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Sometime in 1932 the Kinsmen Club of Kingston came to Cornwall in order to form the Kinsmen Club of Cornwall Inc. , and on April 20th, 1933, with 15 men, the Kinsmen Club of Cornwall was chartered. Charter President Cliff Beach soon had the Club involved in its first service project, “Give a Man a Job”, which resulted in over 1,200 hours of odd-job employment for those seeking employment. Since 1964, the Club has honored Cliff Beach by providing, “Cliff Beach Bursaries” annually to local Secondary Schools. The Fire on August 7th, 1933, “a Civic Holiday”, which destroyed a large part of the Cornwall business district including the living quarters of 36 families, saw the Club taking responsibility for assisting those families in being resettled. Members of the Club manned the 24-hour Fire Relief Bureau, which was set up to appeal for funds, food, clothing, and furniture. This project resulted in every family being housed in living accommodations, at least equal to those before the Fire. A Club project in 1935 was to start an annual Children’s Christmas Party at the Palace Theater, for those children who would not, because of no fault of their own, enjoy Christmas. This continued for many years. We joined with the Kiwanis and Lions Clubs in 1940 to stimulate the sale of War Saving Stamps and Certificates. In addition, in that year we again jointed with the Kiwanis Club to provide entertainment to troop trainees at the local military training camp in Cornwall. From 1941 until 1945 the Association of Kinsmen Clubs joined in a project call, “Milk for Britain” campaign where 50 million quarts of milk were sent to Britain. We supported this campaign, raising and turning over $4,000.00 for this project. 1943 saw us provide a new car for the Children's Aid Society and in that year we again joined with the Kiwanis and Lions Clubs in a benefit hockey game in support of the “Russian Relief Fund”, where money and clothing were sent to Russia. In 44, we did this again. In 1945, we undertook several projects. One project was to present to the newly incorporated City of CORNWALL with the “Mayor’s Chain of office”. In addition, that year a Kinteen Club was sponsored, which provided dances for teenagers, where members were the chaperons. Moreover, in 1945 the Club joined with the Kiwanis, Lions and Legion to formalize the “Cornwall Service Club Council”. In 1946, the Club fully supported the new Children’s Ward addition at the Cornwall General Hospital. Continuing to support the youth of our community, in 1951, “ Elmer the Elephant” was a school safety project. In addition, in that year the “Kinsmen Little League Baseball” started with several hundred boys taking part, this continued for many years. In keeping with the theme “our youth”, the Club started the First Kinsmen Music Festival in the school year 1954/55. This festival saw many thousands of children perform at it, from grade one through their school years. Many have gone on to professional status. In addition, in 2006 we celebrated our 52nd continuous, Kinsmen Music Festival. In the spring of 1958, the Club had eight wading pools constructed in various City parks. Those pools still exist for the summer of 2005. In keeping with our motto, “Serving the Community’s Greatest Need”, the Club endorsed a four-bed ward at the J.S. MacDonald Hospital. In addition, $4,000.00 donated to the General Hospital Expansion Fund as well as $2,000.00 donated to the YMCA summer camp. Moving into the 60’s saw the Club fill a need by founding the Kinsmen School, currently known as the Kinsmen School/Vincent Massey school. This school provided special learning needs for challenged children in order for them to be reintroduced into society. There was no government program to meet these individuals needs. These children would have to go into the regular school program or taught at home. The school expanded in 1966 and eventually became part of the Upper Canada School Board. Cystic Fibrosis was made a National Kinsmen Service Project in 1965, to which the Kin across Canada have raised and donated over $30,000,000.00. The Cornwall Club, in 1989, hosted the National Kin Convention of Kinsmen and Kinette Clubs of Canada, which drew hundreds of members from across Canada. At that convention the medical breakthrough needed was announced, “ Researchers of this dreaded childhood disease, “CF”, had discovered “the GENE” ”, and now major steps can be taken to cure this disease. As a result of this discovery, a C F child’s life expectancy has been extended into their 40’s. Moving into the 70’s, the Club had a fundraising project called “Kinsmen Lottery”. The Kinsmen Club of Cornwall administered this lottery. It grew so fast and was about to go into the province of Manitoba when, the Ontario government took it over in late 73 and it became known as “Wintario”. 1974 saw the Club purchase the financially troubled YMCA property, pay off its debts and turn the building over to the City of Cornwall for $1.00. The City has since administered it, providing Day Care services (Kinette Day Care) for 27 years. Swimming programs, gymnasium and a weight room are other services. The Club, in 1999, pledged $110,000.00 towards the Millennium projects. One of those projects being the NEW AQUATIC CENTRE. With the help of this donation, the New Aquatic Centre is to open September of 2005. The pool tank in the Centre is the “Kinsmen Pool”. A $1,000.00 grant was provided for restoration and moved the Cornwall Street Railway electric engine to the front of Cornwall’s Water Treatment plant. In addition, in 74, the Kinsmen Club became the sponsor of the Kinsmen Minor Soccer Association. Over the year the league has expanded and now registers over 1,300 children. In 1991, funding began on a project that would create new soccer fields, washroom facilities and parking at the West End on Second Street near the Power Dam. And in the fall of 2000 a fourth soccer field was build in partnership with KMSA, Ontario Power Generation, the City of Cornwall and the Kinsmen with the Club donating in excess of $25,000.00 to this project. In 1975, an electronic scoreboard purchased at a cost of $75,000.00 for the Ed Lumley arena in the Civic Complex, and a grant of $6,000.00 was given to the Williamstown arena for dehumidification equipment. 1977 saw the Club go on a fundraising campaign, with the goal of $90,000.00, to add a new wing the Library. This new wing, construct and opened in 78 was called the Kinsmen Wing. Since then, the Cornwall Public Library has moved into new facilities and within its new buildind at the renovated post office, there is a room that is known as the Kinsmen room. In 78 a Participark was constructed by the Club, in Lamoureux Park, it has since been replaced by the Rotary Gardens. During January or Febraury of 1981 Mr. Frank O’Biien of the Ministry of Community and Social Services approached the Kinsmen Club, because of its previous involuement with challenged children, and asked if it would be interested in sponsoring an Adult Group Home. This home would integrate Adults into the Community. The Club took on this challenge and appointed Directors to manage this Group Home. This home would be made up of five apartments located at 117 Sydney Street. These apartments needed to be renovated, cleaned, painted, decorated and furnished. The tables, beds, dressers were assembled by the directors after they had painted and decorated. These Directors were A.D. MacMillan, Hal Sherwood, Ron Mulligan, Don Lemieux and Peter Morgan. In 84, the Club took on the sponsorship of the Kinsmen Girls Softball League that continues to register over 200 girls each year. In the 90’s, besides the mentioned projects which are continuing, the Kinsmen Club has been involved in “Youth Day” at Worldfest, purchased $25,00.00 worth of surgical equipment for the Cornwall General Hospital and sponsored both the Cornwall Regional Spelling BEE and the Cornwall Winter Carnival. 1995 the Kinsmen Club, along with the Cornwall Parks and Recreation Department, start the annual Kinsmen Music Camp, which has divided into two camps because of numbers, in July and August. Camp Kagama, a summer youth camp, needed to be repaired for the hundreds of youth visitors for the summer of 1996. It needed picnic tables, a new docks and general repairs were to be made on its buildings. Both the Kinsmen and Kinette Clubs continue to meets annually, before the Camp opens, to make the needed repairs so that hundreds of children may enjoy this activity. This is an ongoing project for both Clubs. In 1997, the Club took over the sponsorship of the Cornwall Kinsmen Girls Hockey. This league continues annually to register over 200 girls. It has developed the skills of many and has produced Olympian Lori Dupuis. The disasters in 1977 of the Red River Flood saw Kinsmen from Cornwall go to Winnipeg, for a week to assist with the cleanup. Those Kinsmen jobs were too ripe out the interiors of three (3) houses, so that they it could be inspected, for reconstruction or demolation. The Ice Storm of 98 saw the Club assist with a shelter outside of the City. Little Rock Curling, in 1999, came about because of funding by the Club. Today over 50 youth are involved in what has become known as, Kinsmen Little Rock Curling. This activity continues to grow in our community. In the millennium year 2000, the Club took on the sponsorship of the new Cornwall Kinsmen Minor Lacrosse League, which registered 200 children. Cornwall was a major lacrosse centre and our hopes are this sport be revived in Cornwall. The Kinsmen Club, in 2005 gave financial support of $100,000.00 to new Cornwall Community Hospital. In 2004, after a number of years of involvement, the Kinsmen Club became the naming sponsor of the local hot air balloon festival, which is now known as Kinsmen Cornwall Lift-Off. |
