Kinsmen Fountaineers install Lake Lisgar fountain

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The installation of the fountain at Lake Lisgar is a hallmark of spring in Tillsonburg.

“This is the 26th year for the fountain,” said Tillsonburg Kinsmen Club’s Pat Carroll, chair of the Kinsmen Fountaineers. “We first launched it in 1994… part of the Lake Lisgar Renaissance second phase, to give people something to see – to buy our (fundraising) Cash Calendars.”

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Tillsonburg Kinsmen Club and volunteers have been installing the fountain – and removing it from Lake Lisgar in the fall – every year since, as well as cleaning and maintaining it. The fountain typically takes two hours of steam pressure washing to clean after its removal in the fall, and in the spring they disassemble lights, sandblast brass parts, and then reassemble and reseal it.

Saturday morning’s installation was completed in just over two hours, assisted by the use of Bram Drey’s crane to set it in the water, after overcoming some minor ballast difficulties.

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“We found a couple of problems this morning so we’re going to have to order some parts for it (plumbing fittings and ballast),” said Carroll. “Hopefully it will last the season and we’ll get them replaced over the winter. I’ll start a conversation with the company in Pompano Beach, Florida – that’s where I bought it.”

Some of the Kinsmen Fountaineers have been volunteering since Day 1 – and others have recently joined the fountain team.

“We’ll eventually pass the torch on to younger Kinsmen Fountaineers,” Carroll laughed.

Lake Lisgar has long been considered a ‘jewel’ in Tillsonburg.

“It’s a nice spot to be, lots of things to do around here,” said Carroll. “This has been a labour of love for us since 1993 when we started the Renaissance Project with the bridge and the gazebo and the fountain. As long as we can keep doing what we’re doing, then the Kinsmen Club can do things for the Town like this.”

In addition to installing the fountain Saturday, the Kinsmen helped remove several poles from the lake that had been left by the Town about five years ago, but not used.

“That was a big job,” said Carroll. “When you see them laying in the water, you think nothing of it, but Ken came with his truck, so that’s a good relief.”

The modified Kinship 1 barge, now in its third year of operation after being purchased by the Town’s Springer Trust Fund, is still in excellent shape, said Carroll, noting it is also used by volunteers to remove invasive weeds in the lake.

cabbott@postmedia.com