LONDON

Legion commander says emergency funding a 'lifeline'

Sean Irvine CTV News London multi-media journalist

Published Monday, December 28, 2020 1:30PM EST

Mark Rogers, the Zone 'A' Commander of the Royal Canadian Legion is seen in this undated photo. (Source: Mark Rogers)

Text:

LONDON, ONT. -- The commander of Royal Canadian Legions from London to the Windsor the area says emergency federal funding is a needed lifeline.

Zone 'A' Commander Mark Rogers tells CTV News the money, confirmed by Ottawa just before Christmas, will “help out quite a bit."

Rogers says 28 Royal Canadian Legion branches in the area will receive thousands of dollars each.

The exact breakdown has not been made public, but some area MPs have released figures suggesting the money is in the $10,000 range, per branch.

The funding is part of a $20 million government commitment.

Rogers says, provided the current shutdown is not extended, the money should be enough to help branches pay for losses sustained from closures and staggered periods of reduced hours.

He says branches have had little revenue to pay for electricity, heating, cleaning and general building maintenance.

Some, like the Victory Branch legion in London, were forced to resort to public bottle drives.

But now, Rogers says there’ll be a period of sustainability.

“Overall it’s going to be a pretty big help for the branches, especially now during the second shutdown.”

While there are more than 28 Royal Canadian Legion branches in southwestern Ontario, Rogers says some did not apply in the initial round of funding. He expects they will do so before the next deadline, which is Jan. 15, 2021.

Rogers says the following communities under Zone 'A' Royal Canadian Legion Command now have branches supported under the Veterans Organizations Emergency Support Fund: