At their peak almost 25 years ago, Royal Canadian Legion branches were an energetic hub of social fun and activism in small towns and urban centres across the country.
Members gathered by the dozens to play cards, shoot pool and drink when they weren't donating countless hours of their time to help fellow war veterans and strangers in their hometowns.
Today's legions are still balancing those activities but attendance is down and there are fewer volunteers because of a free-falling membership count that threatens to shutter even more branches.
"Almost all branches are experiencing some problems with retaining membership," Robyn Zettler, a spokeswoman for Ontario provincial command, said of the province's 412 branches.
"They're hanging in there," she told CP24.com.
As the non-profit organization struggles to add new members, especially younger veterans, and is decimated by older veterans' deaths, it may be entering the most critical stage in its 86-year history.
In the mid-1980s, Canada's largest veterans' organization boasted 6,800 branches and 600,000 members. Those numbers have dwindled to 1,500 branches and 340,000 members (133,000 in Ontario) because older veterans from the Second World War and Korean War are dying and modern-day veterans aren't joining.
The legion has been losing more than 10,000 members a year, forcing struggling branches to close or amalgamate, with many more on the brink.
To ensure its survival, the RCL is shifting its focus and ramping up efforts to recruit younger veterans who served in the 1991 Gulf War, Afghanistan and overseas peacekeeping missions.
Branches will bounce back: official
Bob Butt, a spokesman for the legion's dominion command in Ottawa, is confident branches will accomplish that and bounce back.
"I think it will start to grow again," Butt said. "We're sure the legion will turn around and it will be driven by the amount of people in the Canadian Forces. The legion is the legion and it will continue to serve its communities, its veterans and the cause of remembrance."
With 475 members, East Toronto Branch 11, on Dawes Road, has lost almost half of the 900 members it had 20 years ago, although its ladies auxiliary is still going strong, said secretary Cathy Cole.
Cole isn't certain what the future holds, but she remains optimistic.
"That's an unknown question," Cole said. "To try to replace members (we lose) with new members is very difficult."
(Click here to view a photo gallery of East Toronto Branch 11)
In the last two years, at least four Toronto branches have been forced to amalgamate.
Founded after the First World War, only veterans were allowed to join in the beginning, but membership opened to their relatives in 1972.
The legion took a big step in 2008 when it allowed Canadians without military ties to join, but the full impact still isn't clear. Critics worried an influx of people without military connections would alienate veterans looking for a place to hang out with fellow veteranas and put the legion at risk of losing its identity and tradition.
'Welcome home' ceremonies
To foster a bond with modern-day veterans, legion branches with Afghanistan veterans recently welcomed them home with a series of ceremonies, but reports at the time indicated many events attracted few Afghanistan veterans.
The legion also spearheaded campaigns to regularly send gifts and cards to troops in Afghanistan, and is trying to bring itself into the modern era with online resources for veterans.
The recruiting effort has its challenges.
The current pool of veterans is much smaller than what it was after the Second World War, when one million Canadians were in uniform, Butt said.
Legions are competing with other service groups, such as Rotary Clubs and Lions Clubs, that are also hurting from declining membership, and are trying to woo people who already lead busy lives.
"The demands on a young family are much greater these days," Zettler said. "A lot aren't at a point where they're ready to join a service club or they don't have the time."
The challenges don't end there. With fewer members, branches are bringing in less money from annual member dues - about $40 to $50, depending on the branch - and they're paying higher property taxes and building maintenance fees for aging facilities.
Legions not just a place to drink
Branch executives are also trying to nix the popular belief that legions are just a fun place to drink.
Cole said being a member is a rewarding experience, pointing to the volunteer work members do in the community.
Branches run poppy drives that raise money for things such as vulnerable ex-service members and housing and care facilities for the elderly and disabled, hold Remembrance Day services and marches, organize visits for veterans in hospitals, help homeless veterans and sponsor youth activities.
"Wherever help is needed in the community, we're there to assist," Butt said.
Outside of community work, branches provide a social atmosphere where members and guests chat over drinks, play games like darts and horseshoes, and listen to live music.
East Toronto Branch 11 member David Johnson said people are mistaken if they think veterans just sit around and trade old war stories.
"It's the camaraderie and the banter," Johnson said of the social aspect he enjoys. "I wish more young people would join."
Some legions thriving
In hard times, some legions are thriving and growing their footprint in their community.
A shining example is Branch 641 in Barrhaven, just outside of Ottawa, which has gone from 50 members to almost 500 since it opened six years ago, said past-president Ernie Hughes.
The branch is flourishing because it's located in a modern strip mall in a growing suburb, and it's finding ways to reach young people.
"We stepped outside the box a little bit and we did away with some old rules," Hughes said.
For example, the branch sponsors a local adult baseball team and scrapped an old rule barring people from wearing hats indoors as a way to attract the team for post-game drinks.
Hats cannot be worn during official meetings and Remembrance Day service.
While his branch grows, Hughes feels for struggling branches that are rapidly losing members and worries they will close or be forced to amalgamate.
"They should be looking at younger members, like younger reservists and people in their community," Hughes said.
