The hall at the Camlachie Community Center has been named in honor of retired Plympton-Wyoming politician Lonny Napper.
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Napper, who began a long career in municipal politics when he was elected to the former Plympton Township council in 1988, was surprised with the honor at a gathering at the center Tuesday evening.
Lambton County politicians, municipal staff and friends gathered for the announcement by Plympton-Wyoming Mayor Gary Atkinson, and the unveiling of a “Napper Hall” sign over the doors of the center’s event space.
Atkinson said the honor recognizes “a man who has given so much to our community with over 36 years of municipal service.”
As township mayor, Napper was involved in talks leading to amalgamation with neighboring Wyoming in 2001. He later became deputy mayor and mayor of Plympton-Wyoming, serving as mayor until his retirement in 2022.
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Atkinson spoke about Napper’s involvement in creating a health and wellness center in Wyoming, and the many hours he spent volunteering at the community center as a member of the Huron Shores Optimist Club, which is based at the building.
The naming of its hall is “a tribute to a man who has given so much of his life and time to his community, and to recognize the time he spent at this facility so future generations will appreciate the past,” Atkinson said.
“I’m basically left speechless, and that’s a hard thing for me,” Napper said. “I’m truly humbled, honored, overwhelmed and appreciative.”
He thanked the Optimist club, calling them “a great bunch of guys that I’m proud to say I’m a part of.”
The community center opened in the summer of 1979, about two years after the service club was formed, said Adrian Verwegen, a charter member of the Optimists.
During that time, “there was a whole lot of busy Optimists building this building,” he said.
Napper “did a lot of great things for the club, as well as the community” and naming the hall after him “is the least that could be done,” Verwegen said.
“It is an honor to be here to recognize somebody who has contributed a lot to county council,” Lambton County Warden Kevin Marriott told the crowd. “You are missed,” he told Napper.
As mayor, Napper served as a county councilor and was elected to a term as deputy warden.
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