Speakers Forum Kickoff at Lions Hall in Northbrook

Jeff Green | Apr 05, 2023

With the social influence of COVID finally on the wane, the Lions Club of Land O'Lakes was considering the possibility of starting up a speaker's series this year.

“We have a hall, a speaker system and we thought, wouldn't it be amazing if we could bring in speakers on various topics in 2023,” said Lions Club President Nawar Hage.

To explore putting a series together, Lion's Club member Douglas Galt became involved, and while getting the plan together, he had a conversation with Ken Hook from the Cloyne and District Historical Society (who operate the Pioneer Museum in Cloyne) and the idea of a collaborative effort between the two organizations came up.

The historical society has brought in speakers in the past, always on local historical topics at the Barrie Hall. The idea of broadening the scope of the series beyond the strictly historical, and moving it to Northbrook and the Lion's Hall, made sense for everyone, so the historical society jumped on board

A new Speakers Forum kicks off next week with a talk by Ray Charbonneau, who will speak from his over 40 years of experience in the fine art industry, based in Toronto. He will bring his knowledge to a number of topics that connect to the general population, questions ranging from the role of fine art in the modern world to the fight height for a painting in a living room.

The series kick off date is next Wednesday, April 12, and the event is also a big event in the history of the Lions Club of Land O'Lakes.

The Friendship Arch, which is located in front of the hall, will be formally dedicated in honour of the Charter Members of the club. When the local club was formed in 1969, there were 38 Charter members. As part of the dedication ceremony, which will be attended by Hastings Lennox and Addington MPP Shelby Kramp as well as Addington Highlands Mayor Henry Hogg at 6:15pm, the names of the charter members will be read out.

The dedication of the arch came out of a renewed effort by the club to learn about and celebrate its own history, leading to the appointment of a club historian, Rex Henry, who is the son of one of the charter members.

A newly created 36 page booklet, chock full of the cub's history, will be available at the event as well, and the Pioneer Museum will be including a display about the club as part of their permanent exhibit.

“The dedication ceremony is a good way to celebrate our history and introduce a new chapter, and a new spirit of collaboration,” said Hage.

Naturally Lennox and Addington, a part of the Lennox and Addington County Economic Development Department, is also participating in the Speaker's Forum by sponsoring the series with a $4,800 grant.

The second event in the Speakers Forum is set for May 10, when Geologist Garry Smith will talk about the geology and history of local mines, including the Ore Chimney and Flinton's Golden Fleece mine.

In June, Lt Colonel Dana Sliwinski (RCAF Royal Military College) and Lt Colonel Jean Paul-Landry (Royal Military College) will talk about the role the RCAF plays in International Trade, and about Search and Rescue operations.

And in July, Dr Robert McLemon will talk about his research into the impact of Climate Change on community life in Addington Highlands, a topic that was the subject of his PSD Thesis and post-graduate research.

Plans for an August and September speaker are still being finalised. The forum runs on the second Wednesday of the month, starting at 7pm.

Coffee and Tea and snacks will be available at the forum events, and the Lions Hall is licensed as well,

For further information about the forum, go to https://pioneer.mazinaw.on.ca/2023/03/10/land-o-lakes-speakers-forum/ and for information about the dedication ceremony, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..