President's Message 
Wellington Rotary Beach: A Rotary Legacy
The Rotary Club of Wellington was chartered in November 2002. Just a few years later, the Club undertook what would become one of its largest and most visible community projects: the transformation of Wellington Beach.
Before the project, the waterfront area was largely undeveloped and was seldom used except by local residents familiar with the site. In 2005, as part of Rotary International's Centennial celebrations, the Club chose the development of Wellington Beach Park as its Centennial project. The vision was to transform the site into a welcoming connection between the community and Lake Ontario, Wellington Harbour and West Lake.
Over the next several years, Rotarians worked with community volunteers, businesses, government agencies and funding partners to bring the project to life. The work involved extensive planning, fundraising and a considerable amount of volunteer “sweat equity.” The original project included approximately 1,200 feet of accessible boardwalk, 900 feet of pathways, benches, picnic tables, a sun shelter, washroom/change facilities and interpretive signs. The Club history records the total cost at approximately $225,000.
A particularly important feature was the installation of 13 interpretive signs which Secretary Reg Gemmell was instrumental in creating, telling the story of the area's geography, early history, fishing, sail and steam, shipwrecks, lifesaving, local fish, birds and native plants. These signs helped make the beach not only a recreational destination but also a place for visitors to learn about Wellington's natural and cultural heritage.
The multi-year project was completed in 2008–09. In recognition of the Rotary Club's leadership and contribution, Prince Edward County Council formally named the area Wellington Rotary Beach. In recent weeks, under the guidance of Past-President Yvonne Buys, the weathered interpretive signs were refreshed.
Rotary's involvement did not end with the completion of the project. The Club has continued its stewardship through annual spring cleanups and further improvements. In 2022, it supported construction of the beach kiosk, and in 2024, the Club helped lead an accessibility initiative that added mobility mats and floating mobility chairs, making access to the beach and water easier for people of all ages and abilities.
Today, Wellington Rotary Beach stands as one of the Rotary Club of Wellington's most enduring legacies—a once largely undeveloped waterfront transformed through vision, fundraising, partnerships and countless hours of volunteer effort into a place enjoyed by residents and visitors alike.
Quote of the week:
In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. John Muir
Bad dad joke of the week:
My therapist told me that change would be good for me – so I started collecting coins.
Chris Compeau
President 2026-27
This Week's Zoom Meeting Details:
Topic: Weekly Rotary Meeting
Time: Sept 01, 2026 07:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 828 6879 3340
Passcode: rotary
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Notes from Club Forum on August 25, 2026
President Chris opened the meeting at 7:07 with 30 members present plus one on Zoom. The Rotary thong was thung.
Our Club won the Club Excellence Award for last year. Congratulations to PP Yvonne!
Review of Board Reports:
· Secretary Lyn detailed correspondence received and sent.
· Treasurer Bill reviewed the financial results for the month of July. Christine moved that the Treasurer’s Report be accepted, seconded by John, motion carried.
· Director Roger thanked Phyo, John Hatch, and Cathy for their help in reviewing and proposing updates to the club’s bylaws. Lyn will forward the current bylaws to all members, with the proposed changes highlighted in red. Please provide comments/feedback to Roger by email. Changes will be discussed and voted on at the Club Forum in September. There was some discussion about the structure of the Foundation, which is under review. The bylaws for the Foundation will also require updating.
· PE Gregor provided a brief fundraising report. So far, 170 tickets have been sold for the County Cares concert at the Regent, vs capacity of 400. Flyers are up, the Regent is sending an email to the attendees at last year’s event, and Chris has met with the RC of Picton to elicit their support. With respect to the on-line auction, which is now live, Mike said there have been 2008 page views and 96 bids totalling over $4000. There are now 67 auction items with an estimated market value of over $14,000.
· Director Peter advised that Shawn’s reinstatement has been approved by the Membership. Welcome back, Shawn!
· PP Yvonne advised that next year’s PP Night will be on Tuesday, June 22 at the WOTL Community Centre. There will be no morning meeting that week.
· Fellowship Committee – Roger will circulate sheets next week for the next round of Fellowship Dinners, which will be in the October-November timeframe.
· No funding requests were received this month. However, Yvonne proposed that $2,000 be donated to the Big Lake Festival; seconded by Christine. Motion carried.
Club Business:
Upcoming events –
· Aug 26 @ 10 am – photo op with the mayor for the new beach signs
· Sep 6 – County Cares concert at the Regent
· Sep 7 – online auction closes at noon
· Sep 20 – RI President’s Walk at Point Traverse
· Oct 4 – County Marathon
· Oct 17 – Wellington Pumpkinfest – Margo will lead the Float Committee again this year. Howard will be organizing the giant pumpkin weighing teams.
Anniversaries – Conrad and Diana celebrate 42 years on Aug 2; Colin and Shelley celebrate 50 years on Aug 28. Congratulations, you guys!
50/50 Draw – Yvonne’s ticket was drawn but she didn’t pick the ace of spades. Down to 15 cards now and the pot keeps growing.
President Chris closed the meeting at 8:22 with the Four-Way Test.
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