Lions Gate Rotary of North Vancouver partners with Oweekeno

It may seem a strange mix, but an upscale Vancouver community organization has agreed to “partner” with a remote First Nations band to promote literacy and other initiatives. The Lionsgate Rotary Club of North Vancouver has made an official commitment to assist the Oweekeno people located at remote Rivers Inlet on the British Columbia coast.

The Rotary Club of North Vancouver Lions Gate was selected as the Outstanding Rotary club in District 5040 for 2010-11. The club is active in many areas of service, including Youth Exchange, RYLA and North Vancouver Youth Week. They sponsor a 60-member Interact club at Windsor Secondary and at Balmoral Secondary.  For 15 years the club has staged the Canada Day at Waterfront Park that attracts 20,000 people annually.

Their international service includes a joint project in Indonesia for trades training for deaf and hard of hearing young adults.

This year the club has decided to take on yet another new project and support the Aboriginal Club Literacy initiative originally founded by former Lt. Governor Steven Point and his former aide-de-camp, long time Rotarian Bob Blacker. Lions Gate Rotary member Shirley Robertson reports that the club is interested in explaining its partnership to anyone who is interested, and is pleased to accept offers of support from the public.  The club will be working with Oweekeno to help build a library, community centre and sportsplex at the village this summer.