Supporting the Community

The Club looks with pride upon visible contributions to the Community:

The Town’s Memorial Cenotaph – The Club’s first major project was unveiled May 24, 1929 in the town centre at the post office. The door-to-door campaign raised the funds to honour those who fell in WWI in just 5-days. Today the Cenotaph stands proudly at Mather Arch.

Fort Erie Lions Banquet Hall – When the new Leisureplex was built in 1996, the Town named the banquet hall in recognition of the Club’s past contribution to the construction of the Memorial Arena in 1948.

337 ‘Allan Troup’ Air Cadet Squadron – The Club has been the sole sponsor since the squadron’s inception in October 1943. The Air Cadets also support the Fort Erie Lions Club, by helping out at fundraising events, including being the Colour Guard at the Lions A-2 District Friendship Conventions. The Lions Sponsoring Committee works closely with the squad’s Commanding Officer to ensure the smooth running of the program.

Annually we also support the following charities:

Expansion of the Douglas Memorial Hospital – The club contributed to major construction projects at the Hospital in 1966 and 1980 with donations to the Building Fund. Today the Club contributes annually to the Douglas Memorial Tree of Lights Campaign.

Lions Sugar Bowl Park – The Club helped pay for redeveloping the Oakes/Sugar Bowl Park into a recreational area for the community. The Park was dedicated in 1995 as the Lions Sugar Bowl Park.

Fort Erie Lions Seniors Centre – The seniors recreational centre opened on November 17,1988 and is open to all Fort Erie seniors to enjoy a variety of activities. The seniors centre is managed by a Board of Directors made up of Fort Erie Lions and seniors groups representatives.

Lions Douglas Heights Seniors Residence – The residence is an affordable, not-for-profit, independent living seniors apartment building on land adjoining the Seniors Centre. The grand opening was held July 19,1991. The residence is managed by a Board of Directors made up of Fort Erie Lions and two members at large.

New Lions Seniors Residence – The Fort Erie Lions Club is currently working on the construction of a second affordable, not-for-profit, independent living seniors apartment building. Completion of this project is projected to be 2026.

Community Service – In March 1990, the Over 70’s Luncheon Club was formed, serving a free lunch at the Fort Erie Lions Seniors Centre for any Fort Erie resident 70 years and older.

Supporting Youth – In November 2017 the Fort Erie Lions joined with the Ridgeway Lioness, Ridgeway Lions, Stevensville-Black Creek Lions and The United Way of Niagara Falls & Greater Fort Erie to raise a total of $42,000 for the Greater Fort Erie Secondary School Culinary Program and Pomegranate Restaurant to equip the kitchen in the newly built high school.

While these successes are extremely important, there are many other ways in which the Fort Erie Lions Club has contributed to the health and welfare of many individuals in our community and throughout the World.

At a Lions Convention in Chicago in 1925, Helen Keller challenged Lions to be her “Knights of the Blind” (click here to learn more). Since that time, sight conservation and care of the blind has been a major service activity of Lions Clubs throughout the world.

On a continuing basis the Fort Erie Lions Club collects used eyeglasses for use in Third World Countries, supports the CNIB, the training of guide dogs and other service dogs through the Lions Foundation Canada Guide Dogs and provides support for sight related problems in our community.

Click here to find out more about the Lions Recycle for Sight program and where to find our collection boxes in Fort Erie.