This Week: Elissa Lee
(Big Lake Festival)

           President's Message   

Gord Downie: An Ambassador for Peace

The Picton Regent Theatre fundraiser in support of county foodbanks is now less than 4 weeks away.  The keynote performer for this event is The Road Apples, a well-known cover band for The Tragically Hip.  I confess that I was never a great fan of The Tragically Hip (maybe with the exception of Wheat Kings) however I am an enormous fan of their lead singer.  Gord Downie is remembered by most Canadians as the late iconic lead singer of The Tragically Hip, but his legacy extends far beyond music. Through his compassion, courage, and unwavering commitment to truth and reconciliation, Downie became a powerful ambassador for peace.

Following his diagnosis with terminal brain cancer in 2015, Downie chose to use his remaining time to advance a cause greater than himself. He brought national attention to the story of Chanie Wenjack, a twelve-year-old Anishinaabe boy who died while attempting to escape Canada's residential school system. Through the multimedia project Secret Path, Downie invited Canadians to confront a painful chapter of our history with honesty, empathy, and a desire for reconciliation.

Peace is more than the absence of conflict. It is built through understanding, justice, respect, and the willingness to listen. Downie recognized that lasting peace requires acknowledging past wrongs and working together to create a more inclusive future. His message encouraged dialogue rather than division, compassion rather than blame, and hope rather than despair.

These values closely reflect Rotary's commitment to peacebuilding. Rotary promotes understanding among cultures, supports education, strengthens communities, and invests in peace through service and international cooperation. Like Downie, Rotarians recognize that meaningful change begins with informed, compassionate individuals who are prepared to act.

Gord Downie died from his illness on October 17, 2017.  He demonstrated that one person's voice can inspire a nation to reflect, heal, and grow. His legacy reminds us that each of us has the opportunity to be an ambassador for peace—not only through words, but through our actions, our service, and our commitment to building a more just and compassionate world.

I look forward to seeing everyone at the concert fundraiser on September 6^th.

Quote of the week:

"Peace is not merely the absence of conflict; it is the presence of justice." — Martin Luther King Jr.

Bad Dad joke of the week:

I am reading a book about sandpaper.  It’s a work of friction.

Chris Compeau
President 2026-27

This Week's Zoom Meeting Details:

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Notes from Rotary Meeting on August 4, 2026

President Chris opened the meting at 7:07 with 35 members present plus 2 on Zoom, 3 guests from the RC of Picton (Andy Janikowski, Joanne Coker, Grant Reynolds) and our guest speaker, Phillip Mercier from the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory (“PEPtBO”)

Guest Speaker

Norm introduced Phillip Mercier, who is an environmental biologist with a degree from McGill with a specialization in ornithology. He was the Station Manager at PEPtBO for 3 years, then joined the board as chair of the fundraising committee. PEPtBO is a NFP founded 31 years ago. Phillip began with the question “Why Birds?” and cited two main reasons – birds and their migration are important macro indicators of environmental health on an international level, and bird watching is a proven mental health-improving hobby. PEPtBO bands over 100 different species every year, that use every single habitat in Canada. Banding takes place during migration in Spring (April 10- May 31) and Fall (August 15- October 31). 

PEPtBO has a number of activities available to the public: 

• the Spring Birding Festival, which includes banding demos, a youth day (grade 7-10), tent talks and workshops,

• Fall Owl Nights, with banding demos and presentations about owl monitoring, and 

• A Youth Ornithology Career Orientation (YOCO) consisting of week-end/weeklong residential camps to train youth age 13 -17 on bird conservation research and techniques. (This program used to receive government funding but government focus has changed, so this program is now self-funded.)

Phillip said the PEPtBO station welcomes 6000 – 7000 visitors each year. How can we help? Keep our cats indoors, buy stickers for our windows (dots placed 3” apart on the outside of the window), and donate time and/or funds to any local charity that supports bird conservation. Interesting fact, cats kill 1.1 billion birds every year in the US. In the Q&A, Phillip noted that forest fires don’t destroy the entire habitat; the regenerative forest supports a great diversity of species. Phillip was thanked by Margo.

Club Business:

Yvonne noted that Percy has officially retired and is now residing with Kim. There will be a spot in the Times this week marking his passing.

Howard gave a brief status update about the 2026 Online Auction. He asked members to review the solicitation spreadsheet to see where they might be able to help. William volunteered to contact Garage Time, Christine will contact Broken Stone and Chris will get in touch with Last House Vineyard.

Upcoming events - 

August 12 – potluck pool party, Pierre and Connie’s place, 3 pm

Sept 6 – County Cares – musical fundraiser for county foodbanks; Rotary online auction closes Sep7 at noon

Sept 20 – RI President’s Walk @ Point Traverse

October 4 – County Marathon

October 17 – Wellington Pumpkinfest

October 23-25 - Rotary District 7070 conference in Toronto

Nov 4-5 – Scottish curling bonspiel

Birthdays – Dave R, today August 4

Anniversaries – David and Shirley Smith, 51 years on August 8

50/50 Draw – Ken’s ticket was drawn but he did not pull the Ace. And so, the pot grows!

Chris closed the meeting at 8:34 with the Four-Way Test.

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