The Belleville Club News Letter,
from the desk of
James Hurst

Belleville Club

Winter Newsletter

2021

It has been some time since I took up a position in front of the keyboard to dash off a few notes in the form of a newsletter. It is a rather daunting task at this time, as the landscape changes constantly. Events that have been scheduled have been cancelled. Rules that have been laid down because of the Coronavirus change, affecting the way the The Belleville Club can do business. Nonetheless, the Club is in a position to forge ahead, and will be a mainstay in the city for years to come.

The Board is most grateful to its members who have “stayed the course”, and have renewed their memberships. The Board is also grateful for the efforts of our manager, Tara Vandijk, who has made many sacrifices throughout the pandemic to make sure that our doors stay open, and will continue to be open in years to come.

The Club also appreciates the fact that our tenants have remained faithful. John has been cutting hair for almost 35 years, most of them at the Corner of Bridge and Pinnacle. Our other tenants are “Village Goldworks”, on Bridge Street, and “Echo Hair Salon” directly beside our front door. As is the case with all small businesses, they would surely appreciate your patronage.

Tara has also arranged for several chefs to rent our kitchen at this time. David Corriea and Matt DeMille have been preparing food at the Club, for take out, and for catering functions. Matt can be reached at: mattdemille.com; and
David at: [email protected], or by phone: 647-778-4792.

The Club opened its doors in 1914. That was the year that the First World War broke out, and Canadian troops sailed the Atlantic to join the fight. The Club hosted many events for the military at that time. It was also an important venue for military men and women in the Second World War. There have been whispers that it served as a place to get a drink or two, even during prohibition. For many years, the main activity at the Belleville Club was the game of bridge.The games began in the early afternoon, and carried on, with different characters, well past midnight.

In recent years, the Club has become the locale of many important social activities in the city. With its fine Persian carpets, warm oak walls, and flaming hearth, the Club presents a perfect atmosphere for any event.

The Club is also home to wonderful artifacts from Belleville Collegiate Institute and Vocational School. Each year, more items are added to the collection, which is on the third floor, past the billiard room. Recent additions include several “Elevators”, the school yearbook, and Bruce Bishop’s leather football helmet which he wore in the 1940s. It pairs perfectly with Bruce Cronk’s football sweater.

At last September’s Annual General Meeting, the members elected the board for 2020-2021.

Hal Wilson-President, Sam Brady-Vice-president, Anya-Deane Best-Secretary,

Bob Burns-Treasurer, Gord McCreary, Andrew Walmsley, Coreen Reynolds

Nathan Bowland, Tim McKinney, Dean Burns, Kelly Rumble, James Hurst.

The province recently announced that our area may move ahead, gradually, to become more open. With that in mind, I am pleased to announce the following events to take place at the Club:

Friday, February 19th-Lunch at the Club

Wednesday, February 24th-Scotch tasting

Thursday, March 11th-Open Mic

Wednesday, March 17th-St. Patrick’s Day-Irish Whiskey Tasting

Friday, March 26th-Lunch at the Club.

Please call the Club for reservations. COVID protocol is in effect: limited numbers, masks, hand washing, social distancing. I know you are getting tired of hearing this, but we will get through this, working together.

James Hurst