Photo: Gagandeep Ghuman
- Classifying it as a club, the district has refused to give the Squamish legion a tax exemption.
- Ed Roberston fears the tax exemption denial will make it difficult for legion to support community organisations.
- At least 64 legions across Canada have closed their doors since 2006, according to a report in the National Post.
By Gagandeep Ghuman
Published: July 6, 2013
The walls of the legion in Garibaldi Estates are adorned with nostalgic memorabilia, images of military grandeur and solemn souvenirs from times of war and peace.
On a wall emblazoned with memories, Ed Robertson sips a beer and explains a different kind of battle being fought by legions across Canada: The battle for relevancy, and survival. The District of Squamish, at least for now, seems to be on the other side. Classifying it as a club, the district has refused to give the legion a tax exemption.
In doing so, the district has flip-flopped on its policy: Two years ago, the legion was granted a tax exemption, and now it’s been stripped again.
In July last year, the district started whittling down the list of organisations that would be eligible for tax exemptions.
The district shortened the list of organisations eligible for tax exemptions from 21 to eight.
Of the nearly 330,000 legion members, fewer than 90,000 have served in the military. Among the 22,000 new members, just 4,700 have military experience. Source: Veteran Affairs.
It suggested that even if the legion lost the tax exemption, it would be eligible for a community enhancement grant.
But this March, the Squamish Legion found out they won’t be tax exempt because they have been classified as a club.
Along with the legion’s bid for $8,000 exemption, the Squamish Valley Rod and Gun Club and the Squamish Flying Club were also turned down for tax exemptions.
Legion president Ed Robertson says the council has mischaracterized them as a club.
“We are not a club, we support veterans, and that has been the focus of legions since we first started,” Robertson said.
Through its successful poppy campaign, Bingo, and meat draws, the legion helps out many local organisations, putting $35,000 back into the community, he noted.
“We donate to hilltop, we donate to cadets, to school programs, scouts, whoever is in need,” he said.
Roberston fears the tax exemption denial will make it difficult to donate money to all the community organisations.
“We will have to tighten out belt somewhere,” he said.
Tax exemption is isn’t the only worry for legion members like Roberston.
Legion memberships across Canada are dwindling as Second World War veterans die, and young veterans decide not to join.
At least 64 legions have closed their doors since 2006, according to a report in the National Post.
Membership at the Squamish legion has stayed the same, but its future remains uncertain.
“It’s a different generation these days,” Robertson says.
Dave says
If there a “last straws” leading to the demise of our Legion Branch then this DOS certainly has doled out the longest one here. Shame, shame…The Legion is a charity organization not just a club. How many others have they chipped away at…The Lions, The Elks, The Rotary etc?…I should have checked before I wrote this but I am a little hot under the collar on this one. The Legion is, and has been for many decades, one of the greatest Social assets to our town.
Appalling!
Nadine says
If the Legion is a club then all places of worship are clubs and the property they own or lease must be subject to taxation.
Dave says
Well done on your comment Nadine.
I should not have referred to the Lions, Elks or the Rotary in this context because I realise that they meet in rented property and do not have their own facilities. But your example is spot on regarding the places of worship.
Something is very wrong here and needs to be addressed. I do not think that they or the legion should have pay taxes nor any organisation which is a charity. The only other alternative would be to tax all regardless and then sadly lose some valuable organisations in this town.
It would be great if we had a Council with more foresight…Ah well!
Michael Enders says
We are now in an era or time that Organizations or Clubs such as the Rotary, Legion, Elks, etc. need to fend for themselves and raise funds to support their financial needs. Nothing wrong with that. What is wrong is when one of these organizations or clubs request funding or breaks in lieu of taxes from government knowing full well that they should be a self-sufficient organization in the first place.
Yes, they give back to the communities, however, is it necessary? The honest answer is no. It is not necessary as community groups would have higher success at fundraising if there was less competition such as these organizations or clubs.
I do strongly believe with Nadine’s comment that churches MUST pay taxes and not be exempt whatsoever as well since they also are an organization. Most of them have or attempted to rent out their facilities to third parties for extra revenue. If they truly believe God will provide then they must NOT be tax exempt.
Our financial economy is hurting. Time to stop exempting and start preempting!
Dave says
Michael.
You should really understand how the Legion works. Most of the money we can raise either goes to Legion Central and gets eaten up in their staff’s salaries and the veteran issues…hopefully more for the latter but that is increasingly debatable.
The rest goes to local charities and not enough is finally allowed by the Legion Central’s rules to go to running our building. If we cannot run our building we will cease to exist in this town. We should not be compared to the Flying Club or the Rod and Gun club.. They do no charity work and should be fully taxed. You would like all clubs including all charity organisations to be taxed equally?…You are a hard man and obviously care little for the consequences! There SHOULD be some differential treatment…my opinion.
Michael Enders says
David… issue is simple. Money. If you cannot properly support something financially then it should not be supported at all. Relying on tax dollars that are better spent on infrastructure (for example) is not something I would like to see be given to any organization profit or non-profit.
I am also against community grants that council wishes to do every year.
Tax paying dollars should go to where the majority of the tax-payers want it to go… and for the time being that is back on their properties since residential, commercial, and even industrial rates continue to rapidly rise year after year!
Dave says
Michael.
What a great character inspiration you would have been for Charles Dickens!
Mrs. Menin says
Surely it is not the mandate of the Legion groups to solicit money from the public, and then donate behind our backs it to “civilian” charities of their choice. We are quite able to do this ourselves without this middleman cost.
One wonder how many former service men/women are actually in these groups now, considering the number of the ones who chose not to join the body. Lots of war veterans on our family trees, as well as war dead/fallen, and none thought this meant lifetime entitlement to social perqs.
Of interest is what happens when this group no longer hold trademark on the annual poppy device design – does anyone know when it could be up for grabs? What one can say for the Canadian Legion is that it has protected the McCrae imagery from the increasing vulgarities and commercializations in other countries, and generally kept us the most respectful disciplined of the poppy-using nations.