A Legacy of Service
The Beginning
On May 6th, 1957, under the sponsorship of the Niagara Falls Lions Club, the Stamford Lions received their charter. A short time later, a number of their wives met to see if there was any interest among them to start their own club, and on October 24th, 1957, the Stamford "Lionettes" elected Flo MacPherson as their first President.
The club, like their Lions counterparts, held their meetings at the Red Casque Inn on Highway 8 until it was destroyed by fire in April of 1959. Monthly meetings were moved to the Stevens Hotel on Ferry St. until 1963, and then to the Park Motor Hotel on Clifton Hill. In 1972, the Stamford Lions purchased the Memorial Hall from the Stamford Women's Institute. After a number of renovations, the hall was officially dedicated on June 22, 1974, and the Lionettes were welcomed to their new home.
A Mandate for Mental Health
The Lionettes began by hosting card parties, pie socials, and raffles in order to raise much-needed funds for the White Cross Centre's "drop in" for outpatients from the hospital suffering from mental health issues. The club was founded with a mandate for mental health support — an area that had been long neglected. The club purchased items needed to run the Centre, and the members also volunteered there once a week.
Recognition and Growth
In 1982, Lions Clubs International recognized the commitment and achievements of the women's clubs and granted them official status. The club was chartered and renamed the Stamford Lioness.
Over the years, the Lioness further endeared themselves to the community by catering weddings, anniversaries, and baby showers. They continued raising money through Fashion Shows, Chili Fests, monthly Euchre Tournaments, Teen Dances, Trivia Tournaments (alongside the Lions Club), and Murder Mystery Evenings. At one time, the club was the largest in District A-2, with a membership of over 50.
Making a Difference
The funds raised by the Stamford Lioness were donated to Lions projects including Lake Joseph, a camp for the blind; Camp Trillium, a camp for children living with cancer; Camp Dorset, a vacation providing kidney dialysis; Camp Huronda, serving children and youth with Type 1 diabetes; and Lions Foundation of Canada, whose mission is to assist Canadians with a medical or physical disability by providing them Dog Guides at no cost — of which the club sponsored six dogs.
Local organizations receiving funding included the Greater Niagara General Hospital, the Boys and Girls Club of Niagara, Project Share Food Bank, Women's Place of Niagara, the Canadian Mental Health Association — Niagara Branch, and high school bursaries.
Two Clubs, One Purpose
The two Stamford clubs worked well together over their nearly 64 years. The Lioness could always be counted on to help out at Lions functions, while the Lions were quite often seen in the kitchen helping out at a Lioness catering event. Each served dinner for the other at all monthly or bi-monthly meetings. The support and cooperation was evident in the various combined projects they ran together.
The Final Chapter
Things changed for the club in 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic denied the club the ability to hold in-person meetings, and Zoom virtual meetings became the norm. The Stamford Lions sold the hall, leaving the Lioness without a venue to hold fundraisers. Then, in 2021, Lions Clubs International discontinued the Lioness program worldwide, encouraging Lioness members to join their local Lions clubs as full members. While the decision was part of a broader move to unify the organization, it marked the end of an era. A few of the women in Stamford chose to join Lions clubs, but most stepped away from the organization entirely.
For almost 64 years, the Stamford Lioness made a difference in the lives of those who received their help. The Stamford Lions Club is deeply grateful for their decades of service, and their legacy will be felt in the Stamford community for many years to come — for they certainly upheld the Lions motto: We Serve.