Mayor, deputy mayor frustrations continue with service club restrictions

Jeff Helsdon, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A report looking at ways the town can work with its service clubs to assist with the cost of big-ticket projects didn’t find any way forward, but this doesn’t mean the issue is done.

The report was ordered by council after its Economic Development Committee passed a resolution at its Oct. 8 meeting asking the town to investigate the possibility of partnerships with service clubs. Mayor Deb Gilvesy expressed frustration with restrictions on involving service clubs in town projects. There is a long history of service clubs assisting with town projects, with rooms in the Tillsonburg Community Centre displaying the names of the Kinsmen and Lions, baseball diamonds being associated with the Optimist Club, and many other examples.

At the Nov. 18 budget meeting, council asked staff to prepare a report on the issue. That report was presented at the Jan. 13 meeting. The main takeaway was that most service clubs raise most of their funds through lotteries and raffles, and the Alcohol Gaming Commission of Ontario Licensing Policy Manual states funds raised can’t be used on municipal projects.

“Let’s work with how we can do this,” said Deputy Mayor Dave Beres, who is also a Lions Club member. “We should be talking to the alcohol and gaming people in Ontario and getting it back to where it was where service clubs can do a fundraiser with lottery and give it to the community to help.

He added, “This tells us where we are now, and we want to see where we are in the future.”

Mayor Deb Gilvesy agreed, saying the report doesn’t find solutions.

“There have to be ways of thinking outside the box,” she said.

The mayor said there are also liability issues if a service club takes on a project, but there has to be ways of working through this. She also maintained this could be one way of completing projects more cost-effectively.

Beres said the report identifies other ways service clubs can raise money besides lotteries, but he said lotteries are the big fundraisers. Even the Lions' Monday night bingo is done under the auspices of the Alcohol Gaming Commission of Ontario.

“I would like to take a dive into what other communities are doing. Is everyone just saying no?” he asked. “How are we working around this?”

Gilvesy agreed, saying other options should be sought.

Beres said they need to get MPP Ernie Hardeman to assist.

“It’s not unique to us, it’s everywhere,” he said. “In the past service clubs have been great supporters, not just here but across the province.”

Coun. Bob Parsons pointed out so many facilities the town has are due to the work of service clubs, mentioning the pool and arena.

“It seems to be a double-edged sword in some ways,” he said, further explaining that communities with a casino are required to channel money back into the community.

“You’re right it doesn’t make any sense,” Gilvesy agreed.

Tillsonburg CAO Kyle Pratt, who wrote the report, said he understands council’s frustrations, but he said one of the things to ascertain is whether the service clubs want to donate to town projects. He said a survey, which the report suggested, would find answers to that question.

Council accepted the report as information, but Beres said he and the town delegation at last weekend’s Rural Ontario Municipal Association conference plan on raising the issue with provincial officials and also other elected representatives from other communities.