The Lions Club of Campbellford was chartered on   November 23, 1953.

And how our Canada has changed since then!

In that year Elizabeth II is crowned Queen of Canada, The National Library of Canada was founded and Canada's first privately owned television station, CKSO, broadcasts in Sudbury.

In 1960, The Bill of Rights, specifying the rights of Canadians becomes law. The government announces a new immigration policy intended to remove any racial discrimination from the system in 1962. It was in 1964, a new Canadian flag – red maple leaf on white background between two red bars- wins the approval of Parliament. Canada celebrates in 1967 its centennial with parties and building projects across the country. The government institutes the Order of Canada to recognize exemplary achievement by Canadians.

Not only good news we have seen as a country. In Oct. 5, 1970 – The October Crisis begins as the Front de Liberation du Quebec kidnaps British diplomat James Cross, and later, Labour Minister Pierre Laporte. Trudeau invokes the War Measures Act, which allows government to temporarily suspend civil liberties. Cross is released 60 days later but Laporte is found dead. In 1976 – The House of Commons approves, by just eight votes, a bill abolishing the death penalty and Montreal hosts the Summer Olympics starting in July 17. The federal government agrees to pay $45 million to 2,500 Inuit of the Western Arctic in return for Inuit surrendering aboriginal rights to 270,000 square kilometres of land they traditionally used in July 1978.

It was in Sept. 1, 1980 – Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope, his one-legged run across Canada to raise money for cancer research, ends abruptly near Thunder Bay, Ont., when his cancer returns. April 17, 1982 – With the stroke of a pen by the Queen in Ottawa, Canada has its own Constitution.  It is in June 30, 1987 – when the $1 coin, which quickly earns the nickname “Loonie,” is introduced.  In Jan. 28, 1988 – The Supreme Court overturns the law that required a panel at an accredited hospital to determine if a woman’s life or health was endangered by allowing her to have an abortion. The woman takes ownership of their own bodies.

By Jan. 19, 1991 – Canadian CF-18 jet fighters fly an offensive mission in the Persian Gulf War, marking the first time Canadian forces have engaged in battle since the Korean War. Quebecers narrowly reject separation, with 50.6 per cent voting “no.” in Oct. 30, 1995. Feb. 19, 1996 – Canada’s new $2 coin, dubbed the “Toonie,” is introduced. April 1, 1999 – Canada’s newest territory, Nunavut, is carved out of the eastern Northwest Territories.

Unfortunately in April 18, 2002 – Four soldiers, part of Canada’s contribution to the war on terrorism after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, are killed when a U.S. fighter jet mistakenly bombs them in Afghanistan. They are the first soldiers killed in a combat zone since the Korean War. On July 20, 2005 Same-sex marriage becomes legal in Canada, making one of the few countries with advanced civil rights. On Jun. 11, 2008 – Prime Minister Stephen Harper issues a formal apology for the abuse suffered by aboriginals in the residential school system. On Feb. 12, 2010 – The Winter Olympic Games begin in Vancouver. Freestyle moguls skier Alexandre Bilodeau becomes the first-ever athlete to claim a gold medal on Canadian soil. Canada goes on to win 14 gold medals – an all-time high for a host country in a Winter Olympics. 2012 marked the 60th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952.  On March 12, 2014 - The Canadian flag is lowered at the NATO headquarters in Kabul, marking the formal end to Canada’s operations in Afghanistan.

A team from the Arctic Research Foundation (founded by Jim Balsillie) announced that they had found the second lost ship of the Franklin expedition, HMS Terror, in Nunavut’s Terror Bay, north of where the Erebus was found in 2014. The discovery was confirmed by Parks Canada on 26 September 2016.

And now, we are very proud to be part of the 2017 celebrations of our Canada 150 years and looking forward to the future. Almost 65 years serving our community with sense of duty, responsibility and respect.

The Lions Club of Campbellford is one of the most diverse and inclusive clubs, in the area contributing to the empowerment of woman, people with disabilities, veterans and other minorities. Our mandate is simple: we serve!