Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Alana Ross was at the Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans (ANAVETS) in downtown Prince Albert to tout the success of the Saskatchewan Veterans Service Club Support Program.
For the second consecutive year, the Saskatchewan Veterans Service Club Support Program has been fully subscribed in one intake.
Introduced in 2019-20, the program provides grants up to $30,000 to organizations such as Legion branches, Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans (ANAVETS) units and more.
Ross said the popularity of the program shows just how important it is.
“It was just implemented in 2019 and we’ve been fully subscribed,” she said. “It just shows the importance of this grant. Based on what I’ve heard and with the previous event we had and this event, it is so appreciated.”
When the intake opened, the government hosted a similar event at the Legion Branch in Prince Albert.
The grant is used to support facility upgrades, operations, events and other activities to advance the work and help strengthen the long-term sustainability of veteran service organizations throughout the province.
“It’s providing essential work and upgrades in our facilities because some of them they’re just like us, they’re starting to get a little age,” Ross said. “As that happens they start needing some upgrades and we’re very pleased as the government to be able to support this type of initiative from our organization.
Also speaking at the event were Legion/ Saskatchewan Command President Carol Pedersen and ANAVETs President Floyd LaVallee.
The ANAVETS themselves have used the program six times. Ross said that between the two veterans service clubs in Prince Albert more than $286,000 has been invested.
She said essential matters like sewer and roofs were dealt with to help bring service clubs up to code.
For 2025-26, grants of up to $30,000 were provided to 67 Legion branches, ANAVETS units, and other registered, non-profit veterans organizations across the province.
Pedersen said many branches shut their doors during COVID-19, and this funding became vital
“How do you fundraise and pay the bills? It became an absolute lifeline at that time,” Pedersen explained. “Since that point our branches are functioning again, (and) we have been able to do repairs.
“Our one of our mottos is service to others before self and with most branches it would mean the funds that are being raised are being spent on community or veterans and not on fixing our own our own facilities, so unfortunately our facilities fell behind and they needed some heavy-duty maintenance to sustain them.”
One example Pedersen gave was the Melfort Legion Hall, which is located in an old SaskTel building in downtown Melfort. That building was able to replace a 100-year-old boiler thanks to the grant.
“Boilers are very expensive. I don’t think they would have been able to do it without that assistance. That hall is very vital to the community of Melfort and it’s vital to the Legion and they’re very veteran oriented, so it means a tremendous amount,” Pedersen said.
Legions are also vital community hubs. Pedersen gave the example of the Legion in her home of Star City.
“At one time the Girl Guides used it. There are no longer guides in town, but the 4H has used it. It’s a pretty nice sized hall. Regular families rented it for Christmas and birthday parties. It’s pretty well used.”
Last year, ANAVETS Unit 222, in Prince Albert, received more than $28,400 to help update the plumbing in the lounge. In previous years, Unit 222 received funding to repair electrical and air conditioning, new flooring, replace the furnace, replace the bar counter and upgrade their parking lot lighting.
For 2025-26, Unit 222 received $23,280 to perform renovations to the downstairs auditorium which includes relocation and repair of the stage, building a storage room, as well as other modifications to create a more functional room layout to host larger events. Gary Johnson the ANAVETs Third Vice President is in charge of the upgrades and said the renovations will help the club gain revenue.
“The project this year is going to be to get the basement up to a level where we can rent it out and making some revenue to help pay for bills and things,” Johnson said.
He said that the ANAVETs have replaced flooring and improved the look of the upstairs.
“We are looking at a building that’s getting close to 100 years old here. Now, a lot of things need to be replaced, like electrical wiring, which was one of the previous grants that it was used for. As well as furnace, we used air conditioning. These things are just things that wear out too,” he explained.
Johnson said the grants have been vital to the well-being of the club. The building has been used by the ANAVETs since 1971 and is over 100 years old
“It’s an old building and it needs a lot of maintenance over the years. Like we could do Band-aids, but without this grant program we wouldn’t be able to do that,” Johnson said.
LaVallee said that the club itself is doing very well.
“We’re doing pretty good. Our membership is up to just about 300 and we’re still working on it. We’re having events here to help us bring people in and make a little money to on the side, so it’s working pretty good so far.”
The program is delivered collaboratively by the Royal Canadian Legion Saskatchewan Command, the Saskatchewan ANAVETS and the Government of Saskatchewan.
More information about the program, guidelines, applications and eligibility are available through the Royal Canadian Legion Saskatchewan Command.
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
