A row of old white buildings with pitched roofs, some with visible doors and windows, situated in a rural or semi-rural area with trees in the background.

The History of Our Building

​Our building (right), has a rich history.

1942: The building was originally constructed as a 'H' Hut military barracks at the Royal Canadian Air Force Station (now Abbotsford Airport).

1943-1945: The barracks was used to house pilots under the British Commonwealth Air Training Program (BCATP).

1948: The barracks provided shelter to Matsqui residents who needed to escape during the Fraser River flood.

1957: The barracks housed ‘Hungarian refugees’ fleeing the uprising in Hungary to overthrow their communist government.  Read more…

1961: The barracks was purchased from the Abbotsford Airport for $5,000 by five members who signed a bank note on behalf of Matsqui Unit #315. It was then moved in one piece to its current site on land owned by the Taylor family of Mt. Lehman, which was later donated.

November 4, 1961: After renovations to the building was completed, it opened as the clubhouse for Matsqui Unit #315.

1964-1974: Part of the building (where the kitchen is today) was the Mt. Lehman library until the new one was built adjacent to the Firehall.

August 26, 1974: The ‘Land Titles Deed’ was transferred from ANAVETS Dominion Command to Matsqui Unit #315. The McNeil family of Mt. Lehman donated the roadway. ​

Black and white photo of a row of military airplanes parked on an airfield near a control tower.
Canadian flag and British flag on a blue background.
A beige building with a green metal roof labeled 'Matsqui Unit, 315, Army Navy & Airforce Veterans in Canada.' The building has a small porch with stairs, a wheelchair accessible parking sign, and is surrounded by trees and a gravel parking area. There is a monument with a cross and a circle emblem on a stone base in front of the building, with landscaping around it. The sky above is partly cloudy.

Our building today