Delhi Belgian Club

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By MONTE SONNENBERG, SIMCOE REFORMER
Monday, June 27, 2011

DELHI – Belgium's ambassador to Canada gave assurances Friday that the constitutional crisis afflicting his government in Brussels is manageable and not a threat to the country's long-term good health.

Bruno van der Pluijm was in Delhi as a guest of the Belgian Club.

"This debate is not about the break-up of Belgium," van der Pluijm said. "It's about the division of powers within Belgium. It's a very crucial difference. This is not about the break-up of the country."

Belgians have not been able to form a new government since the federal election of June, 2010. At issue is the drafting of a new constitution, one that will reallocate powers between the federal government and the regions of Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia. Additional parties to the debate are representatives of the Flemish-, French- and German-speaking communities.

The representatives elected last June have spent the past year seeking common ground, something that has proved elusive. The parties are divided on how much power to devolve to the regions and how much should remain with the central government. The ambassador said media reports suggesting Belgium has gone more than a year without a government are not entirely accurate.

In Belgium, all federal governments are coalitions. After an election, the previous government continues in a caretaker role until a new coalition emerges.

Belgium, van der Pluijm said, is not without a rudder. However, he added the current state of affairs is less than ideal and that all parties to the discussion are treating the matter with a sense of urgency.

"It is not a very comfortable situation," he said. "The sooner this is settled, the better."

Dignitaries from the old country regularly pay courtesy calls to the Delhi Belgian Club. Accompanying van der Pluijm Friday was Paul De Vos, the outgoing Belgian consul in Toronto. Belgian's Crown Prince Philip paid a visit to the Belgian Hall in 1998.

"People are honoured by their visits and the interest they show in our community," said Gaston Geysens of Delhi, a past president of the Belgian Club.

Delhi is home to one of the largest concentrations of people of Belgian ancestry in Canada. Nearly 20,000 people of Belgian descent live within 25 miles of town. Factoring in the large number of Belgians in the Chatham-Leamington area and the count in southern Ontario rises to the 35,000 range.

In a speech following Friday's banquet, De Vos acknowledged that the Delhi area has struggled in recent years with the downturn in the tobacco economy. He said the Belgian community's best response is to work extra hard to hold onto the place of pride it has established in the area.

"I've been here too few times," De Vos said. "But I'm always glad to come here and enjoy the conviviality of this community. It reminds me of back home. This area would not be what it is today without the Belgian people. We put Belgium on the map here in Canada."

Tickets are now on sale for the "BACK TO YOUR ROOTS" travel draw.  Tickets are $50.00 each and there is a total of $9,000 value in prizes to be won.  Draws will be made March 3, 2012 at the annual shareholder dinner.  This is a great chance to win a great prize since only 900 tickets will be sold.  We sincerely appreciate your support in this fundraising effort.

By BARBARA SIMPSON - DELHI NEWS-RECORD
Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Children's styles were reintroduced into the annual spring fashion at the Delhi Belgian Club this year.

Local toddlers through to preteens sported swim and skateboarding wear from Groms to the delight of a packed Belgian hall last Wednesday.

"It's the future, so we need the kids back," said Simone Van Walleghem, president of the Delhi Belgian Club's Ladies' Auxiliary and co-convener of the fashion show.

Before they strutted down the walkway, the young models were excited, albeit a bit nervous. For many, this was the first time they had modeled.

Former manager of Delhi Belgian Club dies at 82
By BARBARA SIMPSON - DELHI NEWS-RECORD
March 2011

Louis Christiaen was a charmer.

When the former owner of the Turkey Point Marina sought to expand the site, neighbours of the property couldn't stay unsupportive of his plans for long. As soon as they met Christiaen and his wife Raymonda, they had a change of heart.

"Even some of them had my wife and I down for dinner — the lawyer representing the businessman the people were initially against," recalled Clark Holden, of Brantford, his longtime lawyer and friend.

Christiaen, however, isn't only being remembered as a sharp businessman. He was also fair and had a wonderful sense of humour, say colleagues and community members. Christiaen died at the age of 82 last Wednesday.

Christiaen is also responsible for a significant part of the legacy of the Delhi Belgian Club. The former club manager persuaded big name acts, like Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis, to perform in Delhi.

"He was like a Frank Sinatra," recalled Marc Vandenbussche, a director of the Delhi Belgian Club.

Christiaen marketed Delhi as the perfect midway stop for touring bands. It was halfway between Buffalo and Detroit. His ability to recruit bands and draw in audiences painted a bright future for the club.

"He made it into the biggest Belgian Club in North America," Vandenbussche said.

Part of his success was in his ability to pick up-and-coming acts, said Karl Huyge, a former Belgian Club bartender.

"He had a real sense of what the popular trends were," Huyge said. "He was able to realize the trends of the time."

Christiaen was also known as a fair boss who loved a good laugh.

"My sense of Louis was you never worked for him, you worked with him," said Huyge, who was hired by Christiaen as a young man.

Starting out as tobacco farmers, Christiaen and his wife purchased the Turkey Point Marina in 1977.

"When he bought it, it was really nothing," Holden recalled.

By the time they sold it 28 years later, the property was among the largest marinas along the Great Lakes. During their ownership, they added trailer sites and channels for docking boats.

However, all of Christiaen's business successes never changed his character.

"As I said to his son yesterday, he was one of the most honest, decent men I knew," Holden said.

Christiaen leaves behind his wife Raymonda, and children Lorraine (Richard), Lawrence (Mary) and Larry (Tami). He will also be missed by six grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Visitation was held at the Murphy Funeral Home on Friday. A private family funeral service was slated.

Ethnic halls on the way to being barrier-free
Barbara Simpson — Delhi News-Record
Wednesday, May 19, 2010

As the province ramps up its accessibility standards, Delhi's ethnic halls are readying themselves with wheelchair ramps and chairlifts to ensure patron independence.

Recently, the Delhi Belgian Club has installed a wooden ramp on the west side of its facility. The project has been a longtime in the works, but it came to the forefront with the provincial government placing a heightened focus on accessibility, says Nancy Pynaert, president of the club. In two years, it will be mandatory for businesses to "allow customers with disabilities to use their own personal assistive devices to access your good and use your services," according to the province's Accessibility Standards for Customer Service.

Once again the Delhi Belgian Club participated in the Delhi Harvest Fest Parade.  The float placed first place in the multi-cultural category!

Saturday night was filled with a great performance by Juno award winner Trooper opened by The Shelly Rastin Band. Thanks to everyone who attended and made the event a great success!

 See the photos

Monte Sonnenberg SUN MEDIA
May 27, 2009

Brian Vollmer became a rock star when musicians had to prove their worth in the studio and on the road.

When Vollmer formed the band Helix in 1974, recording was done the old fashioned way on tape. There were no pitch correction devices to gloss over mistakes or computer applications to fix a train wreck in the rhythm section. There were none of the conveniences of digital recording, which today allows sound engineers to cobble together perfect songs from dozens of takes.

Vollmer came up the hard way, but he has no regrets. In fact, he wouldn’t want to be an aspiring rocker today given what has happened to the business.

Canadian rock musician David Wilcox is performing at the Delhi Belgian Club for a sold-out concert on Saturday, April 18th, 2009.  Local band Limestone will open the concert starting at 8 PM.  Tickets moved quickly and are now sold-out.  The event is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Hosting a New Year’s Eve gala for only the second time, general manager Randy Casier said it’s a great way to bring back a younger crowd.

“We’re really trying to bring back the middle-aged crowd,” he said. “The band is wonderful and really getting people on the dance floor with music for all ages.”

President Marc Vanden Bussche agreed.

“Everyone is dancing and laughing,” he said. “Everyone is dressed up and looking amazing. The band is incredible and that’s the key to our success… the dancing.”