Lions Celebrate Friendship Arch Dedication

Jeff Green | Apr 19, 2023

It was an evening to celebrate for the resurgent Lions Club of Land O’Lakes, last Wednesday in Northbrook.

Past (and future) local club President, Red Emond, presided over the ceremony, which was devoted to the Charter Members of the club, who are listed on a plaque that is affixed to the arch. The club was founded in 1969, with 38 members. A few of those members were on hand last week for the dedication of the arch, including Harold O’Brien, along with his wife Faye.

One thing that stands out about the list of club members from 1969, is that they were all men. The members' wives did a lot of the work back then. In 1975, Lions Club International began recognising women as Lionesses under the Lioness Auxiliary Program. In 1991, 4 years after they were granted membership as Lions, the Lioness Auxiliary Program was disbanded.

Doug Galt, a former MPP (Northumberland 1995-2003) and past District Governor of Lions Clubs International, helped with the ceremony and read off the names of the charter members. He remembered a number of the people and added in some of his reminiscences about them.

He also talked about the impact Red Emond has had on the local club, a theme that would be repeated later in the evening.

“Red joined this club when the membership was down, and the energy was low. And he brought it back. It is now the club with the highest membership in this district, with over 70.”

Tom Hunter, who joined the club last year, spoke about his journey through the archives to prepare a history booklet, that was handed out to everyone in attendance. He also talked about his adventure picking up the Friendship Arch to bring it to Northbrook. It turns out that it is a lucky thing that the arch is now permanently installed in front of the Lions Hall in Northbrook and not at the drive-through window at the Tim Hortons on Hwy. 7 in Perth.

Lions came from far and wide for the event, including District Governor Linda Zwier, who remembered some of the events of the early years of the local club, including the Blueberry Festival and the Pheasant Hunt.

“One year my husband came up for the hunt and arrived home with three pheasants. It was only later that he confessed that he had actually bought them from the Pheasant Farm in Flinton,” she said.

Addington Highlands Reeve Henry Hogg brought greetings from the township.

After the ceremony, the first of a new summer speakers forum, co-sponsored by the Cloyne and District Historical Society, was held in the hall. Ray Charbonneau, of Razart Consulting, talked about the art scene in Toronto over the last 40 years in a presentation full of entertaining anecdotes and information.

But before he spoke, the current Lions Club of Land O’Lakes President, Nawar Hage, unveiled a wall cabinet dedicated to Red Emond and his influence on the club. An emotional Red Emond thanked everyone for the support, and said it has been a great privilege to join the club, and in doing so become so embedded in the local community.

The next instalment of the Speakers Forum at the Lions Hall will take place on May 10. Gary Smith will talk about the geology of the local area, including some of the history of the Ore Chimney Mine on the Harlowe Road and Golden Fleece Mine in the Flinton area.