Saugeen Shores Hall of Fame now has six new members following the Awards Gala held on June 3rd (2026) in Rotary Hall at the Plex in Port Elgin.
The event recognizes those from a wide range of fields in the community who have done extraordinary things throughout their lifetimes and who are chosen by a selection committee from nominations submitted.
This year’s recipients were the Ens bothers, Rick, Joe and Peter, Launa Smith, Jeff Virgo and G. William (Bill) Streeter.
Chair of the Selection and Organizing Committee for the Hall of Fame, Rob Dunlop, said, “These recipients are six ordinary individuals who have done extraordinary things and it was a difficult decision given the nominations that were submitted. They have helped make Saugeen Shores an exceptional community.”
Mayor Luke Charbonneau paid tribute to the inductees saying that the Hall of Fame is inspiring. “It’s important because we have so many inspiring people in this community who have aspired to make it a better place in which to live. These are leaders in our community who have demonstrated passion, perseverance and dedication. They are examples for us all and, by celebrating them, we are celebrating our entire community. A community that can produce champions and leaders like this, has to be a great community. I cannot think of six more deserving people for induction and we thank the committee for choosing them.”
The Ens brothers were recognized for their prowess both on the ice and off and on the ball field as all three were elite hockey players winning many awards and going on to university through earned scholarships. Among the three brothers, they have also been inducted into numerous Halls of Fame that include Sarnia, Toronto, Owen Sound, Lambton County and, now, Saugeen Shores.
Rick Ens said that the brothers grew up on a tobacco farm. “The days were long, the work was hard and the lessons were real. We learned discipline, responsibility and the idea that nothing grows unless you put the work in. Those values became the foundation for everything we did in sports and in life. We also learned how to win, how to lose and what counting on others really means. We are standing here tonight because this town believed in its young people and generations before us built something strong and lasting. Because we were lucky enough to grow up in a community that cared and to our builders, past, present and future, this honour belongs to you as much as it does to us.”
As with many athletes, the brothers credited their family for their success. “Our sisters were also great athletes who were every bit accomplished and driven as we were and, in many were ways, were tougher because they had to be but, back in those days, women weren’t afforded the opportunities that we were. They pushed us and supported us and we three brothers carry their strength with us,” said Joe Ens. Hockey gave the brothers success, opportunities and the tools to build the lives they have today.
Pete Ens also thanked his mother and three sisters for their support … driving them and watching them in arenas and on ball fields. “I remember watching my two older brothers playing and they inspired me to play better. Being inducted into the Hall of Fame as brothers is an honour we will carry with us the rest of our lives … it is a privilege and honour.”
Launa Smith, who started ‘cornholing’ in 2021, has become the number one female player in Canada in 2024/25 for the third time and is the only female to be named to Team Canada in 2026 and will go on to compete in the Worlds.
She thanked Dr. Gord Mckay who sponsored her at the early age of 15 and again some 40 years later. “Thank you for believing in me.”
Smith was an Intelligence Officer with Corrections Canada and, as part of her training, was required to write a ‘thank you’ letter. The letter turned out to be a sensitive, emotional ode to her town of Port Elgin.
“This is the town that built me. It is nothing particularly fancy. It is humble salt of the earth. It is small enough that it only takes a few minutes to drive end to end. It is the town that raised me up from a childhood filled with friends long gone and friends still with me from public school years and on to high school that was miserable and spectacular in a lot of ways. You saw me through everything that mattered back then – the grades, the activities, the jobs, the questions, the drama, the sports, the rebellion, the achievements of moments that somehow stand still in time and yet go on forever. It gave me the friends you built me up and pulled me down and carved their names into my heart. I still remember sitting in the stands for Friday night Bears games, nights with brothers at the Queen’s, the feeling of driving down main street or out in the country singing and sitting around a fire, drinking at a bush party. Doing so many things that we probably shouldn’t have doing and hoping our parents would never find out about – but we knew that wasn’t the case in this town. When I return to this town now, I can’t drive more than a block or two without something tugging at my memories. I either close my eyes and smile so wide or uncover old wounds to the heart. I still know that girl. The girl I used to be back then. I still hurt for her and all she went through. I still cringe for her too for all she did not know and all she should have done better. I’m just so thankful for being so young, for pushing enough limits to make memories, for loving so hard and for being so willing to go through all that we did that helped get me here today. High school sent me out into the world, to learn more, to see something different, to grow up and to prepare me for college. Another heartbreak that leaves a scar so that you will not forget, making more lifelong friends … learning who to love when I was in my thirties and fourties and now for all that I have and all that I am. So, now I get to look back at the extraordinary, messy life and know just how blessed I am to come from this small town, with these good people, for another generation of making memories and I will always come back in this direction, back to the town that built me … thank you, Port Elgin.”
This year’s event was co-sponsored by the Port Elgin and Southampton Rotary Clubs with funds raised going to support kids who will have the opportunity to go to Camp Presqu’ile. “The Selection Committee is independent of Rotary, although Rotary will be taking this event forward,” said Tony Sheard, past-President of Southampton Rotary.
Sheard then introduced Bill Streeter, who was inducted in the ‘Builder’ category. “Few individuals have contributed as significantly and selflessly to preserving the history, identity, and collective memory of Saugeen Shores than G. William “Bill” Streeter. Through decades of dedicated volunteer service, he has become one of the community’s foremost historians, researchers, and heritage advocates. His work has safeguarded the stories of the past while bringing them to life in ways that educate, inspire, and connect residents and visitors alike.”
“Bill’s impact is especially evident in his work commemorating the service and sacrifice of local men and women. He played a leading role in the research and implementation of the Remembrance street banner program in Southampton and Port Elgin,” said Shard. “These banners, displayed annually around Remembrance Day, transform community streets into places of reflection and gratitude. Bill’s meticulous research ensured their historical accuracy while bringing together municipalities, organizations, and families in a shared act of remembrance. The program now stands as one of the most meaningful tributes to local veterans in Bruce County.
More recently Bill supported the Saugeen First Nation Education group in the development of their Commemorative Banner Program, helping to honour Indigenous veterans and contributing to meaningful recognition of their service. Bill also proposed the Highway for Peace, designated along Bruce County Road 19 between Walkerton and Chesley. This route commemorates the June 1916 march of the 160th Bruce Battalion to receive their colours. Supported by the Bruce County Historical Society, the initiative includes signage along the route.”
Streeter explained his involvement in establishing the interpretive plaques that have been developed and can be seen at various locations throughout Saugeen Shores, along with the Commemorative Banners program leading up to Remembrance Day to honour Southampton and Port Elgin veterans.
A retired Executive of Good Year Tires, Streeter also told the audience of his long curling career that included being on the Canadian Team that travelled to Scotland for the Strathcona Cup, which the team won, and helping to organize many tournaments, including the return of the Scottish team to Canada.
The last recipient of the evening was Jeff Virgo, also in the Builder category. Dan Kelly, who introduced Virgo and is on the Hall of Fame Committee, said that he became involved with the program since its inception. “I’m not from Port Elgin or Southampton but when I moved here, I wanted to know what the town was about. I wasn’t just interested in the sports part of it but the whole town. It’s amazing the number of people in this town that have done some fantastic things to help improve this town immensely. This is a great activity and a great night and I’m glad to see that the inductees are going to carry on the same traditions.”
“Jeff could have been inducted as an athlete or a builder,” said Kelly. “He has been tremendous at everything he’s done. He played a lot sports here in town and then joined the Armed Forces. He’s an amazing person who has handled some adversity. He’s been to three Invictus games, was the Ambassador in Toronto games and coaches in sports.
A retired veteran, Virgo became involved in a vehicle accident while in training in Alberta. It was an accident that would change his life. The young 21-year-old, was told that he was paralyzed from the waist down and would never walk again. Little did the medical community know, that when someone told Jeff he couldn’t do something, it would work in exactly the opposite way.
Not only did he get better but he became involved in Prince Harry’s Invictus Games, competing in 2014 and 2016 before becoming an Ambassador in 2017.
“I wanted to talk to youth and veterans or just people in the community about becoming active and that there is sport and recreation out there. I just want to help out as much as I can whether it’s in the community where I live or the country itself. I like to enjoy things and don’t want to speed through life just checking the boxes. I want to experience things and be able to provide that community support that’s my passion. I didn’t want my injury to affect my outcome in life. I didn’t want a disability to hold me back and push me in a direction I didn’t want to go. I chose the path I wanted to go.”
“I’ve always been deeply proud of where I come from,” said Virgo. “Thank you to Ron Moss for nominating me. My parents taught us the true value of sports, not just how to play but how to work and instilled in us a strong work ethic, the power of team work and the drive to always give our absolute best which translated into lessons for life. I owe so much to my parents and every coach who ever challenged me. They built my foundation and, standing here today, I get to pass those same lessons down to my daughter Brynne. Following my accident, I was fortunate that the Military sent me to various camps to learn adaptive sports, receiving world class coaching for the Paralymics. This journey has taught me that anything is possible and you you shouldn’t let limitations be excuses. Sports became my vehicle and has taken me across the world from Lake Placid to Disneyworld, built friendships and allowed me experiences I never would have had – from meeting the Royal Family many times to sitting next to Mike Meyers at the Invictus Games in London. Success is about resilience, team work and shared bonds that are forged along the way, all which I am proud to carry on as a coach and trainer.”
Today, Jeff Virgo is on the path that he chose … as a coach, an Invictus Games Ambassador and a motivational speaker at various events and schools.
