Our Projects

For the past 51 years, the Optimist Club of Lindsay has proudly invested in numerous projects to benefit the youth of our community. Below are some of the more notable ones.

Optimist Soccer Park

On Thursday, June 5, 2008, the full membership of the Optimist Club of Lindsay unanimously endorsed the motion, " that we proceed to develop new soccer facilities in the City of Kawartha Lakes". This development had been a Club goal since the inception of its youth soccer program in 1984.

Following several deputations at City of Kawartha Lakes council meetings, CKL council moved in May 2009 to endorse the development on the City-owned property east of St. Joseph Rd. and gave the Optimist Club permission to manage all aspects of the project in consultation with City staff.

 Using two separate tendering processes in 2009 and again in 2010, the Club hired:

·      Dan O'Brien Landscape Architects Ltd. to design the soccer park;

·      Gerald Everson Excavating Ltd. of Lindsay to construct the park.

 Construction commenced in April 2011 but was significantly delayed by wet weather and saturated fields. 2012 was much drier and construction proceeded without issue, concluding late in October. The Optimist Club's U7 and U9 divisions were the first to use the new fields in May and June 2013. The Grand Opening was held on June 15, 2013 with Shirley Toombs and her daughters Jill and Beth cutting the ribbon to honour Optimist Dale Toombs who lost his battle with cancer on January 25, 2013.

 In 2014, all three fields were opened for play for all Optimist youth soccer divisions. By October 2014, finishing touches were completed and the park was fully assumed for operation by the City of Kawartha Lakes.

This project could not have been completed without the assistance of these organizations, businesses, and individuals:

 ·      All members of the Optimist Club of Lindsay who worked tirelessly to fund and complete this project;

 ·      The CKL for providing the lands and funding support through its 50/50 Community Capital Project Program;

 ·      Ryan Smith and Kevin Brasier, CKL Parks staff for their invaluable assistance and advice;

·      The City of Kawartha Lake’s Lindsay Legacy C.H.E.S.T. Fund for its funding support of $140,000;

 ·      The Ontario Trillium Foundation for its funding support of $150,000;

 ·      The Merchants of Whitney Town Centre for their funding support of $15,000;

·      Pick Seed Canada Ltd. for providing the technical advice and turf seed for the seeding of the park;

 ·      Pat Murphy and his Samaryn staff for their superb design and construction of the hitching post;

 ·      Jake Cenzura and his staff at Cenzura Landscaping Ltd. for their assistance with the park's new trees;

 ·      Marty Stollar for his advice and the extra topsoil that his company so generously provided;

 ·      Gerald and Michelle Everson and their staff for the care and pride that they took to build the new park.

Optimist Soccer Park Pavilion

During the spring and summer of 2019, members of the Club invested over a thousand volunteer hours to put the finishing touches on the Optimist Soccer Park with the construction of a storage and gathering pavilion. With Optimist member Pat Murphy directing, every aspect of the construction was completed by Club members. Funding for the project was shared jointly by the Optimist Club, the Wilson Estate Parks Endowment Fund, and the City of Kawartha Lakes. The pavilion will serve as a storage facility for both the City and the Club and will provide gathering space for the activities hosted at the Optimist Soccer Park.

Kinsmen Park Running / Walking Oval

Spearheaded by Optimist Club charter member Wayne MacLeish in November 2015,  Club members unanimously endorsed approval to be the sponsor agency for the application by the School Council of Queen Victoria Public School for funding through the Lindsay Legacy C.H.E.S.T. Fund to construct a running / walking oval at Kinsmen Park in Lindsay. In addition, the Club supported the $30K project with a commitment of $5,000.

 The oval was constructed by Gerald Everson Excavating Ltd. on City property (Kinsmen Park) and continues to be maintained annually by City staff. The project provides an excellent facility for promoting health and fitness for both the Queen Victoria Public School community and the East Ward community at large.

Canada’s 150th Anniversary of Confederation

In June 2018, the Optimist Club agreed to be the sponsor organization for a Lindsay Legacy C.H.E.S.T. Fund application by the Lindsay Canada Day Citizens Committee.

 The committee was led by Optimist Wally Nugent. He and Brenda Stonehouse had organized Canada Day Celebrations in Lindsay for 15 years. During those years, they planned and organized a full day of family entertainment and activities at Wilson Fields every July 1 to celebrate Canada's Birthday, capped off annually with a spectacular fireworks display. They wanted to commemorate Canada's 150th Anniversary of Confederation with a special dedication to the citizens of Lindsay.

 The $52 K project features a landscaped area at Logie Street Park with a 60 foot flag pole, giant Canadian flag, and dedication plaque.

 It is important to commemorate milestones with Legacy projects. This particular project provides a beautiful, practical and lasting legacy that will serve the residents of Lindsay for years to come.

Memorial Park Disc Golf Course

In 2018, the Optimist Club partnered with the City of Kawartha Lakes and the Professional Disc Golf Association to fund a nine-hole disc golf course in Memorial Park off Lindsay Street. The course was designed and constructed by Darrell Bankes, an avid player and landscape architect who has developed close to a dozen courses in Ontario.

Bankes was approached by fellow members of his Peterborough club — many of whom come from the City of Kawartha Lakes — about the possibility of creating a course in Lindsay. It wasn’t long before Bankes and members of the newly formed Kawartha Lakes Disc Golf Club approached CKL council and the Optimist Club seeking assistance and support.

The course is heavily used by disc golf enthusiasts of all ages and has become a destination disc golf venue.

Storage Facility For Ops Minor Baseball

Athletic Field at Wilson Fields

In the early 1990’s, a committee co-chaired by Optimist Jack Kyle co-ordinated the funding and construction of a massive athletic complex of baseball and athletic fields at Wilson Fields on Colborne Street West in Lindsay. The Optimist Club was pleased to support the construction of one of the four multi-purpose athletic fields with a funding commitment of $30K. The Club continues to use all four athletic fields at Wilson Fields and the three fields at Optimist Soccer Park on Monday and Wednesday evenings in May and June to run its annual youth soccer program involving over 600 players.