Skip to content

Proud Canadian instilling same in youngsters

Lloyd Kuhn, 78, wants to build patriotism in Courtenay's young Canadians.
54648comox09canada
LLOYD KUHN

Lloyd Kuhn, 78, wants to build patriotism in Courtenay's young Canadians.Kuhn is chairman of the Comox Valley Monarch Lions Club's Project Pride, and he's been out to six Courtenay elementary schools this week teaching Grade 1 students a little bit about Canada and its history. "How many children know what the animal is on the back of a nickel?" asks Kuhn. "That the Bluenose schooner is on the back of a dime and that it's a barrenland caribou on the back of a 25-cent piece? A lot of kids don't know that and we tell them."The presentation takes about 30 minutes, and two of Kuhn's fellow members of the Monarch Lions Club and an RCMP officer take part in the presentation.The kids are asked questions like how many provinces are in the country and where the capital is, but the entire affair is designed to be fun for the kids, according to Kuhn."They love it, they just eat this up like crazy," said Kuhn. "It's just overwhelming, you know, the kids are just so happy to learn all this stuff."At the end of the presentation, each child receives a certificate and a hand-held flag, then the whole group sings 'Oh Canada.'Kuhn is a retired Royal Canadian Air Force member. He worked in the transportation section for 28 years.He joined a Lions Club when he retired and has been a member for over 20 years. He's performed various community service activities on behalf of the club, and he has been doing this particular service for the Comox Valley Monarch Lions Club for many years."I do this every year, and I've been doing it now for well over 10 years, and I love it," said Kuhn. "I love dealing with the little kids, I have a lot of fun with them and it's just exhilarating."Kuhn also made sure to tell the kids to enter in a draw to win a bike from the Monarch Lions Club during the Canada Day parade.  "It's just our little community service that we do," said Kuhn of the school visits and the bike giveaway.writer@comoxvalleyrecord.com