New pavilion for Belleville

BELLEVILLE ONT (12/06/2011)- Special guests including Mayor Neil Ellis, MPP Daryl Kramp, and MPP Leona Dombrowsky join members of the Lions club, city council, and committee members to cut the opening ribbon. The group was celebrating the opening of the Lions Pavilion Zwicks Park. The new pavilion will provide shelter during shows. Photo by Linda Horn

By Linda Horn

The show will go on even in bad weather thanks to the opening of the new Zwicks Lions Pavilion.

The city of Belleville celebrated the opening of the pavilion last with the public and special guests including Mayor Neil Ellis, MPP Daryl Kramp and MPP Leona Dombrowsky.

The new pavilion is located on the west side of Belleville’s Zwicks Park.  The building has an open-air design. With a stage located at the north of end of it and then a empty area for seating or dancing. The covered building will provide a place for concertgoers to get out of the rain and the show can continue.

“I think it is awesome and was well needed in the community. The sound comes out really good and people will really enjoy it,” said Belleville resident Norm Crawford.

The idea for the pavilion was conceived back in 2007, when, after his concert was rained out, Ken Stapley had the idea to speak to the city about getting a covered building in the park.

“The next day I made up a drawing and got an engineer to price it. A month later I went to see the mayor, then the next year we put the committee together,” said Stapley in an interview.

It was all a vision about three years ago Ellis told the crowd.

“It started out as a community project with council supporting it. It then became a three-government project with funding coming from our federal, provincial, and municipal governments coming together,” said Ellis.

“You can celebrate everything here,” said Kramp in a speech.

The day’s celebrations included music, a live auction, a car show, and food vendors.

Brenda Coote from Corbyville said the pavilion “is beautiful and we will come back and see shows here.”

After three years of struggle, Stapley said he is happy the show can go on.

The next step is to erect a $60,000-$70,000 sign for the pavilion. “We have the funds now and it won’t cost the taxpayers a cent. We have the money though donations,” said Stapley in an interview.