A time capsule and a monument could soon be sitting on the boulevard of Darlington Street between First and Second Avenue in Yorkton. The Branch 77 Royal Canadian Legion is hoping to move the two items from the previous Legion location to Darlington Street.
Yorkton City Council approved the location at their meeting on September 18, 2017. If placed, the City would become sole owners of the monument and capsule.
"It's very important to the city. Everytime you attend decoration days or any of the days that the legion are putting on, and see the people that are coming out and the people that are supporting it, those are the people that built our city, our communities and our province. So it's never hard to support them," said Bob Maloney, Mayor, City of Yorkton.
The monument would recognize, honour and remember all Veterans, Legion Members, former Ladies Auxillary members, the City of Yorkton and anyone else involved in building the Royal Canadian Legion building at 380 Broadway Street West in 1961. The building has since been sold.
"Times change, the Legion is not as strong as it used to be in membership. And we need a place where it will always be recognized," said Peter Wyatt, Past President, Branch 77 Royal Canadian Legion.
The capsule was originally placed at the Broadway Street location in 1986. It is scheduled to be opened again in 2026, when the Legion celebrates it's 100th anniversary.
The Legion would also like to erect a new flag pole on Darlington Street. It estimates the whole project would cost approximately $40,000 to make the switch. The Legion has committed $10,000 to the project, and hope to obtain more funding from other groups like Veterans Affairs Canada.
