A proposal to build a new state-of-the-art mental health and rehabilitation centre for Canada’s veterans and first responders recently received its final rezoning approval from the City of Surrey.

The Royal Canadian Legion BC/Yukon Command has partnered with local developer Lark Group to build Legion Veterans Village at 13525 106 Avenue, replacing Whalley Legion Branch 229.

Existing condition

Future condition

The first-of-its-kind $66-million facility will consist of an Innovation Centre for Rehabilitation, which will offer clinical rehabilitation services, research and the delivery of health care programs, and services and trauma counselling for post-traumatic stress disorder and mental health.

There will also be advance evidence-based services and programming in health, science and engineering, including research in robotics and assistive devices and technologies for injured veterans and first responders.

All of these clinics and treatment and research facilities will be located within a new 20-storey tower that includes a new replacement 10,500-sq-ft Legion space, 48 affordable housing units for veterans and their families, and 148 market housing units.

A second tower on the site, reaching 26 storeys in height, will contain 325 market housing units.

Both towers will have a combined 473 market homes, with proceeds going towards funding the construction of the new centre and replacement Legion.

Construction on the first phase of the redevelopment – the shorter tower containing the new facility and Legion – is now scheduled to begin in spring 2019 for a completion in late-2021 or early-2022.

With shovels set to hit the ground in just a few months, the 2018 Remembrance Day ceremony and parade at the existing Whalley Legion will be the 1960-built location’s last, until the new facility is ready.

“This will be our last Remembrance Day ceremony at this historic location and we would like to invite the public to help us commemorate and honour our fallen soldiers,” said Tony Moore, President of the Whalley Legion Branch 229.

“We’ve been serving the community for the last 71 years and we are excited to look ahead to new beginnings and new services we will be offering to veterans and first responders with our new Legion Veterans Village.”

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