Awesome Memories

Just the mere mention of how the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 47 came about in Labrador City draws smiles on the faces of the treasured three remaining veterans.

Back in 1960, when veterans Norman Peckham and Joan Robertson arrived in Labrador City, there was no social gathering place for veterans, even though there was a fine crowd of war veterans in the newly established northern town.

Original building

It wasn't long before there was an effort made to get their own Royal Canadian Legion branch and a concentrated effort went in from many people throughout the town.

"We raised enough money -through one means or another-and we bought a building down at Ross Bay Junction," Mr. Peckham recalled the development. "We paid $30,000 for the building, which belonged to a contractor; I believe the name was Pentagon. It was a camp the workers stayed in."

The building, he explained, had to be dissembled before it was shipped up to Labrador City on a train flat cart, courtesy of the Iron Ore Company of Canada. The sections were dropped off on the original site, where the Labrador West Youth Centre currently is.

"We all went down [to Ross Bay Junction], the veterans and so forth, and we all took it apart then we put it back together," Mr. Peckham explained while smiling at the memory. "It was a real good team effort getting that building up and putting it together. A lot of people with a lot of skills; for sure there was a good 50 or 60."

Spiffing it up

And the effort was not only put in by the men, there was plenty of elbow grease put in by the women in the community as well, as Joan Robertson recalled.

"Oh I do, remember it well," Mrs. Robertson chimed in. "It was a big deal at that time and you have to remember the Lieutenant Governor and his wife were coming in to [officially] open it, so it all had to be spiffed up."

It was a project they said that made all those who contributed very proud when it was finally opened. It was an important building because it was a haven for those veterans and ex-service members who shared experiences that only each other could really appreciate and understand.

"The first president here in Labrador City was Ken Kidder-he was father of actress Margot Kidder," Dave Flannigan, the current president, was quick to point out.

About a year and a half after the building was opened, the members made a decision to move it to the current site at the end of MacParland Dr.

"We moved it across the parking lot from where we are now," said Mr. Peckham laughing. "It was all woods there then, so we kind of moved back in the woods."

Good times they had

Three years after the building was opened, Al Burford showed up in Labrador City to work with IOC.

It was a certainly a different era, as he described, and even though he is a veteran from the Korean War, his first year in the north didn't allow him to get heavily involved with the Legion, he simply didn't have the time.

"When I first came here we were working 12-hour shifts, seven days a week," Mr. Burford recalled. "But I eventually got involved and there are lots of good memories that is for sure. At five o'clock in the evening the place would be blocked, a lot made a straight cut from IOC to the legion. When I moved in here I had the last house on Hudson [Drive] and I could leave my house and drive through the woods right to the legion."

Mrs. Robertson and Mr. Peckham, nodded and chuckled in agreement.

"I remember the Saturday night dances when we'd have to turn people away," Mrs. Robertson cut in. "It was the only thing going on in town, back in the day. Oh yes, there were big crowds for every dance that is for sure."

There was a 'members only' rule but any member could sponsor a friend or a few friends on any given occasion.

"You could sponsor your buddies in, but it meant you were responsible for them," explained Mr. Peckham. "Once you left, they had to leave with you."

With chuckle, Mr. Burford added, "But it didn't always happen that way."

Always a crowd

President Dave Flannigan couldn't go as far back as the three who sat reminiscing on the sofa, but his 35-year membership has yielded him some fond memories as well.

"Wednesday nights," he exclaimed. "My God they would have Wednesday night dances over at the old building and the only way you could get in to the dance is if you went to Bingo first, which was held prior to the dance. Even the men would go to Bingo just to make sure they got into the dance, 'cause I did it myself."

When asked how many patrons the old building would allow back then, the answer was mixed.

"It would hold about 100," said the current president.

"We didn't have a fire chief then, so there were many times it held 200," said Mr. Peckham added with a jolly laugh.

It was obvious the small group could talk for hours on the early years and the trip down memory lane was an enjoyable one, as their smiling faces told.

There have been many changes, they said. The old building was eventually condemned by the members and a new and larger facility was built (the one that's there today) back in 1980.

A place to commemorate

The Branch continues to this day to commemorate the sacrifices of the veterans and that element will always remain, promises the president.

"We hope it will always be here," said Mrs. Robertson. "I think of all the service people serving in Afghanistan now. When they come out, they will need somewhere like this to gather."

Had the Legion not be established in Labrador City all those years ago, she says there definitely would have been a void.

Mr. Peckman, nods in agreement, "Yes, that is for sure. I don't know who would have filled that void if it wasn't here."

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