We had The Honorable Pauline Rochefort, Liberal Member of Parliament for Nipissing-Timiskaming give us an update on things happening in our area. She had applied as a Rotary Exchange Student in her youth so understands what Rotary is about and thanked Rotary for all that we do for community. She also stated that where things are right now with the economy, Rotary is needed even more. The Federal Budget is scheduled to be presented Nov. 4th. Positive things being done to keep our inflation rate (as of now 1.92%) is more stimulus - work from home, tourism, new technology, tariff issues, etc. Impact from the tariffs is on all sectors. Canada still has a top rating in the world among the G7 countries but she did mention Canada is “in flux” as we are still recovering from the COVID-19 issues as well. We are a country of continued growth and she joins the PM's vision to make Canada the best. Focus on housing, defense plans, invest in Canadian companies to ensure we can compete on the world stage and continue to have influence on the world stage. The government is working hard on going after talent/attracting the best in things like digital intelligence. “Canada has what the world wants" …….
Regarding North Bay, yes, there are challenges but good things are happening as well. Tourism, transportation improvements, mining, defense and the film industry. North Bay is the gateway to the rest of Canada. The Hwy 11 & 17 expansion planning, working with the First Nations and ensuring we care for the environment.
Rotary is a vast global network and through the work Rotary does, there is a belief in a better world.
Sgt. At Arms Steve toasted Rotary Club of FESTAC Town in district 9111. Prince Henry Akinyele, has lauded the Maternal and Child Care and Economic Development program of Rotary Club of FESTAC Town, describing it as impactful and encouraged the beneficiaries to make good use of it. He said: “Apart from the pregnancy kits donated to the pregnant mothers at the Senator Oluremi Tinubu Primary Health Centre, Amuwo Odofin, they also empowered the women in their community with pop corn machines, grinding machine and sewing machines. And looking at these two projects, the first one falls under maternal and child -care is one of the areas of focus of Rotary. The other one is under Economy and Community Development, which is the empowerment of women in the community as well. This is a very impactful project and will allow the beneficiaries to earn a better living, and by extension, be able to also put food on the table of their families. If you wanted to read more about this project, please go to this link:
Reminder to those who had registered for Part I of the Rotary Leadership Institute - Part II is coming up! First session will be Nov. 1st so don't forget to register. This is a great way to continue your learning about all things Rotary and great way to see how Rotary works outside of our Club.
Rotary Leadership & Learning Institute Training (RLI) Part 2 By Zoom (will be sent out upon registration received)
The Board welcomed Jeff Serran to the table as a Director - welcome, Jeff. We also wanted to thank Ghislaine Cote in agreeing to take on the vacant role of Community Service II. She will be taking on the following committees: Rotary4Kids, Environment, Literacy, Children's Committee and Signature Project Committee. Thank you, Ghislaine!
October 28th is set aside as a “Bring a friend” to Rotary! We are asking members to please bring a potential member to Rotary (friends and relatives are welcome)…… let's open our doors to the community so we can show what we do and through conversation, let people know WHY we do it!
November 3rd will be our annual Remembrance Day - Join Us in Honouring Our Heroes – Remembrance Day Ceremony, Nov. 3 at the Grand
Each year, we come together to pause, reflect, and honour the men and women who have served — and those who continue to serve — our country with courage and sacrifice. Remembrance Day is more than a tradition; it’s a moment to unite as a community in gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy because of those who gave everything.
This year’s Remembrance Day Ceremony will be held at 12 PM on Monday, November 3rd at the Grand, and we’re hoping for our biggest turnout yet. Your presence makes a real difference. By standing together, we show our collective respect for those who have served and for the families who have borne the cost of that service.
Please mark your calendars and invite others to join you — friends, family, colleagues, neighbours. Let’s fill the Grand and demonstrate the deep appreciation our community holds for our veterans and active service members. RSVPs are appreciated but not mandatory.
Let’s come together to remember, to reflect, and to say — with one voice — we will never forget.
November 7th will be a special night! Tickets must be ordered on-line. See details below:
We will recognize Kevin Oshchesfski with a Paul Harris Award for all the support he's given to RedpathRotary4Kids and to other community organizations over the years. Proceeds will be divided between the Rotary Foundation “End Polio” campaign and Run for the Cure (Breast Cancer Research).
The event will be held at Churchill’s. Seats are 150$ per person and you will get a 100.00$ charitable tax receipt.
Please purchase your tickets as soon as possible, as we have reserved only 15 seats for Rotarians and friends. You can purchase them at the following link:
This link is for registration only. Click “pay by check” to complete your registration. You will then get a confirmation email which will give you payment options.
The Board has a special ask of our members. We have had an annual Great Student Awards program every year for many, many years. The local high schools vote for a student from each high school that most exemplifies Rotary's “Service Above Self”. Henry Drenth has been the Chair of this committee for many years and has done a great job of putting on the event to celebrate the very deserving youth from Mattawa to Sturgeon Falls but he is unable to take this on at this time. We are very hopeful Henry has a full recovery and we will see him soon but there are things that need to be done now in preparing for the event in February. Please let President Jeff know if you are able to take on this committee and ensure the event takes place.
