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Kiwanis Club of Barrie hits the century mark

'From the start, the club’s focus was on helping children and that remains our No. 1 priority,' says past-president; Invitation-only event scheduled for Saturday where Janice Laking will be guest of honour

The Kiwanis Club, which was Barrie’s very first service club, is marking its 100th anniversary later this month the celebration be attended by a daughter of a charter member and other descendants.

That daughter is 93-year-old former Barrie mayor Janice Laking, whose father Duncan McCuaig, a prominent lawyer and Liberal MP from 1935 until 1945, was an original member.

Laking, who served as Barrie mayor from 1988 to 2000 and is now a resident of Waterford Retirement Home on Edgehill Drive, vividly remembers the importance of the club in her family life.

“Kiwanis has a strong connotation in my mind. It was the first and only service club in Barrie," she told BarrieToday. "My father was very involved with the projects of the club, so it was just always a part of my life. There were weekly meetings (on Mondays). Our weeks were Tuesday through Sunday and then Kiwanis Day. It was a priority for my dad.

"I remember something called Rosebud luncheons where I got to attend a meal at a fancy hotel with my father and the group," Laking added. "At that time, noon was always the main meal and I thought that was a big deal to attend.”

Past-president John Zaba says it was a who's who of Barrie society.

“Every prominent person in Barrie belonged to the Kiwanis Club," he said. "From the start, the club’s focus was on helping children and that remains our No. 1 priority. We have been instrumental in so many community projects. We took part for years in the Easter Seal’s telethon which aired on CKVR, raising $1.5 million over 16 years for muscular dystrophy research." 

Kiwanis has also been a strong supporter of Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) over the years, among other local projects. 

"We saved the Sam Cancilla Pavilion from destruction and contributed money to build Meridian Place," Zaba said. "It was the Kiwanis Club that essentially started Kempenfest. It was a joint venture between the Barrie Art Club and Kiwanis. It was basically some arts and crafts and some food stands. I was the fry guy. Now, it is our biggest fundraiser.”

Laking also recalls the early days of Kempenfest, which has grown into one of the city's largest annual events. 

“It started very small, downtown, around the cenotaph area, before it grew and spread down the waterfront,” she said.

Laking also remembers once a year the club hosted a civic night in which local mayors, reeves and wardens from surrounding communities came together.

“That was very important and unique at the time. It gave us an opportunity to connect and communicate and share ideas with other politicians," she said. 

The Kiwanis Club now has 66 members who continue to work on Barrie projects.

“We usually choose two projects per year,” said Zaba. “We are currently assisting financially with 'Freedom Flights' to bring Ukrainian families to settle in Barrie. We will also be heavily involved in building Barrie’s new YMCA when that project gets rolling.”

Meanwhile, Laking believes service clubs are more important now than a century ago.

“Service clubs are able to meet the needs of people more rapidly and with more flexibility than the municipal government, which moves more slowly and has to abide by provincial laws and restrictions," she said. 

Laking will be the guest of honour at the 100th anniversary.

“I appreciate what the Kiwanis Club has done throughout my life and my father’s life. It will be wonderful to get to publicly thank them," she said. 

Zaba has been working on the upcoming event for the last three years, researching past members, putting together historic documents and an audio/visual presentation to be showcased at an invitation-only event at the Allure Conference Centre on Fairview Road on Sept. 17.


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