‘Success story’: Iqaluit legion bouncing back from financial stress
President credits cleared property tax bill and membership drive for recovery
Members of the 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group participate in the annual elders feast Tuesday hosted by the Royal Canadian Legion branch 168 in Iqaluit. (Photo by Daron Letts)
The dining room was abuzz Tuesday morning at Royal Canadian Legion branch 168 in Iqaluit as the organization hosted its second annual elders feast alongside members of the Canadian Rangers and RCMP V Division.
“We couldn’t have done that two years ago,” said John Graham, legion president. “The last four or five years have been pretty desperate around these parts. We were totally against the wall.”
Last year, the legion owed more than $1 million in property tax arrears to the City of Iqaluit.

John Graham was re-acclaimed this week for another two-year term as president of Royal Canadian Legion branch 168 in Iqaluit. (Photo by Daron Letts)
“That’s resolved. That’s cleared,” said Graham. “The tax bill was wiped out.”
The legion settled the bill in August by selling off its three properties to the Molloy Group, from which the organization now leases its space.
This year also saw a successful membership drive.
The COVID-19 pandemic shutdown “decimated” membership, Graham said, with numbers plummeting from 1,800 to barely 200.
That was closely followed by a spike in food and freight expenses that put the legion into a financial tailspin as debts piled up.
Today the legion’s membership is back up to nearly 800, though membership fees dropped from $80 to $50 for the year. Online membership applications and renewals through the legion website made a difference too, Graham said.
“I mean, we’re not totally out of the woods yet, from a financial standpoint, but it’s encouraging to see the amount of membership,” he said.
“It jumped really substantially in the last 12 months. So that’s a success story there.”
The legion has increased its dining room food prices while lowering drink prices at the bar. More events are planned to draw people in, Graham said.
The legion dedicated $68,550 to eight charitable and social initiatives in the community this past year, ranging from Rotary Club food hampers to Iqaluit Bombers softball.
“Things are encouraging,” he said. “We’ve still got a long way to go, financially, but the legion is being slowly revitalized. Everything looks positive.”
A barrage of break-ins has not helped with the recovery, he said, estimating the legion has seen about $96,000 in damage and loss incurred by thieves.
The legion operates with 28 full-time staff and five regular volunteers.
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