REGINA -- The Regina branch of the Royal Canadian Legion closed its downtown pub, as the organization shifts direction.

Veterans have been stopping by the Legion for a beer since the end of the Second World War.

“We’re not closing the building. We’re getting out of the bar business and we’re out of the museum business and we’re trying to change the image of our Legion,” the president of the Regina Legion Branch Ron Hitchcock said.

The pub has been struggling for awhile, but COVID-19 hastened its demise.

“This COVID thing just took us down and we thought this is the time to make the change,” Hitchcock said.

The museum is also closing and will be leased out as office space to generate revenue. Families that donated artifacts are welcome to claim them back.

The painted murals will be sold with the proceeds going toward the ongoing operation of the organization and its programs.

“We want to find a home for our artifacts. We want to sell what we can and we want to put it to use to help veterans,” Hitchcock said.

The Legion said this branch will continue to focus on its purpose of serving veterans moving forward.