Oromocto Legion Destroyed by Fire

[1feral1]

For me, the loss would not be the memories, but the one-of-a-kind historical artifacts/collection lost forever, which can never be replaced.

A dark day.

OWDU

 

[Wookilar]

I was shocked when I drove by the other day. Must have been under a rock because I had no idea, I just wanted to go to Timmies.

Damn shame, a lot of artifacts in there. Always had a great Christmas party in the hall.

Wook

 

[vonGarvin]

Finally got the photos uploaded, etc:

 

[1feral1]

Does anyone have any pics of this RCL before the fire??

Cheers,

OWDU

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Does anyone have any pics of this RCL before the fire??

Cheers,

OWDU

Wes you can go to google maps and type in Oromocto Legion, then go to street view.

 

[Edward Campbell]

ArmyVern posted the link here, on the first page.

 

[1feral1]

Thanks for the info.

Is there a link to any pics of historical items lost? If not, does anyone have any memories of these items, or one in particular?

Again, cheers,

Wes

 

[Timmy!]

I hope his scars won't go away. Let it haunt him for the rest of the reject's life. I have no room for dumbasses like him.  :yellow:

 

[BillN]

Wes,

The last time I was in that Legion (1986) it was full of Black Watch items from the days when 1st & 2nd BW were stationed there.  I'm sure that a lot of RCR items would have been added over time as well.

Bill

Edit for cr*p spelling!

Thanks for the info.

Is there a link to any pics of historical items lost? If not, does anyone have any memories of these items, or one in particular?

Again, cheers,

Wes

 

[Nfld Sapper]

For all you wonder it seems that:


Oromocto legion to rebuild after arson
Members hope to have new building up by Remembrance Day
Last Updated: Monday, June 14, 2010 | 3:30 PM AT .
CBC News

The RCMP say the Oromocto legion was deliberately set on fire on Thursday. There have been no arrests but police have identified possible suspects. (CBC)

Royal Canadian Legion members in Oromocto are hoping that by Remembrance Day they'll have rebuilt their legion hall, which was devastated by an arsonist late Thursday evening.

The fire erupted just before midnight and was discovered by a bartender.

Fire crews from Oromocto, Fredericton and New Maryland came to help battle the fire, but within a few hours, the structure was destroyed.

RCMP confirmed on the weekend that the fire was deliberately set.

Gone with the building are all the medals, pictures and other valuable memorabilia.

'Our dream is to have something up and functional by Remembrance Day.'
— Rev. Lisa Greenwood

Rev. Lisa Greenwood, a legion member and a retired military chaplain, said the loss and the news that the fire was set by an arsonist have been hard for everyone in the community.

"Our dream is to have something up and functional by Remembrance Day — that would be quite nice," Greenwood said.

Greenwood, who served on the legion's executive three times, said the outpouring of support has been overwhelming.

"We will be rebuilding. People will rally up," she said.

RCMP said they are investigating more than one person. However, they wouldn't confirm that one of the suspects was injured in the fire.

"I cannot confirm anything at this point with regards to the suspects without divulging crucial information that would be part of the investigation," RCMP Cpl. Yann Audoux said.

Audoux said RCMP are hoping for tips from the public.

The legion branch is located near CFB Gagetown.

 

[mariomike]

Friday, July 9, 2010
"RCMP arrest man in Oromocto Legion fire":
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/07/09/nb-oromocto-legion-fire-rcmp-arrest-1033.html

 

[The Bread Guy]

This from the Fredericton Daily Gleaner:

Oromocto's Royal Canadian Legion is considering a novel approach to replacing its destroyed building.

Branch No. 93 President Harold Perrin said the legion is looking at an offer that would see the military donate land and build a single-storey structure in the town. Once constructed, it would be leased back to the organization.

"They're willing to build it for us," Perrin said Tuesday. "We would still be a Royal Canadian Legion and we would still function as a Royal Canadian Legion membership."

The branch has been without a permanent home since someone deliberately set the building - loaded with artifacts and legion memorabilia - on fire late on the evening of June 10. Everything was destroyed.

The military option is one of three being examined by the legion.

Other possibilities include: constructing another building on the legion's land on Restigouche Road or selling that property and renting a building in the area.

Looked at earlier, but dismissed by membership, was the possibility of closing the branch and amalgamating with another legion.

All options will be examined further, and a decision on which path to follow will be made at a branch meeting Sept. 16.

"Our membership will make the decision," Perrin said. "They will decide what they want and we will go by that."

A spokesperson for Canadian Fores Base Gagetown confirmed Tuesday that an offer was made to the legion but it came from the Canadian Forces Personnel Support Agency at the national level, a wing of the Forces responsible for administering non-public property on behalf of the chief of defence staff.

No one from the organization was available for comment.

Perrin said the site being looked at is a piece of property owned by the military and situated across from the Scholtens store on Restigouche Road ....

 

[George Wallace]

This is an interesting move.  Perhaps this is a way someone has thought up to eventually move the Messes off the Bases and into the local community, and open to all Serving and Former members.  Indeed an interesting thought.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Reviving necrothread with the latest....

Veterans held a ceremony in Oromocto on Thursday to mark the site of the town's new legion, replacing the building that was destroyed by fire in 2010.

The Oromocto legion, was destroyed in June 2010, during a major fire. Fire crews from Oromocto, Fredericton and New Maryland all came to help fight the blaze, but within a few hours, the structure was destroyed.

All of the legion's medals, pictures and other valuable memorabilia were lost in the blaze.

"All our visitations to the schools that we had every year on Remembrance Day, they're all gone," Harold Perrin, past president, said at the time.

Thursday's ceremony commemorating the start of construction on the $857,000 building was made possible in part by the efforts of the military at CFB Gagetown, the Town of Oromocto, and the federal and provincial governments ....  Construction will be complete by spring ....

CBC.ca, 22 Sept 11