Lou and Lisa Hammill with Current Pembroke Kiwanis President Marcel Mantha and Incoming President Lauren Blanchet
Did you know that Pembroke boasts the largest Giant Tiger store in the world? Lou and Lisa Hammill have called it home since 2010, when they quietly arrived in town and took over the former Woolworths store on Alexander Street.
Friday night at the Kiwanis Field House, over 60 local delegates, longtime friends and associates gathered to wish the couple well as they move on to the next phase of their lives. The evening, emceed by the venerable Fred Blackstein, was highlighted by speeches from the likes of The Grind Executive Director Jerry Novack, who lauded the couple for their tireless support of the underprivileged, even before The Grind opened its doors.
Mugsy Boland from St. Vincent de Paul led the room in a rousing round of Happy Trails and noted that Lou and Lisa were always first in line when it came to helping those in need.
Mayor Ron Gervais recalled the operations committee meeting of April 15, 2024, when he announced that Lou and Lisa Hammill had been selected as the worthy recipients of the Mayor’s Award for the year. He remarked on how humble they were and how he practically had to trick them into attending the meeting to present the honour, knowing they were far too unassuming to stand out in a crowd.
Marcel Mantha, president of the Pembroke Rotary Club, made the couple honorary Rotarians, and Andrew Chenard, president of the Pembroke Kiwanis Club, presented Lou and Lisa with a token of his organization’s appreciation for their efforts over the years.
Executive Director of the PBIA, Bethea Summers, was also on hand to honour Lou and Lisa as long-standing fixtures of the downtown Pembroke landscape. She noted that their presence in the Pembroke business community will be sorely missed.
Throughout the evening, as accolades flowed and well wishes were shared, Lou and Lisa sat and took it all in with the kind of humility one sees only very rarely. Their closing words of thanks were at once brief and poignant.
Congratulations to Lou and Lisa Hammill for their long-standing contribution to the Valley, and best of luck in the next phase of your lives.
(Written By: Richard Evans)