The Ladysmith Seniors Citizen Housing Society (LSCHS), held a special ribbon cutting ceremony last Saturday, at Lion’s Way, one of their seniors' living complexes.
The occasion for the ribbon cutting was for a new gazebo at Lion’s Way built by the local Lions Club, to recognize the years of dedication put into the Society by Ted and Gail Walker.
John Shephard, president of the Ladysmith Seniors Citizen Housing Society, welcomed the many guests, including Mayor Deena Beeston along with Ted’s wife, Gail, and family.
Ted Walker died in April of 2024 and was a member of LSCHS up until that day.
“The Lions have been dedicated supporters of this housing society since it began, and continue to provide volunteer support,” said Shephard. “Thank you for building this gazebo and making this celebration possible.
“Ted and Gail joined LSCHS in 1998, and were dedicated volunteers for more than 20 years,” Shephard said. “Ted was dedicated around the clock to our tenants. He answered calls any time, all day, night, and over weekends to serve the needs of the folks in these units. He provided maintenance, landscaping, and other care for the properties and residents."
Ted was a member of the Lions Club for 38 years and a member of the Ladysmith Eagles for six years before his death.
“Gail has been as dedicated a volunteer as Ted, and provided so much support and care for the tenants over the years," Shephard said. "In addition to the bookkeeping needed to keep the place running, she was known to drive residents to doctor's appointments, to do banking, grocery shopping, and more. The care the Walkers provided improved the quality of life of the residents here, and allowed them to access our community services. We will be forever grateful for their service."
Shephard went on to thank the present management team.
“Thank you to Gloria Bill, our LSCHS book keeper and Germain Badke, our handyman, for their dedicated work to maintain Ted and Gail’s legacy,” he said. “In 2024 we received Canada Revenue Agency designation to provide tax receipts for donations and we now look forward to renovating these units as we can, and building more units on the Dogwood property to serve more seniors in our community.”
The Society is the owner of the property right beside the existing Lions Villa and is working towards building more affordable housing for seniors.
The Society is the owner of the Lion’s Villa, located at 101 First Ave., and Lion’s Way, located at 206 Jamison Rd. The society is comprised of a board of eight members. The LSCHS was incorporated as a society in 1968 and immediately got into building the 24-unit Lion’s Way complex. Ten years later, in 1978, the Society went ahead and constructed the 17-unit Lion’s Villa on First Avenue.
"We are proud to have housed over 250 community members over the years,” said Shephard.
