at – getting rid of old buildings that are getting run down and moving into newer spaces and, perhaps down the road, Legions will need to amalgamate and join each other.”
Pentney says a new pub is expected to open in the spring inside the space previously home to the 1918 Tap and Table. In the meantime, the Legion’s members-only space will be open to the public until the new restaurant and bar is running.
U.S. President Joe Biden arrived Thursday evening in Ottawa for a whirlwind 27-hour visit expected to focus on both the friendly and thorny aspects of the Canada-U.S. relationship, including protectionism and migration on both sides of the border.
Canada and the United States are negotiating a deal that could see asylum seekers turned back at irregular border crossings across the border, including Roxham Road in Quebec.
Amid renewed questions over the pervasiveness of alleged interference by China in Canadian elections and affairs broadly, opposition MPs voted Thursday afternoon to affirm a parliamentary committee's call for the federal government to strike a public inquiry.
A majority of Canadians have seen a mistake on their grocery receipts in the last year, according to a new survey conducted by Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University.
An asteroid discovered just last week will pass closer to the Earth than the orbit of the moon this weekend, an occurrence so rare it happens only once in a decade, according to NASA.
The number of Canadians receiving employment insurance benefits are at record lows and down 44 per cent from last year, new figures from Statistics Canada show.
Two Kanien'keha:ka (Mohawk) sisters from Montreal are on a mission that is close to their hearts: to save their ancestors' first language by developing video games young and old can play.
Zellers has opened the first of 25 new locations within Hudson's Bay stores across the country. The Canadian retail chain launched 12 stores in Ontario and Alberta Thursday, along with a new e-commerce website.
The Alberta Energy Regulator has cited an energy company for causing a series of earthquakes, including the largest recorded tremblor in the province's history.
Edmonton-born actor Holly Cinnamon describes the Emmy Award winning HBO series Succession as a "cutthroat version" of The Office and "a joy" to work on. She makes her on-screen debut in the upcoming fourth and final season of the show.
Following a court appearance Thursday, a B.C. woman facing more than 20 charges – including manslaughter – in connection with alleged druggings of men who used escort services was remanded into custody.
The man killed in West Vancouver earlier this week was a retired urologist who was involved in several legal disputes over valuable real estate, CTV News has learned.
The Tim Houston PC government remains firm in their promise they'll fix the health-care system by spending more taxpayer money on health than any previous government before.
Potato farmers on Prince Edward Island are taking the federal government to court due to the decision to restrict the movement of P.E.I. seed potatoes.
A Victoria man’s life of crime has turned into one of survival, hope and advocacy amid ongoing conversations in the community about how best to tackle public safety matters.
An Ontario man said he was shocked when his truck was stolen not once but twice, and the second time it was taken he was surprised to discover he was no longer covered for theft.
For the first time, the owner of a building in Old Montreal has responded to questions about the fire — through his lawyer — addressing allegations that the building was unsafe.
The political class at the National Assembly has condemned the 'violent' and 'hateful' remarks that columnist Gilles Proulx allegedly made about Quebec solidaire MNAs during Richard Martineau's show on Qub radio in recent weeks.
U.S. President Joe Biden arrived Thursday evening in Ottawa for a whirlwind 27-hour visit expected to focus on both the friendly and thorny aspects of the Canada-U.S. relationship, including protectionism and migration on both sides of the border.
Emergency crews responded to a call for a stabbing on Hartsmere Drive, off Stittsville Main Street, at approximately 7:45 p.m. Thursday. Two police cruisers guarded the parking lot of the Trustee M. Curry Park late Thursday evening.
The Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est has announced plans for a four-day school week pilot-project this fall, becoming the first school board in Ontario to offer families a shortened school week schedule.
The ‘Catch the Ace’ jackpot is still up for grabs in Hagersville. There was no winner Thursday night so the total prize money is now an estimated $1,526,067.
The resurrection of Zellers is officially underway with the Cambridge location opening its doors to eager shoppers who lined up ahead of the store's official reopening.
An alleged victim of a former staff member of Legacy Christian Academy can now be identified after she successfully petitioned in court to have a publication ban lifted.
In the weeks leading up to Wednesday’s provincial budget, school divisions in Saskatchewan were expecting funding levels to increase, with the province repeatedly touting its $1 billion surplus.
The co-owners of a new liquidation store in North Bay, Samuel Quesnel and Chloé Boivenue, say they want to bring a treasure hunt shopping experience to the city.
Amid renewed questions over the pervasiveness of alleged interference by China in Canadian elections and affairs broadly, opposition MPs voted Thursday afternoon to affirm a parliamentary committee's call for the federal government to strike a public inquiry.
Manitoba First Nation police have arrested a man connected with a shooting on March 19 on Long Plain First Nation that resulted in the community going on lockdown.
Manitoba’s labour force is growing at a rate to supply enough workers for available positions into 2026, according to the province’s labour market outlook.
A recent report from the province’s privacy commissioner says the Métis Addictions Council of Saskatchewan Inc. (MACSI) failed to take appropriate steps after patient treatment files were discovered in a recycling bin.
