ANAVET club closed, perhaps forever

The Army Navy and Air Force Veterans in Canada closed its Penticton unit for the second time in three months.

ANAVETs Unit 97 officially locked its doors, earlier this week, and its future remains uncertain.

“Right now, we can’t even pay to keep the lights on,” said Randy Williams, second vice-president with B.C. Command.

“We’ve done everything we can in our power to keep the place open. Right now, the environment has been toxic.”

The unit closed in September due to declining revenue and a series of unsolved “financial irregularities.” The executive was stripped of its duties and Command took over. The unit reopened on Oct. 29 under a new management structure, but attendance was poor, including on Remembrance Day.

“We haven’t been profitable ever since we reopened the doors in October” Williams said.

“We are working with Dominion Command to decide what our next move is for Penticton.”

Williams said Penticton still has its charter but not the use of a building. The ANAVETs will continue to honour its rental obligations at the building it rents on Brunswick Avenue.

The four dart teams playing out of the ANAVETs have since relocated to other service clubs. Many of the members are now frequently in the nearby Elks Lodge.

The ANAVETs, founded in 1840, is a military organization which has 18,000 members in Canada. It also operates units in Vernon and Kelowna.