Written By David Gomez, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
POPLAR HILL – On a sunny Sunday morning, September 14, residents of Poplar Hill and surrounding areas gathered at the local park for a milestone event: the ribbon-cutting ceremony of a new wheelchair-accessible swing, the first of its kind in Middlesex Centre.
The celebration coincided with the 4th Annual Cruise in and Breakfast, hosted by the Poplar Hill & District Lions Club and the Strathroy Caradoc Cruisers. The day featured vintage cars lined across the park, pancake breakfasts in the morning, a BBQ lunch in the afternoon, and live community spirit from start to finish. Against this backdrop of food and festivity, the swing’s official unveiling stood out as the highlight.
Jamie Zavitz, president of the Poplar Hill Lions Club, opened the ceremony by welcoming the crowd and expressing his gratitude for the community’s support before inviting Middlesex Centre Mayor Aina DeViet to speak.
DeViet spoke with visible enthusiasm, stressing the importance of the new amenity. “I can’t tell you how excited I am to have an asset like this in our community,” she told the audience. “When Rick [Castle] told me about his experience, and then you see where we are such a short time later, with that much money raised to provide this facility—it’s just heartwarming.”
Standing in front of the bright yellow-and-purple swing, visitors saw more than new equipment; they saw years of work come to fruition. Steve Pinsonneault, MPP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, praised the dedication of local volunteers. “It’s amazing in such a small community. You did your bottle drives, your donations, everything you did. Small communities put their work boots on and get it done anyway. Congratulations to the Lions Club and everybody who was involved,” he said.
The heart of the initiative, however, came from Lions member Rick Castle, who spearheaded the project. With emotion in his voice, he recalled the three-year journey to raise the $88,000 required. “It was bottles, cans, donations, service clubs, Optimists, Lions Clubs—everybody,” he explained. Castle recounted stories that fuelled his determination, including one of two grandparents struggling to lift their granddaughter from her wheelchair into a regular swing. “I thought to myself, I’m going to investigate. Let’s see what we can do to put something like this into the park. Hallelujah. We did it.”
Castle also shared smaller moments of generosity that shaped the campaign. “Two little girls in the community asked their dad if they could take bottles and cans down to the wheelchair swing. They came with bags almost dragging on the ground. Long story short, you can see my tears. It’s been a long haul, but it’s not just what’s happened in the community—it’s what’s going to happen with the kids after the fact.”
The ceremony closed with children helping to cut the ribbon, followed by the first rides on the swing.
For many, the day was not only about unveiling new equipment but about affirming what can be accomplished when a community unites around inclusivity. As the crowd lingered between car displays and the Lions’ BBQ, the new swing stood as a visible promise: a place where no one is left on the sidelines.
