Pickering Lawn Bowling Club was established in 1994 and is a young club in comparison to most other clubs in Ontario. It did, however, grow out of the ashes of Claremont Lawn Bowling Club when it was no longer possible to continue at Claremont.

 

The Claremont Years 1930 - 1990

It is correct to say that the first lawn bowling in Pickering dates back to 1930 when the Claremont Lawn Bowling Club was formed when a lease for the green was signed on the 17th day of November 1930 between the Village of Claremont, the club executive and Mr. Lyman Pilkey who leased his land for the sum of one hundred dollars on the understanding that the bowling club would pay the taxes and local improvements.

In 1931 the membership of 88 persons was composed of 48 gentlemen and 40 ladies. The club carried on reasonably successfully until 1962, when friction among the members almost resulted in the club folding. It did survive as a private club until 1974 when the club executive approached the Pickering Council to take over the property and combine the lawn bowling with a Seniors Centre. The building on the property needed to be replaced and the greens needed major work. The Council agreed and Thomas Quinn, then Assistant Director of Recreation, began working with the Lawn Bowling Club and Seniors Club. Bill Beddall, Architect, was retained and a new club house was built and jointly used by the lawn bowlers and seniors. In addition, the Town of Pickering provided a bus to anyone interested in lawn bowling.

 

The In Between Years 1990 to 1992

In the early 90's the greens had deteriorated and needed major work and the membership had dwindled to less than 20, and most were from the Town of Pickering. Mr. Thomas Quinn, then Parks & Recreation Director, opened talks with Claremont President Earle Wilson and Vice-President Rene Lizotte about the possibility of building new greens in closer to the centre of the Town of Pickering. Unfortunately Earl Wilson passed away on October 7, 1992 but Rene was determined to make his dream a reality.

New Green Gets the Go

On February 28, 1993 Mr. Thomas Quinn called a meeting with Rene Lizotte and asked her to set up a committee to prepare for the building of new greens behind the Eastshore Community Centre on Liverpool Road. Earle Wilson's daughter Carolyn Serroul volunteered along with Claremont member Bernie Shoemaker and Mike O’Leary who assisted at the Charity Bingo. Bill McKechnie volunteered to help out with his knowledge of the game of Lawn Bowls. The Town appointed Dave Waldriff to liaison with the Committee. The Town approved the request that the greens be named “The Earle Wilson Greens”.

Earl Wilson

Things really got moving at a meeting at the Town Hall on May 10, 1993. The committee met with Thomas Quinn and Bruce Cosburn of Cosburn & Giberson Landscape Architects in order to get the tender out and approve modifications to the suggested layouts of the greens and the shed. The committee offered $135,000 to partner with the Town and that the club would be responsible to pay all operational and green care expenses and prepare an annual budget. The Town agreed to pay for major repairs, hydro, lighting, water and services,

In a meeting, at the Town, finalized plans were introduced. The entire site had to be shifted to get approval from Toronto Region Conservation Authority and Durham Region Engineering. Construction of the greens and shed began in January 1994. In August the greens were seeded. Construction was completed on September 20, 1994 and green winterizing was underway.

Official Opening Of Greens August 4, 1995

Official Opening Ceremonies of the Earle Wilson Greens and South Pickering Lawn Bowling Club was held on August 4, 1995 and finally it was reality. On September 29, 1995 the 1st Annual Fall Meeting was held in the Seniors Centre. Reading of the Constitution and By-Laws were conducted and approved. A slate of 8 officers was elected and Rene Lizotte became the club's first President.

The club operated out of the equipment shed for two years and an additional two years in temporary space in the community centre until the present club house could be constructed and made available. The club was given the keys to the brand new club house near the end of July 1999.

Since the club’s first year in 1995, the club has seen a dramatic growth in membership. It has grown from 36 members in 1995 to 186 members in 2017 making it one of the larger clubs in Ontario. Despite the increase in size its friendly atmosphere and focus on social programs continues to be one of the strengths of the club.

Second Green Added

In the summer of 2010 a new green was added to the club. The Official Opening Ceremonies for the North Green were on September 28th, 2010.

North Green Under Construction
North Green Complete