The Prince George Legion has almost secured a new location, with legal documents under consideration by both sides involved in the transaction.
"We just can't go ahead and say where it is, the deal isn't quite at that stage where it can be announced," said Bruce Gabriel, president of the Prince George branch of the Royal Canadian Legion.
The local chapter saw bookkeeping fraud siphon hundreds of thousands of dollars from the not-for-profit organization and plunge it into debt. The branch was on the brink of losing its local charter when, after months of public solicitation, a local investors group came forward to buy the current, oversized location and leave enough money to clear the bills.
The new owners of the building paid higher than market value and promised the group a free year in the building, to help get the Legion's affairs in order for a move to a more suitable location.
However, the ongoing costs of running the aged building was still a financial burden, and a year goes quickly in the real estate market.
"We found a location that I'm sure would not still be available to us a year from now, we had to act, and it is now very close to being our new home, but there are still some details to get through," he said.
The current location is available for public functions, including catered events and/or liquor-primary events. The proceeds of these space rentals helps to offset the costs of their ongoing operations and impending move to a future location.
