Branch 94 was instituted in 1927, beginning construction on its first hall in 1930. While the cornerstone for the initial building was laid November 11, 1930, the "Great Depression" intervened and the building was not completed until late in 1934, in time to hold a New Year's Dance.
NEW YEAR'S BALL DRAWS BIG CROWD
One of the outstanding dances held in years took place at the Legion Hall Monday night, when Quesnel and district gathered to dance out the old and dance in the new in time honoured and approved fashion.
The new hall was well decorated for the occasion and handled easily the crowd of over 300 merrymakers which attended.
Considering the heavy snowfall on the day of the dance, there was a surprising number of outside people there. There were eleven cars from Wingdam and one came all the way from Wells.
Just before midnight favors were distributed and all joined in waiting until midnight, when "Auld Lang Syne" was sung, and good wishes for 1935 were the order of the day.
This, the first New Year's dance in the new Legion Hall will remain a pleasant memory to all who attended. The committee in charge of the happy affair expressed themselves as being highly pleased with the result, which netted a handsome sum which will be devoted to the building fund.
From the Cariboo Observer
In 1955 alterations and expansion were carried out. On its 50th Anniversary the Legion posted the following chronicle of the branch in the
Cariboo Observer.
October 13, 1919: A preliminary meeting called... There were 16 World War I comrades present
November 29,1919: The first general meeting held with Comrade Stacy as chairman...
September 27, 1927: A meeting was called to form a branch of the Canadian Legion in Quesnel
March 10, 1931: The name was changed from the "Quesnel branch number 94, Canadian Legion, British Empire Services League," to "Cariboo Branch number 94, Canadian Legion, British Empire Services League."
December 14, 1934: New legion hall opened...cost of the hall, including foundation, furniture, piano and benches was $7,958.
October 1, 1954: Lounge license received.
March 1, 1955: Three or four firms invited to bid on alterations to Legion club and hall.
August 20, 1958: Legion parking lot paved.
1958: Princess Margaret visited Quesnel...interior of the Legion hall painted.
1976: Bar facilities improved in Legion hall and draft beer brought in
In 1995 the 60 year old building was lost to a fire, the present Legion Hall being built in the same spot shortly after. Judging by an old photograph, the mew building was modeled to some extent on the original building.
Legion destroyed in raging inferno
A building that stood in the centre of downtown Quesnel for over 70 years burned to the ground in a few short hours Sunday morning.
FAITH ARMITAGE | August 8, 1995
The Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 94, was completely destroyed by a fire so great that ashes from the building were discovered two blocks away from the site.
In an interview the day after the blaze Fire Chief Dale Carlson reported that members from four fire departments were called in to control the fire, which had its origin somewhere in the basement.
"We got the call about 2:30 am." said Carlson. "We started with an interior attack, which means we had firefighters on the inside, down in the basement. The heat and smoke was being generated so fast that it forced them to leave. If they had stayed in there, they might have been trapped; we mighl have lost someone."
After retreating from the basement, crews attempted to reach the fire by cutting a hole in the floor with a power saw." We put hoses down into the hole but the fire kept growing and forced them out." Carlson says they believe the fire then followed a path to the ground level, advancing from a meeting room in the basement, up a back staircase, and on to the stage in the main hall.
"Then came the flash-over, where gases are heated to such an extent that the whole building just ignites," Carlson went on. "Once the fire got to that size, there was no way you could put a firefighter inside; everything was on fire so from that point we began the external attack."
From the Quesnel Cariboo Observer