Toronto Beaches Lions Club celebrates 90 years of community service

By SUSAN LEGGE

In 1935, a small group of east-end residents gathered above the Mountain Dew Restaurant on Queen Street East with a simple idea: neighbours helping neighbours.

They called themselves the Toronto Beaches Lions Club, and over nine decades their mix of community spirit, fundraising creativity, and good humour has left an indelible mark on the community and beyond.

From the days of bingo nights at Greenwood Racetrack to the Easter Bunny’s unforgettable helicopter landing on the Boardwalk, and the iconic annual Christmas tree sale which continues to this day, the Lions have always known how to make service feel like celebration.

And while the Easter Parade and Christmas tree sales are their most visible traditions, much of their work has been quieter — building seniors’ housing, collecting eyeglasses for distribution through its recycling program, and supporting countless local charities, schools, sports teams, camps and much more, for almost a century.

$25,000 gift supports Michael Garron Hospital

That legacy of giving continued at the club’s 90th anniversary gala event on Saturday, Sept. 27 at the Ashbridges Bay Yacht Club, as the Lions presented the Michael Garron Hospital Foundation with a $25,000 donation to help fund the expansion of the Stavro Emergency Department.

“This $25,000 gift, along with the many gifts the Lions have given over the past 12 years, has added up to nearly $100,000,” said Mitze Mourinho, president of the Michael Garron Hospital Foundation. “We are so thrilled and just love this partnership.”

The evening also marked a historic moment for the club as Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and Beaches-East York Councillor Brad Bradford were inducted as members in a traditional candlelight ceremony, receiving the Lions’ iconic yellow vests — a symbol often worn when working in the public at fundraising and community events.

“Well, 90 years … since 1935! Building seniors’ homes … helping people that are the most in need … neighbours helping neighbours, that’s what it’s all about. Character!” said Chow.

Bradford also highlighted the Lions’ impact across generations.

“The Lions do so many things — extra support for seniors, for kids, and of course the Jazz Fest and everything (Lion member) Lido (Chilelli) does to celebrate music and culture. The money always goes right back into our community. Tonight, we’re celebrating a gift to Michael Garron Hospital, an institution near and dear to so many of us. That’s your service, your time, your talent, your treasure — and that’s why it’s such an honour to be part of an organization like this,” Bradford told attendees at the sold-out gala.

Beaches-East York MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith said the Lions’ work often flies under the radar.

“Everyone knows about the Easter Parade, the Christmas trees, and Canada Day, but they also help individuals and organizations in need. Our community simply wouldn’t be the same giving community without them.”

He recalled his own initiation into the club about a decade ago. “I’ve got to be honest — when I was sworn in, I think I was wearing a lei and a Hawaiian shirt. It was a completely different vibe.”

Beaches-East York MPP Mary-Margaret McMahon brought her trademark humour to the gala podium, recalling her first Lions meeting.

“We stood in a circle, held hands, and roared three times. I thought, ‘where even am I? This feels like Fred Flintstone’s Water Buffalo Lodge,’” she said.

“This club is so unassuming and behind the scenes. No one really knows everything you do,” she said, adding that the world would be a better place if everyone volunteered like the Lions do.

Many of the club’s members have been local politicians, giving rise to its nickname, “the Mayor’s Club.” Past members include Toronto mayors Hiram McCallum, Bob Saunders, Don Summerville, Art Eggleton, and June Rowlands.

The gala evening also included several awards recognizing long-standing service. Among the honourees was Beach Metro Community News route captain Robert (Bob) Norman, who received the Helen Keller Fellowship Award for his untiring dedication.

A walk through 90 years of history

Toronto Beaches Lions Club member Summer Nudel led gala attendees through a video retrospective scripted by immediate past-president Andy Buhot. It detailed the club’s many decades of service, challenges and community milestones.

Here are just a few:

• 1935 – Founded over the Mountain Dew restaurant at 1972A Queen Street East. Twenty-five men stay until 2 a.m., singing, organizing, and setting the tone for the meetings that would come to characterize the club.
• 1935 – Children’s matinee at the Beach Theatre: admission? A tin of food to support “war work and service funds.”
• 1940s – Summer carnivals at Balmy Beach Club become the club’s main annual event.
• 1948 – A spectacular Christmas celebration at the CNE nearly bankrupts the club after losing $40,000, but community support helps it rebound.
• 1953 – Kew Gardens wading pool opens, complete with a fountain shooting up from the centre inspired by a visit to New York’s Central Park — at a cost of $12,000. The pool’s design was later copied across Toronto and is one of the club’s most enduring projects.
• 1966 – The Beaches Lions Centennial Apartments seniors’ residence at 50 Norway Avenue opens and is given to Metro Housing for $1.
• 1967 – The Easter Parade begins with the Bunny arriving by helicopter on the Boardwalk, and the Lions help organize it.
• 1974 – Due to its popularity, the Easter Parade moves to Queen Street East, and the Beaches Lions became its official organizer and sponsor in 1981.
• Late 1960s and 1970s – The club provided seed money for three East End institutions that remain vital today: Community Centre 55, Senior Link, and Beach Metro Community News.
• 1983–early 1990s – Giant bingos at Greenwood Racetrack boost membership from eight to nearly 80.
• 1987 – Annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Kew Gardens begins, which will resume this year after a hiatus.
• 1989 – First female members join, forming the Lady Lions segment.
• 1991 – Club buys its own clubhouse from the Boy Scouts and renames it the Jonathan Ashbridge Community Centre which can be rented by the public.
• 2000s – Organizes the local Terry Fox Run for many years and holds an annual walk to raise money for guide dogs, which will happen again this year, along with a plant drive.
• 2016 – After more than 25 years in Kew Gardens, the club’s annual Christmas tree sale operations moves to the west of the Donald Summerville pools by Woodbine Beach.
• 2025 – $25,000 donation to Michael Garron Hospital adds to nearly $100,000 given over the past 12 years.
  

Nine decades later, the TBLC shows that the tradition of neighbours helping neighbours is alive, well, and making a difference.

“True to our motto, ‘We Serve,’ we work tirelessly to engage the community and strive to enrich the lives of others, albeit with a healthy dose of humour and camaraderie amongst our members,” said TBLC President Maria Dawson in her message in the gala program.

One of the club’s newer members, 32-year-old Daniel Loberto, proves the Lions isn’t just for longtime or older members — younger residents are getting involved too.

After moving to the Beach with his wife Danielle in 2023, he said they were immediately welcomed by a close-knit community of neighbours, which made settling into their new home easy. Since then, they’ve spent plenty of time exploring the Boardwalk, strolling along Queen, and enjoying local dog parks with their new pup, Bones.

“I felt indebted to a Beaches community that both supported my family while providing us with numerous public spaces to enjoy in our free time. It became very important to me to give back to this same community,” said Loberto. “The Toronto Beaches Lions Club appealed to me because they help reinforce our tightknit community by bringing together neighbours for great causes.”

Later this year, the club plans to host a membership drive and ukulele lessons at The Kingston House.

The Toronto Beaches Lions Club is part of a global network of 49,000 Lions Clubs serving 1.4 million members in 200 countries and regions. According to Lions Clubs International, during 2024–2025, Lions worldwide reported 75,191 service activities, benefiting over 13 million people.

For more information about the Toronto Beaches Lions Club, please visit https://beacheslions.com/