Lions Den a gift to Fort Kent

FORT KENT - "It's quite a little project here," said Rob Johnson of the Fort Kent Lions Club.

Others might describe the 6,000 square foot pavilion going up on the southeastern corner of Riverside Park with a word other than "little".  Words like "huge", "massive", and "OMG" might come to a person's mind once they see the building.

Over the past couple of weeks, construction crews have been erecting a 60- by 100-foot pavilion that Rob Johnson and other members of the Special Projects Committee of the Lions Club describe as a legacy project.

The dream is to create something that will last for decades, if not longer.

The structure is two stories tall, made of Canadian spruce logs that are more than three feet in diameter.  The ceiling is tongue-and-groove and there will be a metal roof.

The club intends for the pavilion, which the club will call The Lions Den, as a gift for the town.

People will be able to use the pavilion for concerts, plays, wedding receptions, reunions, or just to have a picnic.  According to Johnson, people can come to the pavilion "...anytime.  It's open to the public.  That's what it's here for."

The total cost for the Den is around $250,000, which the Lions Club is raising money to pay off a loan which the Town of Fort Kent co-signed.

The special projects committee that spearheaded the project consists of

Lions Club members Rob Johnson, Steph Gagne, John Robichaud, Bob Sirois, Paul Berube, and Mark Morneault.  Johnson is quick to point out, "It's the whole Lions Club that made this possible."

Last year, Johnson suggested to the club that, with a growing membership and a sizable bank account, it was time to "return that to the community."  Johnson said, "We needed a project to pull the group together and give something to the town."

Bob Sirois knew of a useful and attractive pavilion in Plaster Rock, NB.  Last year, Johnson and Sirois visited the Plaster Rock site and spoke with the architect.  They liked the look of the structure.

"We thought it would fit well with the park."

It was an idea that would enhance the character of the town.  Johnson said, "It was a big dream, but we felt it was doable."

The club started raising funds, secured a loan, and began construction.  Fundraising continues, with a large golf ball drop during the upcoming Scarecrow Festival.

Steph Gagne said that for $20 per ticket, a person could buy one of 1000 golf balls.  Over the weekend of the festival, the Lions Club will hoist the golf balls above a golf pin and drop them all at once.  Any balls in the hole will split a $3000 prize, and the closest to the pin will receive $1000.  Third, fourth and fifth closest will receive $500, $250, and $250.

Tickets are available from any Lions Club member and at Nadeau's House of Furniture.

Johnson and Gagne see the pavilion as a place to host events to enhance the World Cup Biathlon, the World Acadian Congress, the Can-Am Crown Dogsled Race, and other activities.  Johnson said, "The Muskie Derby would be awesome down here."

The pavilion has no walls, which means the occasional flooding will move around the support beams and leave the structure unharmed.

Johnson said, "I'm proud and I'm excited, and I'm a little bit anxious.  Our biggest issue is to get the town to embrace it, to feel that it is here for them."