ANAF Unit #284 {Steveston} B.C.

        ARMY                    NAVY                  AIR  FORCE      

In 1946, thirty Steveston area veterans approached the Army, Navy & Air Force Veterans in Canada for a Charter to open their own Veterans club. 

In 1947 ANAF "284" bought the Japanese Fisherman's Hospital converting it to a licensed club. The hospital was located at 11900 No.1 Road.

In spite of large crowds and good sales, the club was always on the verge of bankruptcy due to the lack of integrity in some of our earlier managers.

Somehow "284" survived and in 1956 things were looking up. We had a great manager and a "to be remembered" new waiter named Sparky Drombolis.  We showed a reasonable profit, and were sponsoring Little League teams.

A glow appeared in the skies over Steveston on the night of December 29, 1956 and unfortunately, this bright glow was the club burning to the ground. The membership and Ladies Auxiliary pitched in and kept the Charter alive by holding meetings wherever they could find a spot, but no matter where they were the main objective was to..... BUILD A NEW CLUB !!

It took from 1956 to 1959 to borrow $8,100.  We took those funds and added it to the $4,100 we raised by selling debentures, and then added those funds to the fire insurance money and began constructing a new club that opened December 10th, 1959.

The manager was Jack McLean and Sparky Drombolis was the Chief Bar Steward.  They were our complete staff, and as well as drawing and serving beer, they also did janitorial work and anything else that was needed to keep the club going.

A year later, Jack asked for a leave of absence for what was said to be a bad heart condition and Sparky became the acting manager. During his absence, a brewery representative while visiting the club remarked on what a fine job Jack was doing as the manager of the Bowser Hotel on Vancouver Island. Well, Jack was fired February 5th 1962 and Sparky Drombolis became the new manager.

With Sparky's appointment, everything began to move forward. Credit ratings improved, loans got repaid, and we had a first rate manager, dedicated staff, and a much wiser Executive Committee and membership.

Juvenile sports team sponsorship increased and the unit pitched in to help groups such as the Heart Fund, Cancer Society, Red Cross, Salvation Army, Boy Scouts and Girl Guides, Navy League and other Cadet organizations and many other non-profit organizations.

During the 1960's and 1970's, we turned our attention to the building of Senior Citizens homes and along with other ANAF Units two seniors facilities were built in North Vancouver and Steveston, followed by a high-rise facility in Vancouver, for a total of 198 senior's suites.

We still continue to support Senior Citizens homes and have also donated large sums of money to organizations such as the Terry Fox Fund, George Derby Hospital, the Variety Club Telethon, Richmond General Hospital, Steveston Community Centre, job training for mentally challenged, the Japanese Language School, Rosewood Manor of the Richmond Intermediate Care Society, and other worthwhile organizations.

These monies come from the sale of lottery tickets, weekly meat-draws, and bar sales and it is only by the continued support of members and guests that we are able to do these wonderful and worthwhile projects.

So, to our members and guests who support us we say.....

"THANKS  A  MILLION" !!