100th Anniversary 2023
Glancing Back: Years 1982 to 2022
Council 2438 was extremely busy during this 40 year period leading up to it’s 100th Anniversary.
With the availability of the relatively new Knight’s Hall at 75 Stella Cr, the Knights hosted a slew of events – Pancake Breakfast, Roast Beef Dinners, Spring Funfests, Grand Knight Balls, Widows and Clergy Dinners, and most popular – Bingo night.
The Council also supported the YMCA Strong Kids Program, and the Little NBA Program, and other initiatives.
These events enable the Council to raise much needed funds for their Charitable causes. Indeed during that period, the Council donated approximately $600,000.00 to Trenton Memorial Hospital Foundation.
Another $200,000.00 was donated to other Charities.
Over the 40 year period, there were twenty-one Grand Knights:
1981-1983: Doug P. O’Reilly *
1983-1985: Gerard Claveau *
1985-1987: Wilbert Gerard O’Donnell *
1987-1989: John Hector Nolan *
1989-1991: Kevin Joseph Hutchings *
1991-1993: Bart J. Moher *
1993-1995: Lionel Joseph Bourgeois *
1995-1997: Neil F Robertson
1997-1999: W.A. (Bill) Wallace
1999-2001: Bob Forder
2001-2003: John Fellows *
2003-2005: James Joseph Mosco *
2005-2007: Dave Courneya
2007-2009: Germain J Loignon
2009-2011: Edward Lombardi
2011-2013: Thomas J Painter
2013-2014: Germain J Loignon (Term 2)
2014-2016: Marc J Leclair
2016-2018: John J Leclerc
2018-2019: Thomas J Painter (Term 2)
2019-2022: Bruce Bellefeuille
** Deceased
These gentleman shepherded the Council during this lively but challenging period. The Council that had grown to 268 members as of 1986, faced immense challenges as the early members were passing on, and also the fact that there were many members who moved away or simply quit, but had not been removed from the roster, so a cleanup was undertaken in the years leading up to 2022, to get a truer picture of actual membership.
Thus by the end of 2022, the membership roster had dropped to 171 members. Of these members, 20 were 50 year members, and 83 were 25 year members. But records show that from 1987 to 2022, 111 new members were exemplified into the Council. So the Council was actively recruiting new members.
In 2020, the Country was hit with the Covid 19 Pandemic. This had a profound effect on all Service Clubs, and the Knights of Columbus were not immune. The Knights Hall had been in increasingly difficult financial stresses in the years leading up to 2020, and the impact of the Covid Pandemic, forced the hand of the Columbus Club, to take the action of closing the Hall, and selling the property.
The Council now became a Parish-based Council. Council meetings were held at the Church or sometimes on Zoom. This provided new challenges in keeping Council members engaged. But we met the challenge.
In September 2022, current Grand Knight – Bruce Bellefeuille initiated discussions around a celebration of the 100th Anniversary, and that led to a week-long celebration in the week of June 11th to 17th 2023 – designated Knights of Columbus Week in Quinte West.
And that is another story.
The Record: A Story of the First 58 Years (1923 to 1982)
Prior to 1923 we were members of the Belleville Council Knight’s of Columbus. April 23rd, 1923, a charter was issued to St. Peter’s Council 2438 Trenton, with O.E. Fortune as the charter Grand Knight. Charles Allore was the charter financial secretary. Two charter members are still active in this council, they are Charles Allore and Amedee Lamorre.
In the beginning, the council chambers consisted of two large rooms on Front Street, directly across from Edens Furniture. We stayed there until the late fifties, when we purchased the property at 22 Front Street from
Wesley Saylor. That was our home until 1975, when we built the building at 57 Stella Crescent.
During these 58 years the Knights of Columbus in Trenton have equipped a room at Trenton Memorial Hospital, made the largest single donation of any club in the form of Cardiac Monitors, worth $24,000 dollars, $10,000 dollars for a second ice surface at the Community Gardens, $600 dollars for Christmas baskets to needy families every year, $1,000 dollars a year to Birthright, sent 12 needy children to summer camp each year, purchased cars for the Victorian Order of Nurses, and provided bursaries to 4 deserving students.
In 1971 adopted a child in Lima, Peru from the age of 12 until she graduated as a nurse in 1981.
In 1969 purchased 3 tennis courts for the Town of Trenton, started Law Enforcement Week for Trenton, Military and Provincial Police with first slogan “Smile and Say Hello to a Policeman.”
In addition, we support various other charities such as March of Dimes, Canadian National Institute of the Blind, Heart Fund, Arthritis Society, (donated $15,000. in 1981), and Cancer Fund. We also fund the Block Parents Programme.
In 1976 we won the “Best Council Awards” for all Ontario.
Our latest venture was the hosting, in co-operation with CFB Trenton, the first Wintario Show held in Trenton. This was the first time a live television show was televised from Trenton.
We also sponsor the Columbian Squires, the junior segment of our order since 1971.
The ladies organized in January 1976, and are known as the Ladies of Columbus.