'We don't do walking away': Vancouver legion facing eviction won't go without a fight, lawyer says

Vancouver -

The lawyer for a Royal Canadian Legion branch facing eviction in Vancouver's Kitsilano neighbourhood says members will stand their ground.

Shalom Branch 178 was sent an eviction letter back in November by legal representatives for Maple Crest Housing Society, which runs the B.C. Housing complex in which the legion is located.

"We don't do walking away,” said lawyer Gavin Cameron.

The eviction letter, which Cameron shared with CTV News, demands the legion vacate the property by the end of Dec. 31.

It alleges the branch failed to meet the terms of its lease by not paying rent from 2018-2021, and that it owes $163,000.

"It comes from the land of fantasy – there is no lease,” Cameron said.

Branch 178 has occupied the auditorium of the Kitsilano property, which houses low-income seniors, since the 1970s, when the legion purchased the land.

Documents obtained from the Vancouver City Hall archives Friday show the legion purchased the land in 1973 for $227,500 and received a mortgage of $1.1 million to help pay for the construction of the housing complex.

The branch gifted the property to the new housing society and claims a “handshake agreement” was made that would allow it to use the building in perpetuity, free of charge.

However, no physical documents were ever signed.

“The point is there is a trust relationship, there's a trust, which is being breached right now,” said Cameron.

Attempts to reach out to the housing society to discuss the matter have gone unanswered, the lawyer added.

With no 11th hour deal in place, the legion's members are ready to dig in.

“You’re dealing with individuals here, some of whom, both men and women, who were on the beaches of Normandy in (the Second World War),” Cameron said.

“If there’s a fight to be had, it’ll be had.”

CTV News reached out to Maple Crest Housing Society and its lawyer, Nicole Mangan, but has not received a response.