Delhi Belgian Club

Kaitlin Doherty / DELHI NEWS-RECORD
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
    
After 60 years the Delhi Belgian Club is still the place to be seen.

With glitz and glamour galore, hundreds of Belgians – including plenty of guests that were not – dressed to the nines to celebrate family and heritage history.

Years ago, ancestors of Delhi residents made an emotional choice to gather their belongings and family and made their way to start a new and bright future in a new land.

To help celebrate at a gala on Saturday, the Belgian Club welcomed Paul DeVos, Council General of Belgium.

“I’m here on this great occasion to encourage everyone,” he said. “I know that most guests here tonight have family back in Belgium and are missing them. We are all very proud and very attached to where we come from, and that’s something to celebrate.”

By Kaitlin Doherty / DELHI NEWS-RECORD
October 15, 2008

To continue the Delhi Belgian Club's 60th anniversary celebrations, Canada’s ambassadors of rock, April Wine, will be taking the stage to perform classics rock songs.

After changing band members numerous times since their debut in 1969, original member Myles Goodwyn along with members since the 1970s, Brian Greenway and Jerry Mercer, will join newcomer Breen Mercer to sing classic songs that Delhi fans know and love.

And for Greenway, coming to Delhi is a nostalgic event.

“I came to Delhi Belgian Club in 1973,” he said. “I was with a different band then, but we had such a great time. This is a nostalgic visit for me, and it will be great to see it all these years later.”

With 20 albums and 11 Juno Award nominations under their belts, songs like “Oowatanite,” “Like a Lover, Like a Song,” and the bands biggest single to date, “You Won’t Dance With Me,” remain as favourites with the bands devoted fan base.

Canadian rock icon coming to Delhi
Posted By Kaitlin Doherty, SIMCOE REFORMER
September 17, 2008

In 1977 he took the stage at the Delhi Belgian Club as part of Max Webster.

Now, returning as a solo-artist, Canadian rock icon Kim Mitchell is returning to Delhi 30 years later.

"It was, wow, a long time ago, but I do remember playing in Delhi and coming into town," said the 56-year-old musician. "I remember the Belgian Hall being on the left hand side when you drive through... I can't wait to get back there."

Mitchell, a Sarnia native and Juno Award winning musician, will be jamming on stage Saturday night in celebration of the annual Delhi Harvest Fest.

In town to promote his eighth solo album, Ain't Life Amazing, Mitchell prefers to play smaller venues when given the opportunity.

"It's more intimate," he said. "I was born and raised in a small town and it seems like it is more of an event. We have a lot more fun and a lot less stress."

Posted By Daniel Pearce DELHI NEWS-RECORD

The annual Belgian Club Father's Day brunch on Sunday was more than a sit-down meal at a good price.

It was a time to celebrate dads, to remember those who had passed on, and to recall life in Delhi years ago.

The meal was a bittersweet moment for Yolande Lammens, who came to the hall with her family — except her husband Andrew, who died a year and a half ago.

“I’m glad to be with the kids,” Yolande said, pointing to her children and grandchildren. “He (my husband) should be with us.”

Sitting at one of the long tables set up in the hall, Pat McLaren recalled the time 60 years ago when she was about age seven and the club had just started.

McLaren, now a widow, would play upstairs with other kids while her parents and grandparents — who were original shareholders — socialized in the “beverage room” downstairs.

“It was booming then,” she said.

DELHI NEWS RECORD
Wednesday June 11, 2008

London's up and coming reggae and rock sensation Staylefish will be coming to Delhi for a headlining show at the Belgian Hall on June 20. Although Staylefish is known as a London band, two members of the band Jay Duwyn (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) and Jonny Duywn hail from Delhi.

Since the release of their debut record Audible Addiction in 2007, which has sold more than 2,000 copies independently, the young six-piece has developed a reputation as a significant player in Canada's rapidly growing Reggae-Ska-Rock music scene.

Staylefish's infectious grooves have allowed them to be featured on several showcases such as the Canadian Music Week, NXNE and the Spring Music Festival. Last summer the band was also handpicked by Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman to perform at Warped Tour and Warped Tour's afterparty, following in the footsteps of other Canadian acts such as Bedouin Soundclash and IllScarlett.

The band saw its first single "Rebel Rider" receive tremendous radio support not only at the college level across the country but was also featured on Toronto's 102.1 The Edge, London's FM 96 and Ottawa's 88.5, just to name a few. Their second single "Green, Black and Gold" is doing just as well.

Kaitlin Doherty DELHI NEWS-RECORD
Thursday May 08, 2008

After undergoing an exterior overhaul in 2007, as well as an ongoing interior facelift, the Delhi Belgian Club now has a Business Improvement Award to hang on its freshly painted walls.
The award was given at the annual Delhi Chamber of Commerce banquet last Wednesday evening at the Delhi District German Home.
"We’re very proud," said Belgian Club president, Marc Vanden Bussche. "Business has definitely boomed since the renovations."
The Business Improvement Award came from the community but recognition also came from the provincial and federal government.

Nominations for the open positions were held at the annual shareholder meeting on Wed, February 20th, 2008.  Thank you to everyone who attended the meeting and dance. The new board of directors listing is available online

Belgian Club updates downstairs to complement makeover of exterior earlier this year

Andrew Fruch DELHI NEWS-RECORD
Wednesday December 12, 2007

The Belgian Club underwent an exterior makeover earlier this year. Now, there’s a new look inside too.
The hall recently completed renovations to the downstairs portion of the building.
"We did that front renovation and people were seeing that something was happening here," said president Marc Vanden Bussche. "And they were coming in and coming down in here. So obviously, the next step is, we got them in the door, now lets keep them here."
After the club completed its exterior renovations, the decision had to be made between which portion of the building would be next in line for sprucing up.
"I didn’t know where we were going to go first, if we were going to go upstairs or downstairs," said Vanden Bussche. "There was some issues with the floor behind the bar, so it’s basically like any renovation somewhere, it leads into economic sense to keep it up and do it right. And you just carry on from there. As we were starting on it, our patrons started to like what we were doing and so we got volunteers to help. Some volunteer materials and we got some donations. It all just started coming together. And then we got to a certain point where we were like, hey let’s do it right and get it all done."
The work itself took almost two months to complete, with that portion of the building remaining open for some of the construction period.

Belgian Club spreading ‘optimism’ in Delhi

Vicki Hartlen DELHI NEWS-RECORD
Wednesday August 22, 2007
There’s been a lot of honking in front of the Delhi Belgian Club these days.
A sign perched in front of the newly renovated building instructs drivers to "Honk if you like our new look."
"Boy, have they been honking," said Delhi Belgian Club president Marc Vanden Bussche, who helped make the project happen.
Although members of the club knew that the walls of the building, particularly the front wall, needed to be addressed for structural integrity, it was on the suggestion of Vanden Bussche and other executive members that a "facelift" project was born.
"The Belgian Club is a commercial building that was aging," said Vanden Bussche, whose own grandfather, Gerrard Vanden Bussche was president of the club when the building was first unveiled. "Now it’s come full circle."

Opinion

Wednesday August 22, 2007

Don’t be alarmed if you hear honking as you drive down James Street - it’s just people letting you know they like the new look of the Delhi Belgian Club.
The makeover was needed for a building that, while not in terrible disrepair, was starting to show its age. The new colours - creamy yellow, red and black - are impressive to say the least and certainly make an impact in a town that needs a little pick-me-up.
Even better news than the renovations - club president Marc Vanden Bussche says they’re not done yet.
"Now that the front’s done, we’re going to go inside and spruce things up there with some new paint," he told the News-Record, saying work will likely begin this fall.
It is wonderful to see a business take charge to make a difference in town - but the Delhi Belgian Club isn’t alone. The Capitol Theatre is almost done and will be opening later in September. Already owners Jeff and Monique Maerten have events planned and are working with Bob Missen of the Norfolk Arts Centre to line up some fantastic entertainment.