In recognition of the Rotary Club of Belleville's support for the Guatemala Literacy Project that was a District Grant, the Club was entitled to name a Guatemala Literacy Fellow (GLF).  Rotarians Ruth Mathieson and Sharon McConnell nominated Karen Baker as the recipient and honoree. This program provides vital assistance to rural Guatemalan schoolchildren to promote basic education and literacy to young, rural children and hopefully have a computer center built for them as well. The GLF recognizes those who have provided “tangible and significant assistance to the cause of literacy” in Guatemala. The Rotary Club of Nueva Guatemala thanked the Rotary Club of Belleville for on-going support and commitment to this initiative, a distinguished group of individuals dedicated to improving the lives of Guatemalan schoolchildren through the Guatemala Literacy Project. Karen was honoured to be considered as the recipient and thanked both Ruth Mathieson and Sharon McConnell for putting her name forward. 

Introduced by Rotarian Jennifer Savini, Fire Chief Dan Smith's career spans 25 years in the field of fire and life safety. He has been a chief officer in the fire service over the last 16 years with the last 4 ½ years here in Belleville. He is a certified fire officer and community emergency management coordinator, holds diplomas in fire protection engineering and municipal management and recently attended Harvard University where he studied Leadership in Crises.  Dan takes great pride in being part of a high functioning team that has seen great successes in public safety over the last several years, making Belleville a safer place for citizens, visitors, local business and for the first responders representing the City. Some of these successes include an approved fire master plan, an updated emergency response plan, a fire station location study, enhanced staffing levels, upgraded levels of service, procurement of new fleet and a major investment in firefighter cancer prevention programs and first responder mental health.

The current fire department consists of 78 full-time firefighters, 45 volunteer firefighters, 1 administrative assistant, 1 Emergency Planning Officer and 3 Chief Officers (Chief and 2 Deputy Chiefs). There are 5 fire stations, 2 that operate 24/7 and 2 that are staffed by volunteer firefighters. The fire department is an expensive emergency service with budget requests that include vehicles for the fleet, one pumper that comes at a cost of $980,000 plus depending on options. A ladder truck is now worth 2.5 to 2.6 million dollars. Even an off the shelf purchase for a big ladder truck would cost $3 million. The fire department includes a marine unit and recently purchased an inflatable boat. The department is full service in the City, attending fire and alarm calls, provides medical tiered response with EMS, ice and water rescue, hazardous material response, ensuring fire and emergency services preparedness as well as attending community events. 

A recent mass notification system called RAVE has been launched to inform residents of emergencies where there is a significant threat to life safety. Users can register to receive notifications online at Belleville.ca/Alerts or by completing a form and dropping it off at or mailing it to Fire Station #1 (60 Bettes Street). People are encouraged to stay informed and register today. Chief Dan advised that they have been focusing on response capabilities and have recently done a study on response times and how to improve and get there faster. This study includes vehicles that are out of service and how to get them back in full operation as quickly as possible. The current Moira West fire stations will be closed and re-located to the old City fairground and the current Harmony Road station will be closed and re-located to the new fairground to cover the north part of the City. Rotarian Graham Whitehead thanked Fire Chief Dan for his very informative presentation, for answering questions and sharing the professionalism and dedication of the Fire and Emergency Services in the City of Belleville.

Rotarian Cassandra Bonn was very pleased to introduce the newest member of the Rotary Club of Belleville, Ingrid Moore.  Known to many, Ingrid brings an impressive combination of professional experience, community leadership and, most importantly, a genuine passion for people.  She has spent 30 years in broadcasting, building a career around communication, storytelling and connecting with the community.  Following that, Ingrid spent four years working in the federal government, managing the Belleville office of MP Ryan Williams, before moving into the charitable sector.  She is currently the Executive Director of the Children's Foundation where she gets to bring together so many of the things she does best – fundraising, storytelling, advocacy, building relationships and creating opportunities for children and youth.  Over and above her career, Ingrid has been involved with a number of organizations including United Way, the Lung Association, Belleville General Hospital Foundation and the YMCA where she served as Chair of the Strong Kids campaign.  She has been honoured with a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow in recognition of her community involvement.  The titles Ingrid is most proud of is a wife, mom and grandma.  Cassandra is confident Ingrid will be a wonderful Rotarian because she doesn't just talk about community, she gets involved, builds relationships and gets things done.  We are very happy to have Ingrid Moore as part of the Rotary Club of Belleville family.

Rotarian Dave Allen introduced Chris Malette, Member of Parliament for the Bay of Quinte as today's guest speaker at the Rotary Club of Belleville.  Elected as a Member of Parliament for the Bay of Quinte on April 28, 2025, Chris Malette brings a lifetime of storytelling, public service and community leadership to Ottawa.  A Windsor native and longtime Belleville resident, Chris spent 36 years with the Belleville Intelligencer as a reporter, columnist and editor before serving as Managing Editor for Metroland Media.  Throughout his journalism career, Chris earned a reputation for asking tough questions, listening carefully and ensuring local voices were heard.  Those decades spent covering the community reinforced a belief that every story, and every solution begins with listening.

In 2018, Chris Malette ran for Belleville City Council and voters responded with confidence and re-elected him in 2022.  During his time on Council, Chris chaired the Green Task Force and served on numerous municipal and regional committees focused on conservation, transit and social services.  Building on that experience, he successfully sought election as the Member of Parliament for Bay of Quinte in 2025. One of Chris's earliest lessons in leadership was that it is built on relationships, not titles, a principle that continues to guide him today.  In Parliament today, Chris serves on the Standing Committee on National Defence and participates in the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association, bringing a strong local voice to national conversations.

During the lunch meeting, MP Chris Malette led a great discussion about Belleville's growth and how federal investments can deliver real results for residents across Belleville and the Bay of Quinte.  Four key priorities were the focus:  building the housing and infrastructure our communities need, creating opportunities for local businesses and young people, strengthening our position as a hub for advanced manufacturing and skilled trades and protecting the Great Lakes and local environment.  It is evident that Chris is proud to be a representative in Parliament of Belleville.  Clearly his job as he sees it is the guy for Bay of Quinte, being out and about in this riding.

Thanked by Past President Doug Peterson as a champion for Belleville and the Bay of Quinte area, bringing a mix of skills to the table.

Rotarian and Assistant District Governor Deb Murray introduced today's guest speaker, District Governor Elizabeth Compton or Liz as she prefers to be called.  Described as a leader, an entrepreneur, a mother, a grandmother and a proud Rotarian, Liz has stepped into the role of DG with ease, focusing on Diversity Equity & Inclusion, Membership, Public Image and the Rotary Foundation.  Liz has built a very successful Residential Real Estate business that she founded in 2004 that became Team Compton with her son and partner joining the ranks.  Liz, like many Rotarians, was asked to attend a meeting back in 1992 in the beautiful island of St. Lucia. She agreed to meeting for lunch, thinking she wasn't really sure about joining.  Fast forward to 2019 and she joined the Rotary Club of Toronto-Leaside and has never looked back.President from 2020 to 2023, Assistant District Governor in 2022 and discovering and loving that Rotarians and Clubs are unique and being open to differences is “Rotary”. A quote that Liz lives by “an open heart is an open mind” (Dalai Lama).

Liz's first question was “when you look around this room, what do you see?”  Old friends, new friends, leaders, people who have chosen to give their time, talents and hearts to make Belleville a stronger, kinder and more caring community.  That is Rotary.  Rotary happens because someone chooses to say, I will help.  Rotarians working together is about trust, communication, supporting one another, celebrating each other's strengths. We are strongest when we work together.  Rotary truly is the ultimate team sport.

District 7070 leadership team have resources available to the Rotary Club of Belleville, to support what is done here in Belleville, provide ideas and encouragement and to make suggestions.  Rotary's Action Plan is meant to guide the work we do everyday:

• Increase our impact
• Expand our reach
• Enhance participant engagement
• Increase our ability to adapt

The 2026/27 Presidential Message is Create Lasting Impact!  Measured in lives changed, hope restored, young people encouraged, friendships formed, communities strengthened, projects completed.  Leading with love.  We are busy people and sometimes we forget to stop and recognize what we've accomplished.  Liz wants every Club to focus on membership, not numbers, not filling chairs, but filling hearts so that Rotary can grow naturally.

Liz ended her presentation speaking about the District 7070 Conference, October 23 - 25, 2026 at Novotel Toronto North York.  Called The Power of Love, a weekend filled with inspiration, learning, laughter, friendship and even dancing!  Please join!  And thank you for choosing to serve.

As Tracey Vandervoort's year as President of the Rotary Club of Belleville comes to a close at the end of June, she has taken time to reflect on the moment she first stepped into the role on July 1, 2025 – hopeful, humble and deeply aware of the legacy that Rotary is built on, the power of the community. How Rotary builds and strengthens the community and lives it. Everything the Rotary Club of Belleville has accomplished in Tracey's Rotary Year has been rooted in the one simple idea that community is what makes us (Rotarians) who we are.  

President Tracey attended the Rotary International Conference in Calgary in June 2025 and was struck by the sheer scale of connection with 15,000 people from around the world, gathering not just to learn, but to belong. Tracey saw community everywhere in fellowship groups, in shared service projects, in conversation between strangers who felt like old friends. That experience has stayed with Tracey all year and shaped how she approached her year as President. Tracey recognized that the power of community is right here, in the Rotary Club of Belleville, every single week. Not by accident, but because it was built intentionally and together. When we show up for one another. When we reach out to someone new. When we listen with compassion and when we support local dreams and celebrate the people who make our community vibrant. It's quiet gestures that say “you matter, you belong”. Ripples of kindness that reach farther than we can imagine.

The Rotary Club of Belleville is a busy club with many activities, fundraising events, service initiatives, engagement opportunities and administration efforts, too many to list.  President Tracey recognizes we are incredibly fortunate to have so many Rotarians who continue to lead, who step forward to take on new responsibilities and who generously share their time and expertise.  That makes everything we do possible. Thank you. Thank you and thank you again! Tracey welcomed the newer Rotarians, many of whom have taken ownership of projects and bring fresh energy and ideas, helping the Club to grow, evolve and stay relevant. The people behind the scenes from an Administration point of view who keep the website fresh and running, who communicate effectively, who prepare meeting minutes and bulletins, who greet us at the front desk, who manage technology and who coordinate our facilities. All of these are essential to everything we do. They are seen, they are valued and they are deeply appreciated.  

As Tracey passes the torch to incoming President Hazzem Koudsi, her heart is full – full of gratitude for the members' trust, pride in what we have built and hope for what comes next. The message that Tracey hopes will stay with each member is that community is not something we find. It's something we create….with intention, with love and together. If you want a good community, you need to be a good community member and help build it by participating. Wise words from Tracey's daughter that she shared with us.

Tracey went on to present some awards to a few Rotarians, recognizing their contributions in supporting her in the role of President. The Social Committee Chair and Event Planning Extraordinaire Award to Tracy Bray. Personal Coach, Supporter and Mentor to Peter Malone. Hidden Talent Award to Liv Ahlnas and Policy, Procedure Compliance Officer Award to Jo-Anne Wheeler.