The last Imperial Veterans Association group in Canada will cease to exist at the end of October, ending a legacy of helping war vets and the St. Catharines community.

“This would have been our 90th year of being in service,” said its president, Bill Greenhalgh.

He said there was once “a huge number” of association units across Canada.

“They all closed their doors prior to us. We were the last one.”

When the local group was founded in 1935, he said its members began meeting at a house at George and Louisa streets, to provide services and assistance to soldiers who fought for England.

Greenhalgh said those soldiers were not permitted membership in the Royal Canadian Legion, at the time, “so they became their own association.”

He said membership was bolstered in the 1950s following the

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