Over 100 veterans and their loved ones gathered on Saturday for what may be the last ever New Year’s Eve cabaret at St. Anne’s Veteran’s Hospital.
The cabaret started in 1946 for vets returning home from World War II. For the past 65 years, Korean War veteran Joe Mell has been in charge of organizing it.
“Every time you turned around, you saw somebody that had been at Vimy or others,” he said. “It’s something I wanted to keep in my own mind and something I look forward to doing every year.”
The holiday season can be difficult for some and Mell said he enjoys bringing some light into the lives of vets who need it.
“I see the vets in a happy mood and really getting some of the support and comfort and friendship they deserve,” he said.
Changes to the hospital administration earlier in 2016 have put the cabaret in a tenuous spot, as its funding from Quebec City was cut. For this year’s edition, the Royal Canadian Legion came through with replacement funding.
“You got the entertainers, not just them, but all the gifts we bring,” said Royal Canadian Legion Quebec Command spokesperson Norman Shelton. “We bring hats and they bring shirts and cookies and things that veterans would need around this time.”
Musician Belfast Andi has played the cabaret for the past 16 years and would be sad to see it fold.
“When you spark them up with a bit of music, just to see the spark in their eyes, their youth again, and of course, music is great medicine,” he said.
Melodie Chambers has a relative in the hospital and she said for her family and others, the cabaret is an annual tradition – one that would be impossible to replace.
“It’s a real sense of family, especially right now, getting in a new year,” she said. “It’s important for us to show the children that it’s important to keep the family going.”
