By Doreen Bernier

Wallace and Lillian Parr arrived at On Top of the World on December 2, 1973 and moved into apartment 41 in the Ottoman Building.

 

During their stay in 1974 and the spring of 1975, they kept hearing conflicting comments of Canadians at OTOW seeking answers to the same questions concerning taxes, medical insurance, legal and financial aspects of retirement months spent in Florida.

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They discussed these concerns with Canadian friends and they thought possibly if they formed a Canadian Club, all Canadians at OTOW would get the same correct information.   No one volunteered to take on the job.

 

So Wally and Lillian listed the names of people they knew.  Then went out for a walk each day and as they came upon a Canadian license plated vehicle, they would see the number of the associated condo/apartment, knock on the door and ask if the people would be interested in starting a club.  They also told them when they got sufficient names they would put the meeting date in the OTOW newspaper.

 

The Parrs started their walk in March of 1975 and held their first meeting on Saturday evening, April 12,1975 in the card room.

 

Thirty-nine attended and the names of eighteen more Canadians were given to the Parrs.

 

Wallace(Wally) Parr chaired the first meeting and Lillian Parr gave a demonstration on how to remember names to help us become acquainted. Walter Lane and Lillian Parr agreed to work on the Canadian Club By Laws to be presented at the November meeting in 1975.

 

The following officers were elected:

President: Wallace (Wally) Parr

Vice Presidents: Jack Bedbrooke and Muriel Pomeroy

Secretary: Betty Stehelin  and

Treasurer: Don Crawley.

 

The proposed By-Laws were accepted at that meeting.

 

The purpose of the On Top of the World Canadian Club is to foster fellowship and mutual assistance among members.

 

William Finch, a formal commercial artist from Toronto offered to design our Club letterhead which is still being used today [see in the header].

 

Hopefully, we will be able to enjoy a Golden Anniversary in 2025!!