GRAVENHURST LIONS CLUB AT ‘CRITICAL CROSSROADS,’ MAY HAVE TO FOLD AFTER 80 YEARS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE. KEEP LIONS ‘ROARING’ BY BECOMING MEMBER TODAY

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

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GRAVENHURST — A new season, a new beginning for everyone from parents to hockey teams and maybe even one valuable service club.

The colours aren’t in the tree — or on the ground — but the autumn changes are here and coming for others.

Count the Lion’s Club of Gravenhurst among them.

The great do-gooders had their first regular evening dinner meeting on Tuesday at Bethune Bistro after a bit of a relaxed summer.

And top of the agenda for returning president Daniel Soucy was urgent membership recruitment.

Breakfast of champions. Lions hope their first dinner meeting Tuesday night wasn’t one of their last suppers. So a good thing it wasn’t a buffet, because there may have been lots of food leftover at Bethune Bistro as the club fears for its future without more members urgently joining. PHOTOS Lion Dave Durant

They had a core of 10 long-time, hard-woring, deeply devoted and solid members out to celebrate their 2025-26 accomplishments and many unseen public interest achievements.

This comes after the small, but mighty, club that punches above its weight wrapped up another successful year that included a BBQ at the Car Show in June, their annual clean-up at Lookout Park — that they’ve adopted — and the club’s recent Pet Memorial Rainbow Bridge at the Muskoka Wharf this summer.

The Lions are a favourite at the Chamber of Commerce’s June Car Show feeding hungry car buffs and raising a few bucks for the club’s community projects. President Daniel Soucy and his wife serve up dogs with onions again this year.

However, while a few new setbacks don’t can’t come close to matching that positive score, the loss of their Canadian flag program on main street and an attack on that pet bridge last month aren’t helpful.

Not when the handful of members left want to keep going and those things can make community volunteer contributions a little more difficult.

‘Urgent appeal’ for club at ‘critical crossroads’

Alas, long-time, hard-working club member Dave Durant says they’re in need of or else ….

“The Gravenhurst Lions Club has proudly served our community for 80 years, supporting countless local initiatives, and making a real difference in people’s lives,” he says in a release this week.

While maybe not quite that dire, its future looks dim this fall.

“However, we are at a critical crossroads.

“Without new members joining us, we may be forced to close our doors permanently.”

If you are looking for a meaningful way to give back to Gravenhurst and help connect with fellow community-minded men and women, we would love to have you join our Lions family.

“Don’t let eight decades of community service come to an end.”

He says anyone can contact them today to learn how you can help keep the Lions “ROARING” in Gravenhurst.”

For information, please go to www.gravenhurstlions.org

The Lions have adopted Lookout Park at the north end of town. Who will clean up if they disband? Left, Lions Doug Hewitson, Nancy Watt-Durant, Dave Durant, Jason MacKenzie, Marj Lewis, Jessica Lewis, Wally Hines and Lynn Turkus.

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