Fading legacy: Calgary’s century-old Legion No. 1

Khaoula Choual, Staff Writer

A waft of old, stale wood greets visitors passing through the limestone archway marking the building’s entrance. Walking through the lobby, the floorboards creak with every step, as a handful of lightbulbs radiate a soft glow, revealing dusty portraits and veteran medals. Inside is a quiet darkness—not one of absence, but one of remembrance.

Located downtown on 7 Avenue SE, the Royal Canadian Legion Calgary No.1 Branch was once a home for veterans or children of veterans, a place to unwind, create community, dance, and laugh. 

In 1922, the building was initially used by the Great War Veterans Club, which was established in Winnipeg in 1916 to honour those who fought in the First World War. Five years later, the building was rebranded as Alberta’s first legion.

Its 103-year-old brick and mortar has welcomed countless dignitaries, veterans, and their respective families over the years. But Philip MacAulay, president of the Royal Canadian Legion Calgary No. 1 Branch, says the building has long started to show its age.

MacAulay says the decline of the building started in 1992, and that issues like the roof have been brushed to the side since. The total estimated cost to replace the roof is $350,000—not including repairs to the east side of the roof, which have already been completed for $42,000. 

Having only received $10,200 from the provincial government, MacAulay says that the rest came from the Legion’s pockets, and that the roofing project is still five years away from being checked off their to-do list. 

Money a massive hurdle, says president 

Because it’s a historic site, MacAulay says the biggest obstacle to obtaining funding is getting grants from the province and the city. This is due to how the Legion is required to get approval from the government to proceed with the repairs.

“Dealing with the government, that’s basically the big thing… because everything you do, you have to go through the [government], it’s not like I can go out and hire a contractor and start the job,” says MacAulay. 

The Legion No. 1 branch has faced many financial struggles over the last couple of years, with the first being the construction of the Bow Building, which shut them down in 2008 and 2009. 

Then, during the pandemic, the building was shut down for another two years. Although the building was closed, bills still needed paying, and during the 2013 flood, the Legion went into the negatives, paying $50,000 in repairs. 

MacAulay says that despite the shutdown of the building, they still were required to pay the bills, which were anywhere from $42,000 to $45,000.

“They don’t give you no break. You have to pay the bills. You have to pay the bills regardless,” says MacAulay. 

Fundraising is challenging because the Legion No.1 is a not-for-profit organisation, meaning it cannot issue tax receipts. After all, it is not a charity and does not have a charity number, which impacts fundraising opportunities.

They still receive restoration efforts like funding, and they rent out the building to a multitude of organisations, like CJSW, and hosting plays like The War Brides, which is coming on Nov. 2, and also hosting wrestling events. All the money earned from these events is going into repairs.

The Legion No. 1 has over 400 members, and 100 of those members have served in the Canadian Armed Forces. Just like the building has aged, so have its members—who say they’re both holding on and still standing. 

Wayne Morin has been a member of the Legion for over 50 years and employed by them for the last 30 years. He has a close relationship with the building. It’s the place where he and his buddies can meet up once a week on Fridays, have a beer, and just laugh, and it’s the place where he met his wife, Sylvia “Syl” Kennedy-Morin, whose father was part of the Calgary No. 1 Legion and served in the Canadian Navy during the Second World War. 

The Legion was a vibrant area that even had a Gentlemen’s Club, which Kennedy-Morin infiltrated and broke the rules of a men-only club. 

Framed portraits of Canadian veterans hang in the hall of Calgary Legion No. 1 on Oct. 31, 2025. Photo by Khaoula Choual

Fred Otway has also been a member for over 50 years. He joined the Legion No. 1 “originally, to eat,”  but along the way, he met some friends. Today, they get together every Friday for a beer to talk about their week.

He thought the place would be shut down by now due to the declining membership and pending repairs. 

“I said 10 years ago that it would be shut down by now, but it’s still here,” says Otway.

Otway says the number of legions in Calgary has become few and far between. 

“There used to be about 30—now there’s about eight,” says Otway. “We haven’t had any new members for a long time.”

Kennedy-Morin is passionate about this building. She has fond memories of the place and her father and has been a part of the Legion No. 1 since she was 18. Many members raised the concern of the building being bulldozed. 

Kennedy-Morin says she’ll “fight it every step of the way.”  

For the veterans and their families that still walk through its door, it’s not just a building to them—it’s a living reminder of service, connection, and keeping history alive for the next generation.

For more information on the Royal Canadian Legion No.1, visit their website https://onelegionyyc.ca/.