'We'll fight to the end': Lasalle legion overwhelmed by outpouring of support

Ray Cormie may not be a military veteran, but he has been instrumental in the fight to keep the Royal Canadian Legion in Lasalle open.

The legion was given an ultimatum by the City of Montreal earlier this fall, saying that they had until Nov. 4 to settle the total of $54,000 in back taxes it owed the city for 2017 and 2018.

Thanks to an outpouring of donations from the community, the legion announced in October that it would be able to stay open in its current location. 

Cormie, the president of Legion Branch 212​, comes from a family of soldiers.

"My grandfather, he fought in the First World War, and he was one of the fortunate ones that came back," said Cormie.  "My father was a merchant marine in the Second World War."

He said that in light of everything that has happened with the legion in the last few months, everyone is feeling grateful for the influx of support.

"We've had a lot of good support from a lot of people," Cormie told CBC News in October. "There's a lot of good people out there, and they have definitely reached out to us, and we're forever grateful for all their donations."

The organization lost its tax-exempt charitable status in 2013 and saw its annual property taxes jump from $3,000 per year to $30,000. 

It had to wait five years before it could reapply for tax-exempt status, he said, and it did so on June 28 of this year.

In the meantime, though, the legion was struggling to pay its sky-high tax bill.

Now with the 2018 poppy campaign in full swing, Cormie is looking ahead to the Nov. 11 Remembrance Day memorials, which fall on the centennial of the armistice.

For Cormie, holding onto the memories of those who died in service of their country is as important as ever.

"It's not just remembering those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, but remembering those who are still serving," he said. "We only learn from our mistakes. If you don't learn from that then we have a real big problem."

Bruce Allan, who has been involved with the legion in Lasalle for 30 years, also joined out of respect for his father — a Second World War veteran and prisoner of war.

"My dad fought the war many times through us, turning over the tables, thinking we were the enemy coming at him," he recalled. "It affects the whole family. You know, you live through the war with them."

He said the legion means a lot to him and to the veterans who use its services.

In addition to supporting Canadian military veterans and RCMP members, the legion also hosts a variety of community events, such as weddings, church group meetings and activities for seniors.

"When this place was going to close, I thought, We'll fight to the end," Allan said. "We will keep on fighting to make sure they don't take this home away. The veterans consider this place their home and so do we."

Allan said he felt touched by the community's efforts to help raise funds for the legion.

"It really brought back what the legion means to a lot of people," he said.

The Lasalle legion will hold its Remembrance Day ceremony on Sunday at 3 p.m.