Each year, since 2002, the Town of Saugeen Shores presents the Municipal Heritage Conservation Award. The award is presented in recognition of heritage-minded individuals in Saugeen Shores who are involved in conserving heritage, either by protecting original buildings and surroundings or through educating others. It is also to promote and celebrate the valuable role that an individual or organization plays in ensuring that structures and stories from the past continue to be part of the community’s cultural and historic heritage.
This year’s recipient is Diane Huber, born and raised in Southampton and who is today Deputy-Mayor, following in the footsteps of generations of public service before her. Her love of history is deeply rooted. Her great-grandfather was a former lighthouse keeper at the now famous tourist destination Chantry Island Lighthouse, and who also served on town council. Her grandfather also served on council and her father, Doug Huber, was the Fire Chief and he, too, also served on town council.
Huber has been a member of many organizations such as the Marine Heritage Society as a Chantry Island tour guide, a Horticulture Society member and as a member of the Chantry Island Cham-bettes, a women’s organization dedicated to raising funds for charitable initiatives.
Councillor and Chair of the Municipal Heritage Committee, Cheryl Grace, said that Huber is passionate about the heritage of Saugeen Shores and, particularly, that of Southampton and spearheaded several community initiatives.
“She served for eight years on the Heritage Committee, two years as Committee Chair and, under her leadership, she was an active member in extensive research creating the first three phases of the Town’s Heritage Registry,” said Grace.
Among Huber’s other many initiatives was identifying special ancient trees, historic walking tours, interpretive plaques program, workshops at the Southampton Town Hall for Ontario heritage policy and programs and many more.
“One of her most important contributions to our community is her public promotion of heritage,” said Grace. “Over the years she has developed materials for children to learn about heritage and hundreds of children have delighted in button-making at events such as the Marine Heritage Festival and Pumpkinfest.”
“In the Fall of 2023,” added Grace, “Diane personally organized the ‘Open Doors‘ for all the churches in Southampton. Under her leadership, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, St. Patrick’s Catholic, St. Paul’s Anglican and Southampton United churches invited the public in to learn more about the heritage of their buildings and parish life.”
“For a number of years, Diane organized and personally funded a post-Santa Claus parade party at Southampton Town Hall,” said Grace. “There she assembled gift bags, treats and organized games for hundreds of children and families. It was an event that warmed the hearts for all who participated and kicked off the Christmas season with a lovely tradition of an old-fashioned Southampton Christmas.”
Huber said she was humbled at having been chosen as this year’s 2025 Heritage Conservation Award recipient. “I truly believe that heritage is very personal and can be as simple as being named after your great grandmother or celebrating a really big tree on a hill as you drive by.”
She also said that she appreciated the Bruce County Historical Society, the Bruce County Genealogical Society and the Bruce County Museum Archives where “… you can spend hours reading old newspapers”.
Huber said that Joyce Johnston, former Heritage Committee Chair, introduced her to the ways to do research at the Archives and she also remembered those previous recipients, Bill Streeter, Mike Sterling and Bob Trelford.
“I am so fortunate in still having an uncle, at age 95, who tells the best stories about growing up in Southampton. If you have somebody in your family who is still alive and of a much earlier generation, get them to tell you stories of people, places and buildings,” said Huber. “Everything in our town can tell a story. As a member of Council, I am carrying on a legacy that started with my great-grandfather, grandfather and father. We are carrying on with some of the legacies that they built in the early 1900s. Heritage is very personal and take the time to talk to people about the stories in their own families and pass them along to little people … take them to the cemetery and show them where the graves are and tell them stories about the people buried there.”
