Like every bar and eatery on the Sunshine Coast, the Sechelt Legion has suffered from COVID restrictions, which have reduced capacity and entertainment opportunities, vital to pay the bills. On top of this, it’s been hit hard by a hefty rent increase, which must be paid along with the mortgage and property taxes on the new building it still cannot use.
This building, purchased in 2019, remains vacant. While the District of Sechelt was close to approving a development permit last summer, the BC government required a Phase 2 environmental survey, because the site was previously used as an automotive repair shop. The survey took over four months to complete for a sum of just over $50,000, a cost that jeopardized the building project and the very future of the Sechelt Legion.
Enter a good samaritan. In early December, without fanfare and on the condition of anonymity, the local individual donated $50,000 to the Legion’s building fund. The executive and members were blown away by this generous and selfless act and are exceptionally grateful.
Despite this extraordinary boon, Sechelt’s Legion isn’t out of the woods yet.
At the beginning of 2022, rent on their current facility was raised by one-third. This, added to nearly two years of COVID restrictions, compounded by the difficulty of finding servers and kitchen staff continue to hamper operations.
As part of their ongoing effort to stay strong and continue their long-established contributions to their traditional beneficiaries, the Legion has rebranded itself as The 140 Legion Bar & Grill. With the addition of Chef Charles Carter in January 2021, and a liquor licence that allows admission to anyone over 19 years of age without the requirement of a member’s signature, the Legion has taken a long step forward.
They serve great food at some of the lowest prices on the Sunshine Coast, including on premium draft beers. Every dollar a patron spends here helps the Legion ensure its future, helps it to support veterans and their families, helps it to keep Remembrance Day alive, and helps it to support the communities of Sechelt and Halfmoon Bay through charitable donations.
You choose where to spend your hard-earned money, so why not choose a venue with quality products at lower prices, and which also has a mandate to support your community?
