Strathmore Lions Club poster winner to be judged internationally

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Strathmore Lions Club has announced the three winners from this year’s annual Peace Poster Contest, from among 45 submissions made by participating local students.

The annual contest was open to students between the ages of 11 and 13 years of age, and required the depiction of a poster representing their vision of what world peace might look like.

“The Peace Poster Contest has been going on for probably at least three decades and it goes around the entire world,” said June Pirie, secretary for the Strathmore Lions Club. “There are Lions Clubs all over the world that have students doing peace posters and it is supposed to be really allowing the students to create their vision of what world peace would be and to express that vision in an art form.”

At the local level, the first-place prize was $500, followed by $300 and $100 prizes for second and third places respectively. 

Posters were submitted to the Strathmore Lions Club from George Freeman, Wheatland Elementary, Westmount Elementary, and Ecole Brentwood Elementary schools. 

The Top 3 posters were sent to the district level of the Lions Clubs. Piper Cooling (11), who was awarded second place at the local level, was awarded first place at the district level. Jasmine Andrea (11) was awarded first place at the local level, and Bronwyn Roy claimed third place locally. 

Andrea and Roy also placed second and third place, respectively, at the district level. 

“There is not a whole lot of criteria that comes in. It has to be their unique perspective and it is asked that is being done by the student (participating). The theme this year was ‘Dare to Dream,’ so what they envisioned in a dream or what they would view, which is quite a broad topic,” said Pirie.

Cooling’s poster, being the first-place award recipient at the district level (C-2), was sent Dec. 1 to the multiple district level, where it was to be judged alongside the first-place poster from District C-1 to determine the overall winner for 2023-24. 

The Strathmore Lions Club released a statement that Cooling’s poster has been sent for judging to Chicago by the Lions Club International.

Pirie explained if Cooling is named a winner by Lions Club International, she, as well as a parent or guardian, and the sponsoring Lions Club President (Strathmore) will receive invitations for an award ceremony to be held in Chicago. 

Next year, the Strathmore Lions Club is aiming to increase participation at the local level for the following years.