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SOME GREAT
VISITORS TO THE PARK
Yesterday, the 30th of June, we had a
number of our veterans visit the Park for a few hours. They
got the tour of the Park, stayed for lunch, visited for awhile and
then went on their way. After they had left and as I was
driving home I thought of what a wonderful and priceless treasure
and resource these men are for Canada. None of them were young
men but all of them still had that military bearing about them as
they threw friendly jibes at one another and reminiced and compared
notes. What these men have seen, what they have done for
Canada and for the world, will probably never be noted by most and
they really don't spend much time looking for recognition.
It was such a great pleasure to be with them yesterday and it made
me realize once again how very fortunate I am to be Canadian and to
know men and women of this calibre. I wish them all well and a
very Happy Canada Day. Please come again.
PEACEKEEPER
DAY
On the 18th of June, 2008, National Peacekeepers Day,
9th of August, has become an official day across our country to
recognize and honour past and present Canadian Peacekeepers.
We remember the Peacekeepers, Peacemakers and those involved in
Peace Operations who have sacrificed so much, even their lives, over
the past 62 years, so others can know peace. This year,
Peacekeeper Park will hold a Service of Remembrance for those that
have fallen In the Service of Peace at 2 PM, Sunday, August the 8th,
at the Park. This is the Military Families' Camping Weekend
and we thoght there would be no better time to remember the
Canadians who have served this country of ours so well. There
will be a social hour after the Service and all are welcome.
Summer dress is appropriate and we look forward to seeing you at the
Park.
There is also a dedication ceremony of a granite cairn
which contains a brass memorial plate of the Canadians who have made
the ultimate sacrifice in the Service of Peace. This ceremony
will be held at the RCL Hamilton Mountain Branch 163 on Saturday, 07
August starting at 1030 hrs. The Branch is located at
Limeridge Road E in Hamilton and all are invited to attend.
The Central Ontario Chapter of CAVUNP will be hosting the annual
Peacekeeper Tribute at Angus, Ontario.
FOR OUR
VETERANS AND SERVING MEMBERS OF THE CANADIAN FORCES
Peacekeeper Park has begun to
implement new programs aimed at our Canadian Forces veterans and at
our serving members of the CF. The first program has
been named "Broken Wing" and is designed, implemented. and operated
by the veterans and serving members themselves. Broken Wing
will be a 'stand alone' program under the umbrella of Peacekeeper
Park with its own designated Chair and set of By-Laws. It has
begun by inviting wounded veterans and serving members of the CF to
explore the Park as a means of giving back to the community by using
their skills and knowledge to further develop and maintain the Park
for the use of our youth programs. It is expcted that the
participants in this program will enjoy a relaxed and approachable
atmosphere conductive to learning and fellowship and that they wil
realize that they have made, through their efforts, a significant
contribution to the healthy development of Canadian youth. Any
veteran or serving member of the CF is more than welcome to
participate. Come on out and enjoy some comradship with some
of the guys and gals doing good things for kids and the community.
A NEW FRIEND
FOR OUR PARK
You never know where you'll find a friend. Almost
two years ago I was invited to speak to the Margaret Stokes Chapter
of the IODE about our Peacekeeping history over the past 62 years.
They also asked me to bring along some pamphlets of a Park they
heard I was involved with. Since then, this Chapter has made a
significant donation of equipment to Peacekeeper Park and
spearheaded a project to get support from all the Ontario Chapters
of the IODE. A few weeks ago in Thorold, the Provincal Annual
Meeting voted unanimously to provide the Park with the funding
required to build another cabin for our campers. Thank You
very much ladies and its always nice to make and treasure new
friends and thank you for all the good work you do for all
Canadians.
THE POWER OF
VOLUNTEERS
I've just finished up a report for
one of our major sponsors and was astounded at the numbers that came
up regarding our volunteers at the Park. Our most valuable
attribute at the Park, second only to our young campers, is the
dedication consistently shown by those fantastic people who donate
so very much of their time, their energy, their caring and their
money towards our Park. Considering each day as an 8 hour day,
while our volunteers consistently put in 10 to 12 hours a day, and
calculating what this would cost the Park if we paid them $10 per
hour, the volunteers of Peacekeeper Park contribute annually over
$70,000 to the Park. WOW!!!! It's seems very
insignificant to say "THANK YOU" but without all of those volunteer
hours, a lot of young people's lives would not be so significantly
enriched. Our volunteers have made what we do possible -
our volunteers are our future.
OUR WATER SYSTEM
We have recently learned that our drinking water system
at the Park falls under an Ontario Regulation that requires more
stringent testing and the addition of purification systems. We
are working closely with the appropriate government agencies to meet
this standard in order to further protect the health of the young
people who visit our Park. A number of our volunteers have
completed their required training, our well has been sealed and
capped, a water softener installed and the required purification and
filtration devices are now operational. You can rest assured
that the water is of the highest quality. A record of all the
samples and analysis results is available at the Park's HQ building
for your examination during normal business hours.
THREE FOR TWO - GET
A FREE WEEKEND
The Park is now offering a free weekend to any
group that books and pays for two weekends during our fiscal year,
01 Apr 09 to 31 Mar 10. You have to use up the free weekend
within the same fiscal period. It's a small attempt on our
part to say "Thank You" to our regular customers and also an effort
towards encouraging more groups to use our Park.
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