Director

Ian Brumell

Ian grew up in Toronto and has had a summertime association in the Cloyne area since 1940, where he lives today. He graduated from Queen’s in 1965 with a degree in Civil Engineering and worked for Imperial Oil in their industrial marketing division in Toronto, Hamilton, and Sault Ste Marie from 1965 until 1973. He started a renovation company in Toronto in 1973. He moved to Cloyne in 1985 as the Building Inspector, then into the renovation & construction business in 1988. He married Margaret Axford in 1987 and retired in 1997.

Ian was given June Callwood Outstanding Achievement Award for O Voluntarism in 2014. He was nominated by The Cloyne & District Historical Society and was presented with the award by the Honourable Michael Coteau, Minister of Immigration and Citizenship.

From his university days at radio station CFRC at Queens in Kingston, Ian  contributed his talent and time wherever he lived. In Burlington, Sault Ste. Marie and Toronto he was an active member of The Jaycees, The Big Brother Association, The Central YMCA and The Canadian Red Cross.

On moving to Cloyne, he brought voluntarism to a new level. He became a founding attendant and Board member of the Northbrook Area Volunteer Ambulance Service. He was on the Board of the Friends of Bon Echo. With the need for internet service, Ian was a founding member of the Internet service provider Mazinaw On-Line, becoming the Manager, Treasurer & Board Member and Webmaster. He worked with the Land O’ Lakes Community Services as a fitness instructor and volunteer. Because of his familiarity with the grant system, for the last four years he has been a peer review specialist for the Federal Young Canada Works Application Programme.

Ian has been involved with the Cloyne and District Historical Society for the last fourteen years, both on its Board and as its Treasurer. He was involved with the Cloyne Pioneer Museum and Archives from its birth in 1982, and again with its first addition in 2002. As a victim of its own success, it became obvious in 2011 that space was needed yet again and Ian became part of the fundraising committee.  He was instrumental in the costing for the application to the Ontario Trillium Foundation. He planned and supervised the construction of the new addition completed in 2013. This in itself is remarkable, but in the latter period, Ian did it with both a broken leg and while being treated for cancer.

Ian joined the Board of the Community Foundation for Lennox & Addington in 2017 and served for 6 years as a Director. He rejoined the Board in 2024.