Schumacher Lions club members work hard in the Timmins community
The Schumacher Lions Club has twenty-eight members to help tidy its park. And, if they want to keep their name on the sign, a deal they have with the city of Timmins, which owns the land, has members doing their part by maintaining the park.
They said they're okay with that because doing this for the city of Timmins makes them feel good.
"This was a beautiful park. We lost it all. With the amalgamation they put in that four lane highway, we lost everything, tore everything down. So we’re trying to restore some of this and bring Schumacher back on the map," said Mark West, co-chair of the Schumacher Lions Club Park committee.
The Lions are also known for serving the community with organizing fundraisers to help people in need.
Food vouchers at Christmas, bursaries for students and assisting the local hospital foundation are onlu some of the services they provide in the community.
But most of the men doing the heavy lifting are in their seventies who say they could use a helping hand.
“If we could only get a few more guys that want to be here and do stuff," said Danny Ansara, co-chair of the Schumacher Lions Club Park committee.
"It’s ok to wear the T-shirt and come out for a supper, but you know, the Lions Club is a lot more than that. It’s pitching in. It’s serving. We serve the community. This is what we do,” Ansara said.
Due to the pandemic, the organization has been relatively quiet. Its big fundraisers didn't happen; its online 50-50 draws paled in comparison to other charities' jackpots; and now it's unsure about the future since the city expects it to pay rent on a hall that was closed due to COVID health restrictions.
But the Schumacher Lions continue to persevere. They say they're working with the city and other community partners such as Newmont, and the Schumacher Arts Culture Association to bring more improvements to the park.
They include a waterfront project. And, they’re also looking forward to hosting six-outdoor concerts this summer.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.