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Lions celebrate den’s new kitchen

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Lil Tripp

Tom McKenzie, president of the Willow Point Lions, and Acting Mayor Michele Babchuk, right, cut the ribbon to the kitchen. Photo by Kristen Douglas/Campbell River Mirror

It was a time to re-live the glory days as the Willow Point Lions celebrated the grand re-opening of their hall’s kitchen.

On Wednesday afternoon, members of the public joined the Lions at an open house to get a glimpse of the newly renovated kitchen and take a trip down memory lane courtesy of Danny Brown.

Brown, a volunteer with the Museum, showed a slide show on the history of Willow Point – which of course included the Willow Point Hall – while guests sipped a cup of tea and dug in to a creamy pineapple cake.

Acting Mayor Michele Babchuk then cut the ribbon to officially open the kitchen, which is now brightly lit, has a new fridge and a new stainless-top central island.

Tom McKenzie, president of the Willow Point Lions Club, said when the hall recently hosted Antics Dinner Theatre’s Fawlty Towers, the theatre troupe couldn’t believe the transformation.

“They were amazed,” McKenzie said. “They couldn’t believe the look of it.”

The renovations, which got underway in early July, took a couple of months to complete and involved a complete overhaul of the kitchen, including new shelving, new floors, new walls and a new ceiling.

The project was funded through a $24,500 New Horizons for Seniors federal grant in order to allow seniors to continue activities such as breakfasts, teas, exercise and dance classes, as well as other social events and fundraisers. The Lions Club also made an equal contribution from its hall renovation fund. On Wednesday afternoon, it was time to celebrate all the Lions accomplished over the summer with coffee, tea and cake.

So what’s next for the Lions?

According to McKenzie, a new roof and hopefully a new foundation for the hall which was built in 1939 and opened its doors in 1940.