On May 31st, four more inductees joined their predecessors at the Saugeen Shores Hall of Fame.
The induction ceremony held at the Plex in Port Elgin was a sold-out event as people gathered to honour the four inductees and hold a silent auction in support of children’s summer camps.
Photos of Inductees submitted
Prior to voting, it was determined that Aynsley Kemila was an automatic selection to the Hall, in the Athlete category, for her accomplishments and medal results during her Special Olympics athletic career.
Beginning in 1990, she became involved in all sports offered by Special Olympics, she was active in swimming, track and field, basketball, soccer, T-ball and Nordic Skiing, and entered her first Special Olympics in 1993 in the Summer Provincial Games.
From there she went on to compete in the Winter National Games in Nordic Skiing in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2009 and in Spring and Summer game from 2000 to 2012.
Her training program included early morning swimming, weight training and 10km runs. She still participates in sports for fun and this past winter, 2023, she won a gold medal in Collingwood for Nordic Skiing.
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Ray Fenton has always been involved in community. As a teacher, he served on the School Board as Trustee of the Outdoor Education Centre (OEC) Trust, Honorary Director of the Bluewater Education Foundation, is a member of the Grey Bruce Woodturners Guild and is a strong believer in conservation and the only Life Member of the Port Elgin Sportsman Club.
He is also a strong philanthropist who has donated lands that include 10 acres below the shoreline hill to allow for a publicly owned trail system and the land that is the site of the YMCA Child Care in Port Elgin.
In 1967, as President of the Chamber of Commerce Port Elgin, Fenton was instrumental in negotiating a joint venture between the Town the Bruce County School Board to build a community pool at the Saugeen District Secondary School (SDSS).
As a member of the Woodturners Guild, Beads of Courage bowls are donated to the Sick Kids Hospital along with wig stands for cancer patients and he has hosted the Provincial Wood-turning symposium in his Port Elgin workshop.
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Jack Baker (deceased), was a professional hockey player from the early 1900s and was selected in the Athlete category.
His family moved to Southampton in 1897 and purchased the Central Hotel, today’s Walker House and purchased the Arlington Hotel in Port Elgin in 1899.
In the early 1900s, he left to play professional hockey in Houghton, Michigan, played for the Portage Lake Hockey Team, Michigan Soo Indian hockey team and played with Fred (Cyclone) Taylor in 1909, and in 1987, Portage and he as a player, were inducted into the NHL Hockey Hall of Fame.
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James (Jim) McKinnon was selected in the Builder category for his years of coaching and in management of local hockey and baseball, minor and intermediate teams, of note the Saugeen Shores Winterhawks Intermediate hockey team and the Port Elgin Blue Devils Intermediate fastball team.
Born and raised in Saugeen Shores, he served as Vice President in the 1980s and 1990s on the Port Elgin Minor Hockey Executive. With the Winterhawks Executive, he served almost 20 years in total and also played a major role in minor baseball coaching the Blue Devils to Bluewater Fastball Champions in 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010. For his many years of coaching, he was named to the Gil Read Coaches Honour Role by the Ontario Amateur Softball Association for his dedication.
The Hall of Fame is located at the Plex in the foyer for public viewing.
The nominees who were not selected this year will remain eligible for selection for a period of six years from their nomination year.
