Paris Lions Club and County of Brant to Light Up Lions Park this Holiday Season!

By Casandra Turnbull

Lions Park Paris will be lit up with festive spirit this year thanks to a joint effort between the Lions Club of Paris and the County of Brant

Starting November 29th with an official Holiday Light kick off, until early January, residents can visit Lions Park to bask in the glow of the holidays The lights will decorate various parts of the park - the Walter Williams Amphitheatre, the playground area, the Paris Community Pool building, the Darin Ayres picnic pavilion and the public washrooms.

Thanks to the generosity of Davey Tree, right beside the amphitheatre a newly planted tree will add additional sparkle, contributing to the park’s holiday charm. County of Brant staff confirmed this was all possible because of a generous donation made by the Paris Lions Club; the idea to decorate the park has been an ongoing discussion for several years.

The Lions Club is equally thrilled with the partnership, another shining example of the strong sense of community pride

“This is just the first year for the lights, so we are starting with a limited budget, which we hope to grow over time, with additional support from the entire community” said Rod Laframboise of the Lions Club of Paris

The idea for the panorama type display originated by long time Lion Club volunteer and Paris resident Ted Bickell. “After retiring my wife Darlene and I started walking daily through Lions Park, which sparked the idea of a beautiful nighttime lights display,” Bickell explained. “After conversations with fellow walkers and the support of the Paris Lions Club that led to discussions with the County of Brant.”

The lights will be officially turned on during a public kick off celebration at Lions Park on Friday, November 29th from 6 pm to 8 pm. The lights will be on each night from dusk until 11 pm until early January.

Any individual, community group or organization that is interested in sponsorship opportunities to light the park for years to come, can reach out to Jake Cerson at 519442-7268 More information on sponsorship opportunities will be available in the new year, so stay tuned for a future update!