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When the Royal Canadian Legion Cloverdale Branch No. 6 in Cloverdale, B.C. wants to grab the public’s attention, it first rolls out its tank, then deploys it to crush cars. Donated junked cars, that is.

“The tank is an old Soviet T-55 main battle model that is owned by one of our members and kept at the Canadian Education Military Centre Museum in Chilliwack,” says Frank Redekop, past president of the branch and an active Legion member. “We roll it out for our annual open house in June, which we stage with 10 to 12 outside organizations — from the cadets to a military museum and other veterans groups.”

Although the event features a free breakfast and lunch, as well as displays and activities that bring in thousands of visitors, the most popular draw for many is the car-crushing tank.

Cloverdale Branch No. 6 is a popular Legion that benefits from a well-equipped facility. About 1,860 active members of all ages make good use of the 10,000-sq.-ft. building, which features a main lounge with a pool room, Wi-Fi, an enclosed sports lounge with big-screen HDTVs, and an auditorium that doubles as a dance floor on Friday and Saturday nights.