The Weyburn branch of the Royal Canadian Legion held their grand reopening ceremony for the hall on Saturday morning, with the cutting of a length of duct tape, and serving a special cake, along with meat draws through the day, and a cabaret in the evening.
The duct tape used for the ribbon-cutting ceremony was symbolic of how the Legion Hall had been running in the past number of years, said Bill Ruckaber, the head of maintenance for the hall.
“I had many long days and sleepless nights before we could finish this project,” he said, noting they now have a state-of-the-art HVAC system for heating and cooling the large facility.
Climatek installed the new HVAC system, and Prairie Lightning did the electrical work, with representatives of those companies on hand for the grand reopening on Saturday.
Ruckaber said for years the hall was kept running with “hay wire and duct tape”, but now with the renovations and installation of new equipment, he wanted to use a length of duct tape to symbolize the end of that era for the Legion.
“No more duct tape,” he said, before the group gathered to see Legion president Fran Oudot cut the tape.
The dignitaries on hand for the ceremony included Mayor Marcel Roy, Weyburn-Big Muddy MLA Dustin Duncan, and representing the federal government, Yvonne Jones, the federal constituency office assistant.
The Conservative candidate, Dr. Robert Kitchen, was present for the ceremony, but was not able to take part in the ceremony as the incumbent MP for the riding.
In his remarks, Mayor Roy noted the Legion “is a very important part of the community. They offer support for veterans, and officers with the RCMP and our city police. It’s important to have access to these services for a high quality of life.”
He added that it’s good to see the hard work and dedication of the members, and the support of the community, in support of the Legion’s work.
“These upgrades are essential to the operation of the Legion,” he added.
Duncan paid tribute to all those who contributed with their time and efforts in completing the renovations, and noted that the province has established a fund to help facilities for veterans, including the Legion. The Weyburn Legion has qualified to receive the maximum grant of $5,000 this year.
