Home Page | Rotary Club of Corner Brook

We meet In Person

Thursdays at 12:30 p.m.

Glynmill Inn

1B, Cobb Lane
Corner Brook, NL A2H 2V3
Canada

Regular Rotary lunch meetings are held weekly at the Glynmill Inn on Thursdays at 12.30pm - 1.30pm. Rotarians and friends call 709 634 -3789 for more information.

District Site

Bulletins

Venue Map

Dolly Parton Imagination Library

Rotary Lobster Social Friday June 26

Adventures in Citizenship Program Speak-Off March 5 2026

Guest Speakers 2026

Christmas Rotary Lunch December 18 2025

Rotarian Elaine Huxter named to the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador

On December 4, Gift Cards donated by Corner Brook Rotarians given to the Salvation Army

Past Rotary President for 3 Years Jackie being thanked by current President Olaf

The Spinner September 24 2026

Notes from the Rotary Meeting 12.30pm Thursday, September 24, 2026.

President Olaf chaired the meeting and welcomed Rotarians and guest Renee Sherstobetoff.

Club Business

Elaine spoke about the AGM of the Rotary Arts Centre Board and announced and congratulated the Rotary representative on the RAC Board Rotarian Janice who is now the RAC Board secretary.
The Dolly Parton’s Imaginary Library Corner Brook representative, Renee Sherstobtoff was presented with the Corner Brook Rotary Club’s donation to the Dolly Parton’s Imaginary Library Corner Brook. This will help financially to ensure children between birth and Kindergarten registered with the program receive monthly books for free through the organisation. There are about 361 children living in the area who receive books. On the following morning, September 25^th Olaf and Renee with Lenny Benoit of Bay FM will issue a challenge to service groups, companies and community members to donate. September 25^th is Give like Dolly Day. Just a note if anyone wishes to support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Corner Brook, visit: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/149382 to donate.

Guest Speaker

After lunch Rotarian Adam introduced the guest speaker Dustin Parsons of Team Rubicon. Dustin began by explaining what Team Rubicon Canada is about.

Team Rubicon Canada is a veteran-led humanitarian organization that serves communities before, during and after disasters. They mobilize military veterans, first responders and everyday people to support people on their worst possible days. Their vision is to aid people when disaster is to be faced as no one faces disaster alone and every person has a role to play when responding to a disaster. Team Rubicon is deployed when help is needed. The mission of Team Rubicon is to serve communities across Canada and around the world by mobilizing skilled volunteers to respond to disasters and support recovery with urgency and compassion.

Members of Team Rubicon are well trained, and Dustin referred to the training given in using chainsaws which are invaluable in a disaster situation e.g. removing and cutting up fallen trees, debris management. The capabilities of Team Rubicon involve damage assessment by local or provincial emergency management, hazard mitigation, incident management, disaster mapping and work order management, site survey, expedient home repair and spontaneous volunteer management. In a disaster situation Team Rubicon mobilizes trained volunteers to help clear and consolidate disaster debris. Trained and skilled chain sawers and heavy equipment operators are used pre and post disasters.

Dustin showed a couple of videos of Team Rubicon in action with one being from a young woman who lost her home last year in the Avalon peninsula fire disaster. Members of the Team helped her find a treasured mug belonging to her grandfather when they were sifting through her home’s debris. The Team Rubicon veteran members are very pleased to be able to help others by serving when a disaster has struck.

Dustin talked about what it means to be a Greyshirt. Team Rubicon members wear a grey tee shirt which identifies them and their role.

A Greyshirt would define his mission when disaster strikes that action always happens and this comes before ego, comfort or recognition. A Greyshirt would say it is not just what is worn but when Greyshirts show up they lead with integrity, serve with empathy and stand shoulder to shoulder through the toughest days.

Dustin noted that on an operation things are done as economically as possible and, on a mission, then those deployed don’t take anything from funding. Everything is kept simple and remembering that cost over comfort is a good mantra resulting in teams being as self-sufficient as possible.

Dustin ended his talk by speaking of the steps taken to serve on Team Rubicon which include registering, building a deployment profile, passing a background check, completing training and earning a ‘greyshirt’.

Dustin answered several questions before being thanked by Elaine on behalf of the club for his interesting and informative presentation.

Donation to Dolly Parton Imagination Library

On September 24, 2026, Corner Brook Rotary Club gave a cheque to Renee Sherstobetoff of the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. This was followed on September 25, Rotarians Olaf and Kathleen with Renee spoke with local radio host Lenny Benoit on Bay FM on the value of supporting this cause and the significance of giving on September 25^th. Renee explained that from coast to coast to coast, September 25 is celebrated in honour of Dolly Parton and her commitment to helping children grow up surrounded by books. Today, approximately 361 children in Corner Brook and the surrounding areas receive a free, high-quality book every month from ages birth to five, through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Behind every book is a community of donors, volunteers, local partners, and supporters who believe in the power of giving.

Renee continued that September 25, Give Like Dolly Day, anyone can help us continue reaching Corner Brook children and families. While it costs approximately $47 to provide one child with a full year of books, every donation is appreciated. Consider making a symbolic gift of $9.25 in honour of September 25 — or give whatever amount feels right for you. Every gift helps to put books into the hands of local children and families, making a difference in their lives. 💕📚 To support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Corner Brook, visit: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/149382 By donating more Corner Brook children will discover the joy of books and reading.

Rotary President Olaf then issued a challenge to service groups, companies and community listeners to donate. He explained that this project costs approximately $17,418 annually to continue serving currently enrolled local children for a full year of books. Unfortunately, the program’s existing funding has ended. Without immediate community support, the Corner Brook program will close in about two weeks. The program urgently needs bridge funding while the Dollywood Foundation works to develop a sustainable community funding plan. Give Like Dolly Day, September 25 is a great opportunity to honour Dolly's legacy and help keep books arriving in the homes of Corner Brook children. Everyone please consider donating anytime to support this worthy cause.

The Spinner September 17 2026

Notes from the Rotary Meeting 12.30pm Thursday, September 17, 2026.

President Olaf chaired the meeting and welcomed Rotarians and guests Kim Colbourne and Stephanie Webb.

Club Business

Before lunch President Olaf introduces 3 business items.

Olaf mentioned our District 7815 is looking for Rotarians to join the planning committee for the 2027 District Spring Conference in Halifax.
A request has been received from Jeanne Smitiuch of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library for help in funding books for the 377 Corner Brook children from birth to age 5 that receive books monthly for free. The executive supported this idea and those Rotarians present agreed. Treasurer Jackie suggested the club donates $500. She also suggested that the Club do a challenge on Bay FM morning show to challenge other service clubs and the community in general to support this cause. She suggested it could be launched on 9 to 5 Dolly Day on September 25. Everyone agreed and Rotarian Gerry will talk to Lenny of Bay FM to follow through with this idea. For anyone interested in making a personal donation, a donation can be made through Canada Helps to Donate to Corner Brook Imagination Library.
The Rotary Club of Stephenville has invited Corner Brook Rotarians to join them for a Meet and Greet on a Wednesday later in September at 5.15pm at Days Inn. Olaf asked Rotarians to let him know if they were able to attend.

Guest Speakers

After lunch Rotarian, Janice, Rotary Club’s representative on the Corner Brook Rotary Arts Centre Board, introduced the guest speakers Robert Gross, the Interim Chair and Administrative Officer of the Rotary Arts Centre, and Helen Reid, Board Chair of the Rotary Arts Centre.

Helen began her talk by speaking of the involvement and vision of the Corner Brook Rotary Club when the Rotary Arts Centre was conceived and came to fruition. She stressed how its history as part of the identity of the Rotary Arts Centre, RAC, is very important. However now the RAC needs to diversify and look at other financial sources probably corporate. She noted the Rotary name is a legacy to those who helped to establish the Rotary Arts Centre and the Rotary Club’s involvement in the Centre should always be acknowledge.

Helen when speaking about the Rotary Arts Centre abbreviation RAC noted it is affectionally used and developed organically helping to make people feel connected to the Centre.

She feels speaking about the RAC is very timely as the RAC is grateful to the last director Nicole’s contribution, but a new director will be appointed soon. Helen was quite emotional as she stressed how important Rotary’s involvement with the Rotary Arts Centre is and together the Centre will flourish for Corner Brook deserves such a place.

Helen was followed by Robert who though a relative newcomer to the area talked about what has been happening at the RAC in the past year. There has been a wide variety of shows in the theatre covering different genres as well as different shows in the gallery. The goal of the Rotary Arts Centre is to build a structure that will stand on its own.

He passed out a Community Feedback sheet. He looked at one section identifying what should be prioritized in the coming year and supporting new artists was high on the list followed by more public performances then artist’s fees. He then spoke more about expenses and artist’s fees. Robert stressed that artist compensation is built into the operating model of the Centre directly as one of its core goals.

He finished his talk by answering many questions and mentioning that the Rotary Arts Centre AGM will be at the RAC theatre at 7.30pm on September 23 to which all are invited.

Elaine on behalf of the club, thanked Helen and Robert for speaking today and for their informative and interesting talks. The meeting then adjourned.

The Spinner September 10 2026

Notes from the Rotary Meeting 12.30pm Thursday, September 10, 2026.

President Olaf chaired the meeting and welcomed everyone.

Guest Speaker:

After lunch, Olaf introduced the guest speaker Dr. David Surdam, Professor of Economics at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. Dr Surdam has published numerous books. His Rotary talk was entitled Getting, Spending and Giving the Accumulation and Uses of Wealth throughout History.

He began by asking the question why does this matter as all societies must deal with the issues as to how people accumulate wealth and how is the wealth disbursed.

David considered the origin of the project because wealth cannot be taken with one on death, but individuals and societies had ‘grave goods.’ A prime example of this was the Ancient Egyptians who buried considerable amounts of wealth and even people with their pharaohs.

He then considered several Paths to Wealth which include

Lying, cheating, stealing, fraud and expropriation.
Ownership of land, labour and natural resources
Government largesse
Lend money at interest
Produce (desirable) goods and services
Peaceful voluntary trade

The modern way to wealth involves acquiring and using human capital, entrepreneurship, becoming a CEO and gambling speculation.

David then looked at Ways to use Wealth which are.

1. Acquire more land, labour, animals and resources

2. Create productive assets

3. Insure against adverse events

4. Gain Status

5. Power/prestige potlatches

6. Conspicuous consumption

He concluded his talk by noting throughout history there has been a strong element of coercion underlying most wealthy people’s holdings. Modern day

riches, and western economies create and produce grounds and services people are willing and able to buy. He did note that the modern day rich often use their wealth to benefit others.

Dr Surdam answered several questions before being thanked by Olaf on behalf of the club for giving his informative talk. The meeting then adjourned.

The Spinner August 27 2026

Notes from the Rotary Meeting 12.30pm Thursday, August 27, 2026.

Thanks go to Linda NR. for the report.

President Olaf chaired the meeting.

Club Business

There was no winner of this week’s Toonie Quest 50/50 draw.
Two guests were introduced: Al Cormier and Charles Pender, uncle and friend of the guest speaker respectively.

Guest Speaker

Rotarian Elaine introduced Richard Cormier, a man of many vocations with a lifelong love for Marble Mountain. Following in his family’s footsteps Richard was described as a fourth-generation season pass holder. At Marble he was a volunteer with the Canadian Ski Patrol, was head of the ski patrol, oversaw outside operations, and has been the General Manager of the Development Corporation since October 2025. Richard stated his core message was that Marble Mountain is more than a ski hill! It is a provincial tourism asset, a gathering place, and an important economic driver for Western Newfoundland.

Richard gave a detailed history of Marble beginning with the Massey Drive Ski Club in the mid 1930s, organized skiing at Marble in 1961, opening of the current lodge in 1994, the important role played by Marble in the 1999 Canada Winter Games, and its reputation today as the largest ski area in Atlantic Canada reiterating that Marble is more than a ski hill; it is part of the region’s history, identity, and tourism infrastructure.

For several years, Marble experienced a gradual decline in season-pass sales. Over the last two seasons Richard reported that trend was reversing. Season-pass sales increased from 923 to 1,657 (79.5% increase), adult passes increased from 345 to 665 (93% growth), passes for those 22 and under increased approximately 368% and passes for children 5 and under increased by approximately 266%. This growth came from making skiing more accessible, improving communications and giving people a reason to connect with Marble. He further stated that a larger season-pass base also supports rentals, food/beverage operations, lessons, and other resort activities.

Because of the above statistics Marble Mountain is no longer being actively marketed for sale under the current provincial government. Budget 2026 states that government will take steps to optimize Marble while ensuring that it continues to support residents, visitors, and the regional tourism economy. The focus now needs to be on strengthening the resort, addressing its infrastructure, and maximizing its value to the province.

Social media is playing a much more important role in telling Marble’s story; Facebook and Instagram are seeing millions of viewers allowing Marble to control the narrative – proving accurate information, responding quickly, and consistently showing the positive work happening at the resort! Day-pass visitors for visitors outside the immediate region come from primarily St. John’s but also from around the world! These visitors do more than purchase a lift-ticket. They stay in hotels, eat in restaurants, purchase fuel, rent vehicles, etc. For every 1 dollar spent skiing 5 to 9 is spent locally. Marble gives people another reason to visit western Newfoundland during a time of year that has traditionally been challenging for tourism operators. In addition, Marble caters summer events and weddings, and it builds and strengthens relationships with other businesses. An RFP process involving the former Bishop’s Tavern space looks promising. And, finally Marble has the potential to play an important role in the proposed Cabox UNESCO Global Geopark! Stay tuned...

The challenge for Marble is to build on its current momentum by addressing aging infrastructure, strengthening partnerships, growing summer operation, and continue to tell Marble’s story.

Richard was thanked for his talk by Rotarian Verbon who himself was a season-pass holder for many years and who was excited by the future for the resort.

The Rotary Spinner August 20 2026

Notes from the Rotary Meeting 12.30pm Thursday, August 20, 2026, written by Rotarian Linda NR.

President Olaf chaired the meeting.

Club Business

There was a winner this week for the Toonie Quest 50/50 draw with the winnings being more than $6000. Linda thanked all volunteers for their extra time and effort associated with the count and 40+ new players.

Guest Speaker

Rotarian Linda NR introduced Isabelle Bouge.

Isabelle Bouge works with the Services Canada Community Outreach and Liaison team (COLS). She is bilingual and is based in Corner Brook, covering western Newfoundland from St. Anthony to Port-aux Basques. (A disclaimer was offered that her presentation today was today’s reality and that changes might be forthcoming).

Isabelle and four other community outreach colleagues are expanding Services in Labrador, Central and Eastern Newfoundland, and St. John’s are expanding Service Canada’s reach by visiting communities across the province, particularly those with limited access to in-person service locations. They focus on building relationships with community organizations and partners to reach people who might otherwise not have access to programs and benefits.

A list of programs and benefits was provided including Employment Insurance, Maternity Benefits, Care Giver Benefits (you do not have to be related...), SINs, Job Banks, CPP & OAS, the Dental Plan, Canada Disability Benefits (different here because NL has also launched a disability benefit - many are lacking information and people can apply for both), Indigenous programs & services, Newcomer programs, Passports, and many more.

Isabelle highlighted the important difference between Canadian Revenue Services and Services Canada. These are two different AGENCIES. She stated the importance of filing an Income Tax even when there is no income, benefits will be missed if not done!

She cited an example of a lesser-known benefit, that being Childrearing provisions. (If you stopped working or received lower earnings to raise your children, you may be able to use the CPP’s “child rearing provisions” to increase the value of your CPP benefits). People questioning their entitlement to benefits were encouraged to use the Canada.ca website and NOT Google!

Then at the direction of Rotarians, Isabelle focused on the December 2023 enacted Canadian Dental Care Plan. She stated to qualify four requirements must be met. Applicants have 1. no access to dental insurance, 2. filed an income tax return, 3. an adjusted family income of less than $90.000, and 4. Canadian citizenship. She further stated there were three levels of coverage: 1. No co-payment if family income < $70,000, 2. 40% co-payment >$70,000 to $99,000, 3. 60% co-payment > $99,000. Applicants must apply online Canada.ca/dental or call 1-833-537-4342. Once a determination has been made applicants will receive a welcome letter from Sun Life. It is important to note that this benefit must be renewed yearly.

In addition to making many handouts available, Isabelle stated that because of time she would send information to Olaf and Linda should Rotarians be interested in a specific benefit. Isabelle was thanked by Verbon for her very informative talk.

The Spinner August 13 2026

Notes from the Rotary Meeting 12.30pm Thursday, August 13, 2026.

President Olaf chaired the meeting and welcomed everyone.

Treasurer Jackie mentioned that she had invoiced Rotarians for their biannual dues.

Guest Speaker:

After lunch the guest speaker Louise Gauthier was introduced by Rotarian Linda. Louise, executive director of CB Nuit 2026 spoke about the CB Nuit Art Festival which is celebrating this year its 10^th anniversary. This festival will be held on September 18 – 20 in the West Street area. The theme this year if “Flow” which will highlight movement, connection, and creative expression.

Linda in her introduction was pleased to inform Rotarians that Louise had been named the Woman Entrepreneur of the year at the 2026 Lauriers de la PME which is a national RDEE Canada award that celebrates outstanding entrepreneurs in the Francophone Business community. Congratulations from us all go to Louise on receiving this award.

Linda then introduced Board member Kateryna, (Kate) Sydorenko who was accompanying Louise. Kate spoke how CB Nuit is about involving the Corner Brook community, local organisations and businesses. This year the Ukrainian Association will be involved and will be showcasing Ukrainian culture during the festival.

Louise began speaking about the CB Nuit Festival Night, Saturday, September 19 though the festival encompasses the weekend September 18 – 20. The festival will be celebrating a decade of creating community through art. She talked about

how to celebrate its 10 years CB Nuit has developed a new mentorship program that she spoke about in greater detail. She continued by speaking of different projects that will be highlighted at the festival and the artists participating in the festival. She noted the library through the Autism Society will be a sensory space which will include games and puzzles for those needing a place to chill.

CB Nuit 2026 is looking for volunteers and there is a sign-up sheet on their web page.

Louise answered several questions before being thanked by Elaine on behalf of the club for this interesting and informative talk which left everyone looking forward to September 19 when the centre of Corner Brook will be transformed by the CB Nuit Arts Festival.

The Spinner July 30 2026

Notes from the Rotary Meeting 12.30pm Thursday, July 30, 2026.

President Olaf chaired the meeting and welcomed Rotarians and guests Leslie Lundrigan, Joanne Rowe, Jeff Martin, and Maureen Murphy

Guest Speaker:

After lunch Olaf introduced the guest presenter Rotarian Jackie Chow who is the Community and Stakeholder Advisor for the Corner Brook Pulp and Paper (Kruger) Project Tuckamore. Jackie’s role is to manage relationships with regional, public and indigenous stakeholders from the new Project Tuckamore Community Engagement Office based in Corner Brook.

As Jackie explained Kruger is a fourth-generation company with over 6000 employees with 19 manufacturing and production options. Kruger plans to invest in the future of Corner Brook Pulp and Paper, (CBPP) with a major revitalisation project, Project Tuckamore which will extend the life of the mill and CBPP will become a modern, competitive and sustainable fibre-based producer,

Jackie used power point slides to help clarify her points as she explained about Project Tuckamore. This project will combine forestry, the mill site, a wind farm and hydro generation.

She began by looking at the reasons for this $700 - million industrial revitalization

as continued dependence on primarily paper production is not viable for the future, thus a transformable business model was needed – hence Project Tuckamore.

This project aims to transition the CBPP mill into an integrated energy and industrial hub by combining sustainable forestry, industrial modernization, and renewable wind energy.

From a forestry perspective - The pulpwood which is now cut to 8 feet length will be harvested to full tree length. This will be delivered to sawmills with only chips and biomass going to the mill for paper production. At the mill, there will be an improved chip receiving area and a biomass drying facility will be installed that will eliminate oil usage. The paper making will be supported by variable power from the windfarm and mill cogeneration. The Mount Bernard tank farm will be removed resulting in a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

A windfarm will be constructed within the CBPP active harvesting limits. Jackie spent time speaking about the windfarm which will be located southwest of Corner Brook, 8km southwest of PInchgut Lake in an area already used for forestry with existing road access. The individual turbines will be chosen based on regulations, human and environmental factors. There will be a refurbishment of Deer Lake Power and Watson’s Brook hydroelectric facilities including penstock replacement and conversion to 60 cycle power with upgrade to control systems.

This strategic project for the province is one that will strengthen the province’s energy capacity while securing the long-term future of forestry and manufacturing. During construction there will be 575 full-time equivalent jobs with over $50 million in local economic impact, 1000 direct jobs. It will sustain and support the growth of provincial sawmills and add reliable power capacity to support future economic growth.

Throughout her presentation and at the end, Jackie answered many questions before she was thanked by Olaf on behalf of the club.

Rotary District 7815 Governor Christa Hornberger 2026 - 27

The Rotary Club of Corner Brook was pleased to welcome Chris Hornberger, District 7815 Governor 2026–27 to the lunch meeting on July 16 at the Glynmill Inn. Chris is a member of the Rotary Club of Halifax Harbour and while in Newfoundland she visited Rotary Clubs in Central and Western Newfoundland.

Chris was able to chat with Rotarians before lunch and later in the meeting spoke to Rotarians using a short PowerPoint presentation as a base for her talk. She began her talk by giving the Rotary message for this year that had been introduced by Rotary International President Olayinka Babalola

Create Lasting Impact

She continued by discussing the topics in the power point which were - Rotary International Priorities, The Year Ahead in D7815, District Priorities, Meet the District team and a 2026 – 2027 Calendar. It was most interesting to hear what she had to say. Chris answered several questions before being thanked by Olaf. Chris with everyone’s good wishes left Corner Brook heading out to a Rotary BBQ in Grand Falls.

The Spinner July 16 2026

Notes from the Rotary Meeting 12.30pm Thursday, June 23, 2026.

President Olaf chaired the meeting and welcomed everyone including the 7815 District Governor Christa (Chris) Hornberger who was visiting Rotary Clubs in Western and Central Newfoundland. Chris spoke at the end of the meeting to those Rotarians who could stay a little longer than 1.30pm.

Guest Speaker:

After lunch Linda introduced the guest speaker Paul Thomey from St John’s. Paul has been for almost 13 years the Executive Director of the Eating Disorders Foundation. Paul began by introducing Olivia Brake. Olivia from Corner Brook is attending Memorial University in St John’s and she will be working during the summer at the new Eating Disorders Foundation office based in the Community Health Centre in the former Western Memorial Hospital, Brookfield Avenue. He explained how excited he was that the Eating Disorders Foundation was going to open this office outside St John’s which became possible because of community support through fund raising. He spoke of the Drive-In Bingo held at the Corner Brook Civic Centre on July 15 and how successful this had been.

The Eating Disorders Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrado, EDFNL has been in existence for 20 years, so this is a milestone year in which to celebrate the family approach to recovery from eating disorders. The mandate of EDFNL is to be a leadership advocacy group dedicated to providing public support services and available treatment services to individuals and families experiencing disordered eating and eating disorders as well as promoting research relating to eating disorders.

The EDFNL was established by the Withers family in 2006 when there were not many services for those with eating disorders. In 2013 the foundation had identified a need for an in-patient service and a 4-bed unit in the Health Centre, St John’s was used for in-patient care. Services have increased over the years. There are now services available in the new Mental Heath Centre in St John’s. The focus now is on family support plus there is a Navigator to help individuals and families understand and assist with treatments. The foundation also gives educational support to professionals.

Paul stressed that the stigma around eating disorders needs to be removed. He noted that for a person with eating disorders that it is not a phase, nor a free choice but it is a serious mental illness which affects all people and its base is not just about food. The foundation provides information about the different steps of the recovery journey, and the support is not limited to a person and family but also offers training, gives skills and supports the belief of a full recovery. There are 3-day coaching sessions, workshops plus a resource centre all aided by a Navigator. All services can be handled virtually and there are a wide range of treatments. The provincial government has invested resources through money and staff with recommendations being made regularly to the provincial Health Minister.

He concluded his talk by speaking of the plans to celebrate the foundations 20^th year with new goals, a new strategic plan and a refreshing of the foundation’s brand with new colours and logo. There will also be celebration events.

Paul answered several questions before being thanked by Olaf on behalf of the club.

After a short break Olaf welcomed the 7815 District Governor Christa (Chris) Hornberg. Chris spoke to Rotarians using a short video about issues which are critical to Rotary clubs the world over. She then gave the Rotary theme for the year from Rotary International President Olayinka Babalola, - Create Lasting Impact and his powerful message to Rotarians – “Before we change the world, we must allow Rotary to change us."

Olaf thanked her for coming to the meeting before the meeting adjourned.

The Spinner June 8 2026

Notes from the Rotary Meeting 12.30pm Thursday, June 18, 2026.

President Olaf chaired the meeting and welcomed everyone.

Club Business:

President Olaf reminded Rotarians that the CBRHS awards ceremony would be held this evening at the school. The Rotary Scholarship 2026 would be announced at this ceremony.

A Rotary executive meeting will be held soon.

There will be no Rotary lunch meeting at the Glynmill Inn on June 25 as there will be a Rotary lobster social held at Steady Brook Town Community Hall on June 26^th.

Guest Speaker:

After lunch Kathleen introduced the guest speaker vet Dr. Angela Martyn. She is the practice owner of the Animal Health Centre in Corner Brook.

Her presentation was entitled -The Nature and Complexities of Small Animal Veterinary Medicine. In her talk she explored the role of the vet, the complexity of veterinary medicine, the challenges facing the profession and the importance of veterinary medicine to both animal and human well-being.

Dr Martyn began by explaining what a small animal vet does which is focus primarily on companion animals such as cats, dogs, rabbits, ferrets, birds, reptiles etc., give preventative care, provide diagnostic testing, give disease diagnosis and treatment including surgery, and dentistry all of which is an integral part of community health. Corner Brook is a major hub for veterinary small animal care with patients coming from Quebec, Labrador, Port aux Basques and as far east as Grand Falls. A small animal vet has multiple professional responsibilities as a medical practitioner, dentist, anesthesiologist, counsellor, public health advocate, radiologist, ultra sonographer, behaviour counsellor and a business manager. Preventative medicine is most important as early intervention reduces disease and improves quality and quantity of life. All these topics including emergency and critical care Angela spoke about in more detail noting that small animal veterinary medicine combines scientific knowledge, technical skill, communication, ethics, business management and an awareness of the human-animal bond remembering pets are members of a family.

She continued by referring to financial realities of running a veterinary practice and the resulting costs involved for veterinary service. Another problem for vets is compassion fatigue, burnout and mental health issues as well as full days of work which could be followed by nighttime emergencies. The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association has highlighted a national veterinary workforce shortage even though demand for services continues to grow.

Angela concluded her presentation by saying veterinary medicine is highly complex, vets balance medical, ethical and emotional responsibilities, small animals medicine plays a vital role in our communities and veterinary workforce, and mental health challenges require ongoing attention. However veterinary medicine continues to evolve through innovation, education and dedication to animal health and well-being.

Dr Martyn answered several questions before being thanked for her interesting and informative presentation and the meeting adjourned.

The Spinner June 11 2026

Notes from the Rotary Meeting 12.30pm Thursday, June 11, 2026.

President Olaf chaired the meeting and welcomed everyone.

Club Business:

President Olaf began the meeting by confirming the date of the CBRHS awards ceremony - June 18th.

He also informed everyone about a request from Louise Gauthier (CB Nuit) for sponsorship and the opportunity to speak at Rotary regarding the CB Nuit 2026

Festival which will be held September 18 – 20^th. Rotarians email Olaf if you have any issue with this. Remember personal donations can also be made at info@cbnuit.com. Rotarian Gerry suggested that we sponsor a particular event at for example the Rotary Arts Centre.

Guest Speaker:

Following the meal, Dianna Alteen introduced the guest speaker - Kyah Gould - who won the Adventures in Citizenship speak off this year and recently returned from her trip to Ottawa. She won the speak off in March and participated in the program in May.

Kyah enthusiastically thanked everyone for inviting her back and shared her experiences using a slide show with lots of pictures and stories. Highlights include:

Day 1 - She moved into a University of Ottawa residence, was welcomed, attended presentations, did a bus tour and visited a sugar shack. She particularly enjoyed a presentation by Mr. Gilbert Whiteduck who spoke about indigenous representation, and a presentation by Jake Sawatsky - a 26-year-old MP who is a mental health advocate.

Day 2 - was Parliament Day. This was Kyah's favourite day as she got to visit the House of Commons. While it was an early (6AM) start, she loved it. The parliamentary pages spoke, and Kyah spoke with the clerk too. She also attended a Q&A with Mr. Francis Scarpaleggia - speaker of the House of Commons. Kyah sat in Carol Anstey's seat for all of this. There was then a Q&A reception with 3 MP's - Elizabeth May, Stephanie Kusie and Fares Al Soud. At the reception, Kyah met Carol Anstey where they talked about the cost of living and the affordability of university.

The highlight of her trip was on Day 3 when she attended the Citizenship Ceremony. It ended her experience in the perfect way. Approx 30 people were sworn in as citizens. She felt it was what the whole adventure was leading up to.

Overall, Kyah learned that everyone has a voice, and it's important to use it- to ask questions and to ensure the country grows and thrives.

Kyah then spoke about her plans to attend Acadia University in the fall to study Political Science. She thanked the club for the opportunity and also thanked her teacher Ms. Grudich for all her help.

A few club members asked questions, and we found out that Kyah didn't get to see Mark Carney - much to her chagrin.

Dianna thanked Kyah for her enthusiastic presentation and stressed the importance of having our club sponsor the Adventures in Citizenship program.

The meeting was then adjourned.

Rotarian Janice Spencer

The Spinner June 4 2026

Notes from the Rotary Meeting 12.30pm Thursday, June 4, 2026.

President Olaf chaired the meeting and welcomed Rotarians

Club Business

Olaf informed everyone that Corner Brook Rotarians have been invited to the 2026 Academic Awards Ceremony at CBRHS to be held on June 18 at 6.30pm.

The Rotary Scholarship will be presented at this time

Rotary Club of Dartmouth have sent follow up information to clubs in the district regarding support of for a Rotary Global Grant Scholarship for Keira Cassidy who is hoping to attend Cambridge University in the fall to pursue a Master’s Program in Environmental Policy.

Reminders from last week

Rotary Lobster Boil Social will be held on Friday June 26^th at the Steady Brook Town Hall Community Centre. Details will be sent to Rotarians by email.
The weekly Toonie Count will take place at Xavier House on Wednesdays at 1.30pm.

Guest Speaker

After lunch Olaf introduced the guest speaker Dr Robert Scott, Interim Dean of the School of Science and the Environment at Grenfell Campus and Director of the Bonne Bay Aquarium and Research Station. Dr Scott grew up in Ontario, and he came to Grenfell Campus in 2008. He has been involved with the Bonne Bay Aquarium and Research Starion since 2013, This station is part of Grenfell Campus, Memorial University and is a marine ecology research, teaching and conference venue in Norris Point, Bonne Bay. Bob illustrated his talk with slides.

He began by giving the history of the station which began in 1969 when it was established by McGill University as a field station. The station was taken over in 1972 totally by Memorial University. Dr Robert Hooper helped to convert a 2-story house with a fishing store into a marine teaching and research facility. Dr Scott showed several slides of the original buildings and facilities as he spoke about how basic the facilities were. The facility outgrew its space resulting in 2002 the official opening of new Bonne Bay Marine Centre built on the original site

Bob went on to discuss the many varied uses of the buildings now which includes a public aquarium, research labs, dorms for students and accommodation for faculty as well as a teaching lecture theatre. This theatre is well used throughout the year for lectures, concerts, movies in the winter months and other events.

He mentioned last year at the touch tank, visitors could see sea urchins wearing little 3-D printed hats. This caught media attention. Sea urchins naturally pick up random objects like shells, pebbles, algae including even little hats to put on top of themselves for survival.

Bob continued by looking how the station fulfills MUN’s Pillars of Scholarship – Teaching, Research and Engagement. He continued by talking about the Arts residencies. He noted the Bonne Bay Aquarium and Research Station offers highly artist residencies, including an Arts and Science residency and a Gros Morne Playwrights residency These programs allow artist time with researchers, and to explore the local area in which to develop new work. The 2025-256 recipients will have their work on display at the station. One recipient last year of a residency Karen Stentaford won the 2026 Canadian Scotiabank Photography Award. He concluded his talk by speaking of other works involving the Bonne Bay area.

Bob answered several questions before being thanked for his interesting, informative and fascinating talk before the meeting adjourned.

The Spinner May 28 2026

Notes from the Rotary Meeting 12.30pm Thursday, May 28, 2026.

President Olaf chaired the meeting and welcomed Rotarians and guest Neil Robbins

Club Business

Rotary Lobster Boil Social will be held on Friday June 26^th at the Steady Brook Town Hall Community Centre. Details will be sent to Rotarians by email.
The weekly Toonie Count will now take place at Xavier House on Wednesdays at 1.30pm. The count takes about an hour to an hour and a half so come along if you are available even for a short time. At the Toonie Count draw today at Xavier House it was a roll over. Don’t forget to check if you pay your weekly toonie in advance that it may be time to donate more money to participate in the weekly draw.

Remember Toonie Count West is a joint weekly toonie draw sponsored by Xavier House and Rotary Club of Corner Brook.

Guest Speaker

Rotarian Adam introduced the guest Speaker Lenny Benoit from BayFM Radio Station. Lenny was accompanied by Terry Boland. Lenny had spoken to Rotary before, and he spoke about the changes that had taken places and how Bay FM is now a full-service radio station. When BayFM began it received a grant to fill a media void in the area. Lenny spoke about the history of BayFM radio station which with its present name began on June 19, 2023, as a relaunch of Bay of Islands Radio. BayFM ‘s focus is local programming that serves Corner Brook and the North and South Shore. The station also relocated to the lower level of the Glynmill Inn. Last year the station signed on for a new transmitter so now coverage in Pasadena and Deer Lake has been added. BayFM has 5 paid staff and many volunteers to help it fulfil its goal as a non-profit organization providing local information by radio. The five employees do all the work in house by writing commercials etc. and because everything is done locally the crew really knows what the community is about.

BayFM has won several awards. Last June, BayFM won the 2025 Community Radio Awards Broadcast and the Inline (CRABO) for Community Engagement. BayFM is all about bringing radio back to the community level.

Lenny continued by saying that BayFM is a country music station which is the music greatly enjoyed in the area with most people being 45+ years.

He passed out a sheet from StatsRadio which gave BayFM statistics from April 27 – May 24, 2026 that showed for BayFM average weekly reach was 50,400 with the average weekly listening time per person being 8.68. He reviewed some of the data presented before looking at how much the station has grown in 3 years. He noted this is a small station that carries information for local, provincial and federal governments provided by reliable sources. He talked about different shows on BayFM particularly those featuring local performers and those giving information on different topics. BayFM has formed community partnerships with the Western Memorial Regional Hospital Foundation Radiothon, Santa Claus Parade, CB Nuit and Newfoundland and Labrador Summer Games, being examples he gave.

He finished his talk by giving plans for the future and including the hope with a new transmitter that BayFM would be able to broadcast to Stephenville.

Lenny answered several questions before being thanked by Olaf on behalf of the club and the meeting adjourned.

The Spinner May 21 2026

Notes from the Rotary Meeting 12.30pm Thursday, May 21, 2026.

President Olaf chaired the meeting and welcomed everyone.

Guest Speaker

After lunch, Olaf introduced the guest speaker Geoff Goodyear, Area Governor for Central & Western) Newfoundland and Labrador. In his power point presentation, Geoff reviewed the presentation given at the Rotary Mini-Conference held on March 14, 2026. This presentation focused on the Rotary Foundation. He began by looking at the District 7815 Rotary Foundation committee which has 8 members each dealing with a different focus. The foci being, - District grants, Global grants / stewardship, Polio Plus, Peace, Disaster relief, Paul Harris Society, Major gifts/ Endowments and Annual Fund chair.

Geoff continued with his presentation speaking about how the Rotary Foundation does this and how it provides the finances for Rotarians to make a difference wherever needed. He spoke about Global grants of which there are three types covering humanitarian, scholarship and vocational training teams. He then went on to look at District grants and their value to Rotary Clubs when working on major projects. He noted with the help of a Rotary Global grant dialysis machinery was purchased for a dialysis clinic in Natuashish, Labrador. This enabled those requiring dialysis to be able to remain in their remote community for this lifegiving procedure.

When Geoff had finished his presentation, many questions were asked before Olaf thanked him for his informative presentation and the meeting adjourned.