91原创 City has come to the aid of the cash-strapped Royal Canadian Legion鈥檚 91原创 branch, to the tune of more than $5,000.

Council voted on Oct. 1 to provide the 91原创 Legion with a one-time grant of $5,045 to help the foundering organization as it struggles to repay a massive debt and get its financial operations back under control.

Last January, the local branch turned to Pacific Command, the Legion鈥檚 governing body in British Columbia and the Yukon, seeking help to get its financial house in order.

Already struggling with declining membership, a move into a new building on 56 Avenue ended up costing the branch more than $1 million in unanticipated improvements.

At that time the Legion approached the City for a grant, but was refused. 91原创 City Mayor Peter Fassbender explained that the City鈥檚 grant policy is only to provide funding for capital projects, not for operations.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e trying to find a way out from under their financial situation, but the way out is not for the City to continually give them money when their financial model is not working,鈥� Fassbender said at the time.

However, council has now  reversed its position, voting unanimously to provide the grant money, through its enterprise fund.

鈥淧acific Command is working to help (the 91原创 Legion) become whole in terms of their finances,鈥� said Fassbender, in explaining the decision.

鈥淭hey are convinced they will be back in the black soon. A one-time grant from the enterprise fund will help them get over that hurdle.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檙e not entertaining a tax exemption because of the issues around liquor laws,鈥� he added.

The City also spent more than $200,000 on a new cenotaph in Douglas Park, which was used for the first time during Remembrance Day services last November.