About Us

Helping to make our Gabriola Island a better place to live

Gabriola Island Lions Club Mission

“To create and foster a spirit of understanding among all people for humanitarian needs by providing voluntary services through community involvement and international cooperation.”

The Gabriola Island Lions Club has a long history of providing hands on service to the community of Gabriola Island.

We help our Gabriola Island youth by funding high school scholarships and youth in sports, work with local elementary school’s PAC for classroom requirements and sports program equipment, the island scouts and guides, after school programs, kids help line and we foster community spirit with our youth exchange program.

We assist with funding many island organizations including the PHC food & outreach programs, the Gabriola Museum, the Community Hall, supportive housing and the medical clinic among many others. We also team up with the Gabriola Land & Trails Trust and BC Parks for maintenance of our island parks and trails.

As one of the Lions’ core missions is to fight blindness, we do our part by funding spot screening at the Gabriola Elementary School, collect used eyeglasses that are repurposed for those in need, donate funds to guide and other support dogs and purchase equipment for those that are visually impaired.

The Gabriola Island Lions Club is proud to support our island residents that are in need of a hand up. Our firewood program is one of our key service activities, providing needed warmth during the winter months. We also assist with emergency funding and mobility equipment such as scooters and wheelchairs.

Honouring Lion John Barton

John Barton passed away December 2nd 2021. Lion John was a member of the Gabriola Lions club for 36 years. He served as President of the club for 2 years and he has been an active member on many committees during his years of service. Lion John was instrumental in securing the first Bingo licence for the Gabriola Lions Club and he ran the Bingo Program for 26 years when it was necessary to volunteer time in the Bingo halls and go to government meetings in order to secure the funding. In his 26 years managing this Program Lion John must have pulled in close to $500,000 in today’s money. When he worked the bingo halls for no pay and attended the required meetings he never claimed any personal expenses. Lion John was also one of the pioneers of the Christmas Ferry Line Program and in the early years of this Program he personally delivered 50+ hampers each year at his own cost.   

The success and reputation of our club today has been built on the backs of people like Lion John.  He was the first member of our club to receive the Judge Brian Stevenson award and he was the first member of our club to receive the Clive Tutty Lion of the Year award. He is also the only member of our club in possession of the Lions International 100 Year Silver Dollar Memorial.- Lion Paul

 

john barton
John Barton attending a Lions meeting with his silly hat
youth exchange

Youth

The Gabriola Island Lions Club supports our island youth by providing funding for:

  • High school scholarships to qualified students for post secondary learning
  • The Gabriola Elementary School PAC for classroom & playground equipment
  • The Hope Centre for the after school “Teen Peer Helper” program
  • The island’s Boy Scouts & Girl Guides equipment needs and registration fee support
  • The kids Help Phone crisis line
  • Lions Youth Exchange program where qualified youth will experience a country of their choice to learn a culture and serving
phc food bank

Community

The Gabriola Island Lions Club supports our many island organizations by assisting with funding for:

  • The People for a Heathy Community food bank and community support programs such as the Senior’s Circle of Care
  • The Gabriola Museum and Historical Society for various programs ranging from renovations, displays, audio visual equipment to outdoor signage
  • The Health Care Foundation to help in the creation of the Gabriola Health Centre and to equip the Urgent Treatment Room as well as any future requirements
  • The Gabriola Community Hall for building renovations and equipment
  • The Gabriola Agricultural Hall for various building improvements
  • The Gabriola Arts Council for helping to make their building wheelchair accessible
eyeglass collectiomn

Vision

The Gabriola Island Lions Club supports the Lions’ core mission of fighting blindness by:

  • Help fund and assist with spot screening of Gabriola Elementary students to find any potential vision problems
  • Collecting used eyewear on the island and sending them to get repurposed for those needing eyeglasses
  • Yearly support the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides with a dog walk that donates all funds collected to help raise and train guide dogs for those that have a disability whether vision related or other
  • Assist with funding of equipment for those with a vision impairment
firewood

Assistance

The Gabriola Island Lions has always been prepared to help our island residents. We do this by:

  • Our signature activity is to collect donated firewood. We season the wood, then split and deliver the firewood to anyone that is in need of winter warmth
  • Providing emergency funding to an individual or family in need of assistance
  • Assisting those with a mobility disability by helping fund scooters and wheelchairs

How can we help you?

The Gabriola Island Lions Club is here to help you if we can. Please click the funding form button below if you require assistance and we will get in contact with you.

Tell us how we can help