Bill Redelmeier grew up on a dairy farm in Richmond Hill. When Bill and his wife started Southbrook Farms in the early 1980’s, making wine seemed like a natural evolution for their farm to table philosophy. When Southbrook moved to Niagara in 2005, Bill made the step up to certified organic and biodynamic farming and fulfilled a focus on sustainability. The Niagara winery is an example of what is possible in sustainability. The retail pavilion was designed by Jack Diamond and is LEED certified. With its solar panel program, Southbrook had the first commercial net metering project in Niagara, reducing their power consumption by 80%.

 

Bill joined Rotary in the 80’s and served as the president of the Richmond Hill club in 1989. Bill and Marilyn especially enjoyed ‘making up’ around the world: over the years in the UK, France, India, Nepal, Australia and New Zealand. Over the years Bill has served on the board the Yellow Brick House, the Wine Council of Ontario, the Vintners Quality Alliance and the Organic Council of Ontario. 

 

 

 

 

 

Join us on Friday June 18 at 12:00 pm as we honour them with special guest speaker Tanya Talaga,  Anishinaabe Journalist and Speaker

 

 

Peter Stephenson and I were then the youngest members of our Club—the only ones in our twenties and the Club had a membership of 400.   The number at Friday lunch was never below 200.

Ten years later I was asked to be President.  I was then the youngest President of our Club and I was afraid the Club had taken leave of its senses when Bob Smith called be with the invitation.

 

I had the privilege of announcing the Club’s $500k contribution to The Rotary Club of Toronto Transition Centre at St Mike's.  When I arrived I was asked to speak and put on a massive pair of angel wings as part of their Urban Angel Campaign headed by John Tory.  My first reaction was no I was not going to wear them and a Star reporter said “Look:  It works this way:  If you want your Club covered on this important story you will put on those damned angel wings”. And so I did and our Club did get the media attention and to my personal embarrassment it appeared on the front page of the next morning’s GTA Section of the Star—angel wings and all.  But on the other hand it's not every day a lawyer gets to be called an Angel!

 

The next time our Club was in the media was in the provincial election.  We hosted all candidates within 6 weeks. At the Mike Harris meeting the Premier spoke, I rose to thank him and bang immediately I was interrupted by protestors who had found their way into the room screaming abuse and name-calling. They were silent during the Premier’s speech and let loose when I got up.  The question in my mind was why now and why me?   It got my Irish up and I spoke over them and the Club members rallied and we won and they left.  When I sat down the Premier said you handled that well.  They have been following me all morning which drew me to wonder - Why on earth didn’t you warn us?

 

That year we donated 6 vans to help homeless victims in the city to provide relief and we worked with Mayor Mel Lastman and Jack Layton.  Mayor Lastman spoke was at each presentation.  

 

The Centennial Year:  I was asked to Chair a wonderful Committee to host RI President Sakuji Tanaka in President Neil’s year in March 2013. We had him all to ourselves from Thursday night to Saturday with planned events throughout and he was a genuine Rock Star

 

I had the good fortune and timing to attend the last pre-Covid RI Convention in Hamburg Germany. I was so proud to be there with my partners incoming President Kevin Power and Michele Guy who had co-chaired the preceding year’s Toronto convention.

 

There are too many memories that I will never forget.  But the RI motto in my year was Follow Your Rotary Dream   That sums it up for me.  I have followed my Rotary dream and I encourage each of you to follow your Rotary dream.