Andy Stabins
Andy Stabins delivered his classification talk last week.
He was born in Latvia, near the east coast of the Baltic Sea twenty months before the start of World War II and after the end of hostilities he was in a DP camp far from his birthplace. He arrived as an 11 year old refugee in Kaspuskasing Ontario to become a newborn Canadian.He attended Duke of York Public School in Toronto, graduated from Jarvis Collegiate and was admitted to University of Toronto in Engineering Physics. After two years he transferred to the Industrial Engineering course, graduated and achieved certification of Professional Engineer being employed as such by Domtar, CIL and Westcoast Transmission (now Duke Energy).
He married Mara and afterwards entered Osgoode Hall Law School as a mature student, graduated and was accredited in Ontario as a Barrister and Solicitor. He articled at the City of Toronto and at Hamilton Marks & Duchart where he remained for a year.
Son Peter was born. At the same time Mara’s father became ill and Mara and Andy decided to move in with her father on a temporary basis in her parent’s property on 10th Line, Halton Hills.
Andy opened a temporary law office in Streetsville intending to return to Toronto to practice law there but remained 34 years in Streetsville where he retired from law. He still lives with Mara in the 10th line residence. His son and daughter and two grandchildren have moved on to their own homes.
During his time in Streetsville he became a part of the once flourishing community of proprietors and business people. The Town had industry – CTS, Derby Foods, Wilcox Bodies, McFerran Brick, Canada Brick, two supermarkets, four banks, funeral home, doctors, dentists, trust companies, credit union, etc.
Andy joined the Streetsville Rotary Club on September 1, 1971. He has served in most Club positions including President and 1991-2000 as a District Governor’s Rep.- Coordinator. He holds two PHFs, is a Foundation sustaining member and a Foundation Alumni.
In 1990 he went on a personal mission to Riga to assist in the resurrection of the Rotary Club of Riga. In 1998 he was a member of a special District 7080 Group Exchange Team to the Russian Far East and Siberia to assist Rotary there. In 2004 he attended on his own dime two Rotary conferences in St. Petersburg, Russia where he had an unofficial beer with the President of RI (no recollection who bought). On January 1, 2019 he transferred his membership from the Rotary Club of Streetsville to the Rotary Club of Brampton, a strong Club with good tradition.