SUNDRE – The new president of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #223 in Sundre recently expressed optimism about the organization’s future.
Jim Meitl, who was sworn in on Saturday, Jan. 18 at the local hall during the annual installation of officers ceremony, also offered some insight into plans for the year ahead.
Having previously served over the past couple of years as the local organization’s poppy campaign chair, Meitl said he was initially reluctant to run for the presidency on account of having been diagnosed with cancer and currently going through chemotherapy.
“But I feel great; I’m handling it well,” he told the Albertan.
Meitl had frequented Sundre since the late ’90s when he met his future wife and ultimately settled near town in the McDougal Flats area where they built a home in 2006 after getting married.
Sworn in alongside him were: Christina Ferguson, vice-president; Jim McAllister, treasurer; and Heather Rayner, secretary.
Karen Bruens, District 5 Commander, attended the ceremony to swear in the officers and Meitl was encouraged by her feedback.
“A lot of the other legions are having a problem filling all the slots and having people step up,” he said.
“Sundre is doing remarkably well ... not only are we installing new members, but these members are volunteering and are unbelievable help to the legion. So it’s really quite an exciting time for the legion coming into 2025.”
Asked what are among the issues facing the Sundre legion, he said the past year had involved a substantial investment of time as well as some funding to the tune of approximately $20,000 to fix up the hall’s exterior.
“It needed painting, it needed siding – it needed a lot of things,” he said, adding an extension of that effort will continue this year on the building’s interior.
“The flooring and painting the walls and getting rid of old noisy fans and things like that,” he said.
Meitl said he had also mounted new historical maps on the walls providing information on conflicts including the First and Second World War.
Additionally, he said the legion is looking at working with the town on developing plans to introduce memorial banners in conjunction with Remembrance Day.
“We want to put those banners in November up along the streets where you have the picture of the veteran and then a little (bio) that says something about them,” he said.
Starting with all of the local veterans from the Boer War as well as the First and Second World War, the project could eventually expand to include others from the surrounding area, he said.
Furthermore, Meitl said the legion is planning “a very big push to increase membership” and aspires to establish the legion as a community hub where people gather to play games and socialize.
“We have a shuffleboard, we have a pool table now, we have darts, we have cribbage,” he said. “We want to make the legion a place where people want to go and have fun with their friends.”
The legion meets on the first Mondays of the month. Visit rcl223.ca for more information. Alternatively, Meitl said he can be reached at 403-638-5224.
“Anybody can join,” he said. “You don’t have to be a veteran. You don’t have to be related to a veteran. Anyone can join the legion.”
Offering some parting thoughts, Meitl wanted to recognize the legion’s past leadership, especially over the past few years.
“The people who have served in the past have kept the legion open through some really, really tough times,” he said.
“They’ve all worked very, very hard over the last number of years and we couldn’t have done it without them,” he said.
“It’s a lot of work, and we wouldn’t be here without the help of all these folks.”
For his part, the outgoing president said the legion now has a good crew in place.
“There was a good transition,” said Todd MacDonald, who soon plans to move to New Glasgow, N.S. where he intends to retire in about three years after completing his military service.
“I’ve put in a good amount of time and I’m looking forward to retirement,” said MacDonald, who’ll be wrapping up his career as a captain.
“I’m going to try and find as many ponds as I can to fish,” he said. “They got some good-sized trout.”
After being involved with the 3025 Didsbury Army Cadets, he for now intends to continue along a similar path and already has another corps lined up – the 285 Antigonish Army Cadets.
“It’s just going to be a step across – way across,” he said.
Reflecting on his years of service in Sundre, he said, “I’ve loved it here – absolutely loved it here. It’s just a beautiful town with beautiful people.”
Asked what he’ll miss the most, he chuckled and said, “It’d be a plug – Original T’s. We love T’s and we love the back country. But most of all, it’s the people – love the people.”
