When Juan de Fuca navy league cadets return to their Langford hall in September, they might have an extreme home makeover moment.

The old Dunford Avenue building is getting a long-awaited overhaul, with the vast majority of materials and labour donated from businesses in the community.

Tina St. Hilaire, president of the JDF navy league branch, said contractors have stepped up to provide materials at below cost or for free, and with tradespeople donating time to install electrical wiring, plumbing, fixtures, cabinets, flooring, drywall, and adding fresh coats of paint.

Over the past few months the hall has received $40,000 and counting in supplies and work, she said. Langford too has stepped up, with staff working to waive $9,300 in fees triggered by the building permit for the renovations.

“Every person is doing it for the kids. They aren’t doing it for me,” St. Hilaire said smiling. “It’s amazing what people will do to make sure kids have a safe place to be, and a healthy place to be.”

When its all said and done, the hall will have new flooring, modern wheelchair-accessible washrooms and a kitchen capable of feeding dozens of cadets. St. Hilaire pointed with pride to the new wheelchair ramp, which will allow kids with physical or mental challenges easier access to the hall. In the past, the cramped washrooms and no ramp was a serious problem for cadets confined to wheelchairs.

“We had nothing they could use for toilets,” she said. “Now the toilet is fully accessible. Now anybody can come and go. It’s major for us.”

St. Hilaire, a one time lieutenant commander in the navy league corps who was born and raised in Langford, said inclusively is a hallmark of the cadets – no child is turned away, ever.

“It’s all set up so no child feels different. Kids can be involved in cadets if their family drives a Mercedes or drives no car at all,” she said. “All kids wear the same uniform and all are equal.”

These days, the JDF branch has about 50 navy league cadets, nine to 12 years old, and up to 100 teenagers in the sea cadet corps. Cadets learn leadership, team building, sailing and outings such as canoeing on Langford Lake. The sea cadet corps get some funding from the Department of National Defense, but the navy league cadets must raise all their own funds, St. Hilaire said.

“Every nickel we put into the building is a nickel that doesn’t go into (navy league) programs,” he said. “Of course at least we have money to invest in our building.”

The JDF navy league branch bought the Dunford Avenue building in 1988, which housed over the years the original Langford Legion, a dance hall and a dog washing service. The cadets fundraised hard to pay off the mortgage, but the building itself suffered from “mickey mouse” electrical and plumbing, no showers, bad washrooms and a kitchen that would concern any health board, St. Hilaire said.

Soon a former Belmont student and artist will be creating a nautical-themed mural for the front entrance. St. Hilaire is still looking for a gas stove and they don’t have money to fix broken windows, but she expects the cadets to be overjoyed in September – the renovations have largely been kept hush-hush from the kids.

“This is a nice hall. A lot of good things happen here,” she said. “It will be known as the ‘little hall that did.’ I’m going to be here when that first kid walks in the door in September.”

To contact St. Hilaire and the JDF navy league cadets, call 250-818-1098 or see www.members.shaw.ca/admrhfalls. The hall is at 948 Dunford Ave.

editor@goldstreamgazette.com