Improving Facilities

There have been many more visible projects as well. The first was the creation of the Lions Park at the east end of the town. It is now the location of the Recreation Centre. Former Lion Joe Keyes, our charter members and older Lions can recount the tireless hours and footwork that went into clearing the land and preparing a playing field in conjunction with the horse race track. When the Recreation Centre was conceived for the site, the Lions supported it with a $25,000 commitment and also donated the Zamboni to clean and flood the ice as well as the events sign that is in use today. More recently they have replaced the large scoreboard inside the arena.

The boat launching ramp at the end of St. Lawrence Street has provided a service to many boaters over the years, probably because the price was right! The outdoor lights at the ball park behind the town hall were originally supplied by the Lions Club and just a few years ago we helped to upgrade to newer, brighter lights with less upkeep cost. The club also assisted in constructing a fence around the outfield. Another need filled by the club was the purchase and upkeep of the waste containers on our main street - a joint project with the Kinsmen Club. The Lions, along with other service clubs became involved in creating a waterfront park at the Berm near the municipal marina.

The Gananoque Lions Club has made other contributions to the community’s well being. The Canoe Club was provided with a boat and motor in order to provide on-the-water training to paddlers. The club contributed several thousand dollars to help the Gananoque Fire Department procure their Emergency Rescue Van and also made contributions to the Jaws of Life fund. A "Resusci-Annie" mannequin was provided at a cost of $2,500 for cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training. Support for the introduction of the 911 program in our area was a significant undertaking. For many years the club has provided achievement scholarships to students at Gananoque Secondary School.