Royal Canadian Legion branch to be sold after being infiltrated by bikers
CBC
The Woodbridge branch of the Royal Canadian Legion has been shut down by the national body for an unusual reason: It had been infiltrated by outlaw motorcycle gang members.
The decision by the Legion's national executive was delivered in a letter to members of Branch 414, also known as the MacKenzie branch, dated Feb. 12.
"It is with great sorrow that I inform you that the charter of the MacKenzie branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, Ontario Provincial Command has been revoked due to the branch's overt association with outlaw motorcycle groups," says the letter, signed by the Legion's provincial president, Derek Moore.
"The overt wearing of outlaw motorcycle club colours at Legion events and premises is contrary to the Legion's Articles of Faith and disrespectful of the sacrifices made by our Veterans."
The letter suggests the MacKenzie members transfer to nearby Legion branches.
Pam Sweeny, executive director of the Legion's Ontario Command, wouldn't talk to CBC Toronto about the situation other than to say this is the first time motorcycle gang members have found their way onto a legion branch's membership list.
It's not the first time the branch has found itself in the headlines though. Last year, the branch's former president and former treasurer were charged with fraud over $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime.
Police allege more than $33,000 was stolen from the branch between 2017 and 2019. There's no indication that the theft and biker infiltration are linked.
As of Wednesday, the branch was locked up after 75 years of operation. CBC Toronto has reached out to former Mackenzie members but has not yet received any responses.
It's not clear which outlaw motorcycle gangs were using the branch and for how long, or why.
In the letter, the Legion's Ontario Command says it was tipped off by police that some of its members appeared to be bikers. York Regional Police told CBC Toronto they have not been involved in any investigation about bikers' involvement at the Woodbridge Legion. Calls to the OPP and the RCMP have not yet been returned.
The Legion began its own investigation last year, and the branch's charter was suspended in October 2023.
"We spent days, weeks and months gathering information and discussing the final decision on the MacKenzie branch and concluded that revocation was the only choice," said Moore in the letter.
He concludes by saying that the building and its contents will be sold. After debts are paid, Moore says that any remaining money "will go toward veteran-centric and community programs and supports."
Premier Wab Kinew says Manitoba will hold a public inquiry as soon as 2026 into the former Progressive Conservative government’s post-election efforts to approve an environmental licence for sand-mining company Sio Silica.
Premier Scott Moe has led the Saskatchewan Party through two straight elections, winning majority governments each time.
Eight weeks after adding a GM BrightDrop van to the fleet of his plumbing and heating business, Marty Salliss has no complaints, only praise.
Nearly half of Alberta’s Grade 6 students failed the provincewide math test in 2024, three years after the province started rolling out its new elementary school curriculum.
Toronto could get new cars on the road whose drivers will never get frustrated by gridlock — because the cars would be driving themselves.
Amidst a cost-of-living crisis, some London-area organizations say they have noticed a decline in donations this holiday season.
Prominent northern leaders have been touting the Arctic economic and security corridor as a "nation-building" project that will bring economic benefits to the two territories it straddles, but others are split on how much good will come out of it.
When the federal government tabled its 2025 budget last month, it included a proposal that tax fraud experts say is long overdue — if also a belated acknowledgement that the Canada Revenue Agency has been repeatedly duped into paying out untold millions in bogus tax refunds to scammers.
Talking with an AI chatbot can successfully convince people to change their votes and could affect the outcome of future elections, according to a new study.
While some are writing wishlists for Santa Claus, a group of Newfoundland and Labrador youth are writing their wishlist for the provincial government.
A horse owner near Stewiacke, N.S., says the current shortage of hay in the province is putting pressure on her financially.
Victoria Volkanova was remembering Jewish resilience and courage by celebrating Hanukkah on Sunday.
Winnipeggers are still digging out from this past week’s winter wallop, but the wait for roadside assistance is almost over, according to the provincial motoring association.