Billy Bishop Branch 176 Royal Canadian Legion

Wonderful place for a Friday night roast beef dinner and live entertainment. The prices are wonderful and the regular entertainers (Roadrunner) are great. Nice dance floor. Dinner is excellent for the price. Great place to unwind.

The good ol’ Billy Bishop — what can I say, it’s like getting drunk in your grandparent’s basement. Well no it’s better than that (or maybe you really like your grandparent’s house). It’s a one of a kind and when it’s gone we’ll never see the like again. Located in Kits Point between multi million dollar homes it has to be the most unlikely location for a legion hall in Canada (of course they were there long before the real estate went into the stratosphere).
The Cold Reading Series was held here for years until relocating to the Backstage Lounge (not an improvement as far as I’m concerned). The Billy is one of those places you have instant nostalgia for because it’s so different yet so familiar. The vinyl banquettes, the old jute box, recruiting posters from the 1940s, old rummies mixing with hipsters, friendly bartenders who tell you THEIR life stories, it’s all a little surreal at times.
So visit, go for a really good (and cheap roast beef dinner) or just hang out someplace friendly on one of those rainy nights in Oct, or drop by this summer after a day at the beach, cause sadly, all of those people in the multi million dollar homes want the Billy gone.

My buddy and I had the best time last week at «The Billy» in the upper level. It all started when we saw a couple of signs around the neighbourhood advertising for Kits Ping Pong. We showed up, went upstairs, and the bartender, Jeremy, was awesome. In less than 30 seconds, Jeremy gave us 2 drinks, 2 paddles, 2 balls and a table for 30 minutes, and it totalled $ 20. It’s 10 bucks for 30 minutes of play and we got a 2 beers for a 5’er each. We met other ping pongers and had the best time.
It’s not at all an expert level kind of club. We are so very amateur, but it brought back a lot of memories during those college days. I will definitely be back to take on new friends at this cool club.
Oh yah, when you’re not playing they have a cool lounge setup for people to chat and mingle.
Love this idea and I hope it never goes away.
Thanks
, you dudes rock!

Pure freaking magic.
Want to know what made my Canada Day for 2010? It wasn’t the deericious grub that Nimby Burger handed out on Kits beach that day, it wasn’t the random Canada T-​shirts that were given out (though as you can tell I am the world’s biggest sucker for free stuff), it wasn’t our girls-​against-​guys human pyramid competition (my spine will grow back… I think), nor was it boogieing down to sweet tunes like Richard Simmons in Step class… it was none of those things.
And you know exactly what it was. Yep, it was watching your grandma and grandpa break it down sweet-​style at the Billy Bishop.
I came upon them by accident, walking towards a non-​descript residential building with laughter & music coming out. Then I saw the sign.
I can’t remember what exactly the sign said, but it pretty much told me that I’d finally found the holy grail of Legion halls, the mecca of awesome, the birthplace of gritty good times, and the home of the homey Billy Bishop Legion. YEAH BABY!
I walked in. WHOA, what a party! Set-​menu roast beef dinners were sold out for the night (and tempting me at every angle), old timers getting their groove on on the dance floor– and let me say, it was the cutest, most happiest, raddest, sunshiniest, double-​rainbowiest moment ever.
War vet plaques adorned the walls from top to bottom, side to side (as far as I can remember) and a fun events listing was posted in the bathroom where giddy women talked about what I can only assume to be seniors gossip. «Betsey Rae threw out her hip again, and guess HOW…»
I didn’t want to leave… but what was I to do? I didn’t want my friends to rally the troops to find me. Or did I? No, I didn’t. Plus they had food.
I’ve got to say that old people having fun is the best entertainment ever. EVER! Next time I’ll be learning the jitterbug post roast beef feast. I can’t wait :)

The Billy Bishop Legion Branch in Kits is probably the coolest little old English pub style spot you can find.
In the large world of all things contrived, this little place is so genuine. It looks like just any other house on a side street, but inside has dark wood tables, fireplaces and red leatherette comfy chairs.
They have lunch (I think most days) and you can order an awesome Ruben with salad for very little coin. I book it for meeting space occasionally and the folks there are so nice.
It is also OK to come in and have a cup of coffee and read if you don’t feel like socializing. Unpretentious comfortable places are OK with that kind of thing.
Tip: I am pretty sure it is cash only.