UNITY — With this Unity service club, there’s no lion around. A mane goal of the Unity Lions Club was more development of paved paths around Unity.
Currently sitting at 22 members, the club has been energized by longtime member Keith Wilson in his passion for continuing to develop paths in and around Unity.
Wilson, former recreation director for Unity, is an avid outdoor enthusiast. He was instrumental in kickstarting the path program and residents have been grateful for his foresight and actions ever since. These paths are used year-round for walkers and in summer dozens of people can be seen strolling and rolling through the paths in town.
Lions members Stan Moncrieff, Doug Zunti and Ron Pethick approached town council in 2022 about partnering to continue the paved path projects. A town contribution and a donation from a previous Unity student and resident, helped bump up the Lions’ contributions.
Wilson also says the club also received donations from the Unity Wildlife Federation and the former Unity Kinsmen Club tent rental program.
The Lions recently completed paving of 450 metres, from the alley of 4th Avenue close to the dog park parking lot. G & C Asphalt was tasked with the paving.
The total cost for this section was $50,080 with the Lions contributing $30,080 and the town contribution $20,000.
Unity Credit Union announced at their annual meeting that they would be putting $50,000 towards path projects for Unity residents. Wilson says their money is a different path project and will involve gravelling and paving this fall.
Both organizations want to get some signage to place at these locations for users to know how these paved and other pathways came to be.
Wilson said the Lions are committed to more pathway contributions in the future and are including locations on the west and east sides of town. In total, between the Lions Club and the credit union and other donors, more than $100,000 has been put into 2023 path upgrades and some of this total is still being used before the year closes.
Ron Pethick, who just finished three years as Lions Club president, managing the club during COVID, holds the distinction of being the first time a Unity Lions Club President has held the seat for more than one year in a row.
Pethick said these paths will certainly be the club’s legacy but also notes the multiple other contributions their club makes to the community.
The Lions Club presents an annual scholarship and bursary to a Unity Composite High School grad. They are mainstay gatekeepers at community events. They host children’s activities at Canada Day festivities held at the museum. They were instrumental in helping fund the Unity Credit Union Aquatic Centre with their $50,000 donation. They are also supporting provincial Lions initiatives.
Lions members say they meet the second Monday of each month at Adanac Hall and are always ready to welcome new members to help with the many tasks in service and fundraising they provide in the community. The Lions Club have stood the test of time and members say they are committed to serving for many years to come, but they need the help of new members to renew their club’s membership.
The service club celebrated their 70th anniversary in 2017. The Lions motto states, “We Serve” and they exemplify this motto repeatedly in the services and funding they offer to the community.
