2022 Hall of Fame Inductees

 Bernice Adams

Bernice Adams was born and raised in Galt, Ontario by her single mother.  She defied her humble beginnings and with limited schooling went on to impact Galt and subsequently, Cambridge for many years.

Bernice was first elected to Galt City Council in 1971, then to the newly formed City of Cambridge Council in 1973.  A very popular politician she was acclaimed 5 times. 

Bernice was one of Cambridge’s well known media personalities, serving as a host and broadcaster on Galt’s radio station CFTJ, and as a columnist for the Galt Evening Reporter and later the Cambridge Daily Reporter. As a radio personality, Bernice started such programs as Woman of the Week which honoured local women for their contributions to the community. Her newspaper column, Adams About Anything, appeared every Saturday in the newspaper. This column featured stories of local issues and humorous looks at family life and life in the community. Bernice was also active in the Galt Little Theatre, did many speaking engagements and wrote a romance novel (which was never published).

Her style as a politician was unapologetically, as she called it, “Straight from the shoulder”.  Always outspoken, her blunt approach was combined with a sharp sense of humour which she used to defuse, or draw attention to issues under discussion. No issue was too big or too small for her.  In May 1979, Bernice was elected Chair of the Waterloo Regional Police Commission, the first woman to chair a police commission in Ontario.

In November 1980, at just 45 years old, Bernice passed away suddenly.   In recognition of her contributions to the community, the Bernice Adams Memorial Fund was initiated by the City of Cambridge in 1982. The City Council appoints nine citizens as Trustees of the Fund to disperse funds in the form of high school scholarships, bursaries and awards at the annual Bernice Adams Legacy Awards Gala.

The Bernice Adams Legacy Awards, designed to recognize people from the Cambridge community who mentor, support and encourage the arts, is celebrating its 40^th anniversary this year. Categories for the awards include visual arts, performing arts, music, and communications/literary arts.

Bernice Adams, already in the Cambridge Hall of Fame, was a force in the life of Cambridge – in the media and on the political stage. Her lasting contributions to the city live on in the Bernice Adams Memorial Fund which supports and recognizes artistic pursuits in the city.

 Vivian Berkeley

More people in Waterloo Region and abroad need to know about and appreciate the legacy and enduring values that Vivian Berkeley will be leaving behind. Vivian has always been an advocate for accessibility, both in her community and in her sport. Because of Vivian’s hard-work and dedication to improving the safety, mobility and well-being of the blind and visually impaired, our Region is getting closer to becoming a fully accessible community. Two ideas that were implemented during and after her time on the City of Kitchener Barrier-Free Advisory Committee include modifying sidewalk curbs to be sloped instead of a step, and updating the sidewalk shovelling by-laws.

In her sport, Vivian is accredited to helping build the sport of lawn bowls for the blind and visually impaired in Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada, and abroad. In 2007, Vivian established the Blind Bowls Association of Canada (BBAC); its mission was to represent and promote the interests of blind and visually impaired lawn bowlers. And in 2011, Vivian received an honorary award from Heritage Greens Lawn Bowling Club, "in recognition for the work she has done for the visually impaired in lawn bowling in the Kitchener community".

Berkeley is unquestionably the greatest Canadian blind lawn bowler of all-time (B1 category completely blind), and arguably the most successful international lawn bowler in Canadian history. When people remember Vivian, they will all say that Vivian was a champion in sport and was a champion in her community. 

Vivian Berkeley has said, "As an athlete I feel that year-round physical training and mental preparation are the keys to success. To reach your goals, you must be prepared to be persistent and dedicated to your sport. An athlete must be able to accept winning, as well as defeat, and meet new challenges head on. In order to succeed in any sport, this philosophy should be applied on a daily basis." 

Vivian has always been active in sports. She tried lawn bowling for the first time in 1989, initially playing at the Rockway Golf and Country Club, and then later at the Heritage Greens Lawn Bowling Club. Throughout her competitive career, Berkeley accumulated a total of 60 medals: 22 Provincial Gold medals, 21 National Gold medals, along with an impressive 17 International medals from eight countries (two Gold, ten Silver, five Bronze). Vivian’s greatest achievements include being a two-time World Blind Lawn Bowling Champion, 1996 Paralympic Games Silver Medalist, and 2002 Commonwealth Games Bronze Medalist. Berkeley credits her coaches for helping her achieve her goals – Don Mayne, his wife Betty and Jean McCron.

Over the years, Vivian has been recognized with a number of prominent honours and awards. Her most notable distinctions include carrying the 1996 Paralympic Games Torch; being recognized in the Canada House of Commons with other members of the 1996 Olympic and Paralympic team; being featured in Chatelaine Presents Who’s Who of Canadian Women of 1999-2000; being inducted into the Kitchener Sports Association (KSA) Wall of Fame; being honoured as a Fire Prevention Ambassador of North America with Boxing Champion Fitz Vanderpool and Olympian Karen Snelgrove; receiving an honorary award from Heritage Greens Lawn Bowling Club in 2011, and in 2021, being inducted into the Canadian Disability Hall of Fame.  Vivian retired from competitive play in 2015.

In Kitchener, Vivian has been very involved within the community, contributing to many committees and service groups. Her main objective has been to improve the safety, mobility, and well-being of the blind and visually impaired in the Waterloo Region. From 1969 until 1973, Vivian was the Director of Public Relations for the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB). Their mission is to "improve the individual and community quality of life of people who are blind, deaf-blind, or living with low vision." Vivian would later go on to serve as President of CCB Kitchener from 1991 until 2001. Vivian also volunteered for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) in Waterloo from 1992 until 1997 and was part of the Block Parent Program from 1987 until 1999. Vivian served on the City of Kitchener Fire and Safety Committee in 1997; and from 1994 until 2012, Vivian was a key member of the City of Kitchener Barrier-Free Advisory Committee. Vivian was previously part of the Lioness Club of Kitchener and past-President of the Pioneer Lions Club. She was also a member of the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 50, and a Teacher’s Aid Volunteer from 1985 until 2000 with the Waterloo Catholic District School Board.

Along with contributing tremendously to her community, Vivian has also greatly contributed to her sport. Vivian was elected President of the Ontario Lawn Bowls Association of the Blind (OLBAB), serving from 1997 until 2001. In 2007, she was elected President of Blind Bowls Association of Canada (BBAC). Also in 2007, Vivian was elected as an interim member of the AthletesCAN Paralympic Athlete Council, acting as part of a collective voice representing Canadian national team athletes.

Anne Innis Dagg

Dr. Anne Innis Dagg is the world’s foremost authority on giraffes. Years before Diane Fossey and Jane Goodall studied apes in the wild, Anne had already been learning about giraffes in South Africa. In the mid-1950s, Anne – at the time in her early twenties – went to South Africa on her own to study giraffes. As a single young woman, she was denied an opportunity to access several farms to study giraffes, based on her gender. She finally convinced a manager who worked land near Kruger National Park – 33,000 hectares and home to 95 giraffes – to allow her to conduct her research in the wild.  In 1958, Anne published her observations of giraffes in the journal Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London.

Anne’s work in South Africa and further research on giraffes and other mammals at the University of Waterloo was the topic of her PhD thesis and her seminal text on giraffes, The Giraffe: Its Biology, Behaviour, and Ecology (1976). Despite her outstanding research, publishing, and academic success, Anne was denied tenure at both the University of Guelph and the University of Waterloo, and she filed a complaint with the Ontario Human Rights Commission with Wilfrid Laurier University about gender bias in hiring.

Dr. Anne Innis Dagg was awarded the Batke Human Rights Award in 1984 by the K-W Status of Women in recognition of her work in the fields of social justice and gender equality. She received the Lifetime Achievement Award (now called the Dr. Anne Innis Dagg Excellence in Giraffe Science Award) at the International Giraffid conference in 2016; and she is an Honorary Member of the Canadian Society of Zoologists. Dagg's research on giraffes and her experiences in South Africa were featured on the CBC’s radio series, Ideas, in 2011. The radio program prompted the 2018 documentary, The Woman Who Loves Giraffes, chronicling Dagg's life, career and her recognized impact on the study of giraffes. In 2019, Anne was named a member of the Order of Canada.

In June 2021, the University of Toronto recognized Anne with a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, for her “outstanding service for the public good as a trailblazing scientist and a passionate advocate for equity in academia.” At the University of Toronto ceremony, Anne urged the Class of 2021 to “never stop reading, writing, watching and thinking” and to persevere in the face of challenges.

Dr. Anne Innis Dagg’s legacy in the Region of Waterloo extends beyond her outstanding research in giraffes and other mammals to her ground-breaking efforts to emphasize equity in hiring and recognition in academia.   A Foundation has been created in her name- Anne Innis Dagg Foundation-which focuses on habitat conservation and equality.  Shae also leads the Junior Giraffe Club to engage youth aged 7 to 17 in all things giraffe.

The Gilbert & Sullivan Society Waterloo Regional Branch

In 1975, five talented colleagues founded The Gilbert and Sullivan Society, Waterloo Regional Branch. Raymond S. J. Daniels, Dr. Walter H. Kemp, John M. Kerr, Brant F. Smith, and Graeme Allwood, were three high school teachers, a university professor, and a financial expert who shared a love for music, performance, community engagement, and especially, the famous operettas of Sir W.S. Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan.

Since 1975, the company has produced over 18 operettas in Waterloo Region employing a wealth of local amateur talent. Major productions have been staged in the Humanities Theatre at the University of Waterloo, some in collaboration with Drayton Entertainment at their venues, others at seniors’ residences around the Region, and one, Trial By Jury, at the historic Waterloo County Gaol (aka Jail). Fully-staged operettas feature period costumes and a full orchestra. Other outreach by the Society includes the awards program for youth performances, the Gilbert and Sullivan Ensemble initiated by Donna Kuehl in the early 1990s, and the annual travelogue program created in 1980 by John Kerr for fund-raising.

The Society's primary objectives have been to maintain the traditions of Gilbert and Sullivan, to keep alive their wonderful comic operas, to present their works to local audiences, and to provide education and outlets for amateur performers, set designers, technicians and stage-hands. The list of volunteers and contributors to the Gilbert and Sullivan Society reflects the broad reach that the organization has had in the Region. 

Teachers, librarians, media personalities, singers, professional musicians, technicians, arts coordinators, dedicated board members, university professors, and many others have lent their time and talent to promoting, staging, and entertaining thousands of local citizens of all ages over the years and attracting patrons and theatre-goers beyond Waterloo Region. The Society has former members who have gone on to excel professionally in the world of opera, musical theatre, and the entertainment industry – largely, or in part, because of their positive learning experiences with the Gilbert and Sullivan Society.

The Gilbert and Sullivan Society, Waterloo Regional Branch, has helped to connect people interested in the arts, nurture intergenerational presentations, support education, foster creativity, teach the next generation, promote civic engagement, build relationships, attract large audiences, and engage residents as volunteers or patrons. Its legacy to the Region continues in its production of Gilbert and Sullivan based programming for future generations to enjoy.

Six Community Entrepreneurs of Heidelberg

The crossroads village of Heidelberg, straddling both Wellesley and Woolwich Townships, opened its first post office in 1854. Six prominent local entrepreneurs toward the end of the 19^th century and into the 20^th century established businesses that would provide goods, services, entertainment, and support for the fledgling community.

Henry N. Huehn

Henry N. Huehn, born on a farm near Heidelberg was a harness-maker by trade. In 1888, he purchased an existing general dry goods store on the northwest corner of Heidelberg’s main intersection. While he continued to operate his harness shop, it was the store that provided generations of villagers with a wide variety of essential items, hardware and “a large assortment of Saskatchewan buffalo robes.” Huehn was appointed an issuer of Marriage Licenses, served as a Wellesley Township Councillor, and eventually the village postmaster.  A merchant of depth, breadth and longevity, Henry Huehn provided a valuable service to local residents and farmers, thereby improving their pioneering situations immeasurably.

John Wesley Huehnergard

John Wesley Huehnergard, born on a farm near Heidelberg, worked as a jeweller and grocer prior to purchasing Heidelberg’s Dominion Hotel in 1892. The inn, built in 1851, was the town’s second hotel. Huehnergard renovated the building, and transformed the second floor, “Huehnergard’s Hall,” to be used for concerts, meetings, social events and lectures. The hotel became an important social hub for the village.  Huehnergard was a singer, accomplished musician, one time leader of the Heidelberg Band and was the first president of the Heidelberg Music Society. Under Huehnergard’s leadership, the society opened a summer resort at Otterbein Lake (later called Paradise Lake). Music programs, sports events, dances, fireworks, picnic facilities, boat rentals and eventually a concert pavilion were all established at the lake. Apart from being a successful hotelier, Huehnergard’s major contribution to the community was his ongoing efforts to provide entertainment and social events for the enrichment of the residents of Heidelberg and the surrounding area.

Charles Kreutziger

Charles Kreutziger immigrated to North America in 1849.  He made his way to Canada West (Ontario) where he was a miller. He built a large gristmill in Heidelberg in 1879, the Kreutziger Lorne Roller Flour Mill, a state-of-the-art facility that was often described as “one of the best equipped modern roller flouring mills in the province.”  Next, Kreutziger built a large sawmill which employed up to 10 people and bought large quantities of logs from local farmers. Later, Kreutziger moved to the city of Waterloo and operated a large planing mill and box factory along with his Heidelberg mills. As he did in Heidelberg, he also dabbled in house design and construction, capital development and housing improvements. His own family home, which was built in 1893, was heated with steam generated at his mills and still stands today.

Henry Miller

Henry Miller (Heinrich Mueller) immigrated to Canada from Baden-Wurttenberg in 1847. He built and opened Heidelberg’s third hotel, the Great Western Hotel, in 1860. It became a stage-coach stop and transfer point for overland routes to Millbank, Glen Allen, Stratford, and Berlin. Miller designed his hotel to include a general store with its own separate entrance; private, individual windowed lodging rooms on the second floor (rather than sleeping communally on thin pallets in the main tavern room); and an elevated walkway joining the second floor of the hotel to the barn.  All of these innovations were forward looking. His businesses provided important employment opportunities in the village. He bore the risk and financial burden to open Heidelberg’s third hotel and first dry goods store. The hotel at this location has operated successfully for more than 160 years, and is known today as The Olde Heidelberg Restaurant, Tavern and Motel.

Valentine Otterbein

Valentine Otterbein immigrated from Hesse to Wellesley Township in 1842. He became a second-generation Wellesley farmer when he took over the operation of his father’s farm in 1856. In 1869, Otterbein began serving as the deputy reeve on Waterloo County Council, a post he held for almost 30 years. He was also one of the founders and first directors of the North Waterloo Farmers’ Fire Insurance Company, and later served as its president. Winning successive elections either by vote or acclamation, Valentine Otterbein was well liked by his constituents, so much so that the lake beside his property was named in his honour (Otterbein Lake, later Paradise Lake). His involvement with and influence on Waterloo County Council lasted almost three decades.

Adam Steiss, Jr.

Adam Steiss, Jr. immigrated to Canada West in 1847.  By 1867 he bought the Great Western Hotel from Henry Miller and operated the business for almost 40 years. Like his competitor, Huehnergard across the street, Steiss used the space above his barn as a public hall (Steiss’ Hall) for civic meetings, spelling bees, division court, amateur plays, campaign meetings, horticultural shows, and Farmers’ Institute meetings.  Steiss began his famous limburger cheese factory behind his house in 1878 (the first in Canada to engage in this type of cheese production). Business became very successful with customers locally and in Manitoba, British Columbia, and the Maritime Provinces. Demand for Steiss limburger cheese became so great that even with the construction of a new and larger cheese factory in 1901, the company still had difficulty fulfilling its orders. Steiss entered and won his category and class in a cheese competition at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition held in Buffalo. Besides being a successful hotelier and cheese maker, Steiss was appointed postmaster in 1879 and served for nearly 30 years. Described as a “man of industry”, Adam Steiss was one of Heidelberg’s most successful early residents.

Huehn, Huehnergard, Kreutziger, Miller, Otterbein, and Steiss

Huehn, Huehnergard, Kreutziger, Miller, Otterbein, and Steiss stood apart from their peer group in early Heidelberg. By operating inns, flour and sawmills, dry goods and hardware stores, a cheese factory, a resort and farms, their enterprises provided food, supplies, clothing, recreation and entertainment for residents. They were also leaders in their community who collaborated in founding or participating in benevolent groups, bringing music and exhibitions to the local area, sponsoring cultural activities, offering new gastronomic experiences with trendy oyster suppers and providing employment for many people. Together, they helped to create a “golden age” in Heidelberg and the surrounding community.

 Dave Hollinger

When Dave Hollinger took over the full-time University of Waterloo Varsity Golf Program coaching duties, he wanted to continue to build on the great tradition the team had enjoyed dating back to the days when he was a captain in the late 1960s. In winning three provincial titles in his four years there, Hollinger realized the importance of a tightly knit group. While he is a tremendous teacher of the game of golf and its fundamentals, his philosophy has arguably had a bigger impact on Waterloo's success than anything technical he has brought to the table.

"We've taken the team concept to great heights," says the retired elementary and secondary school Physical Education teacher, who holds a Master’s in Education. "Everything we do is as a team. There are no individuals on this team. And the kids have bought into that." It may sound like a strange concept for an individual sport, but the "all-for-one" mentality is strong at Waterloo.

While attending the University of Waterloo, Dave was a member of the golf team from 1969-1974.  He captained the team from 1971-1973.  The team won the Ruttan Cup (aka the OUA Championship) in 1969, 1970 and 1972.  The team was also a five-time winner of the University of Waterloo’s invitational tournament.  Individually in 1970, Dave was the silver medal winner at the OUA individual golf championship.  Dave was inducted into the University of Waterloo Hall of Fame in 2000.

As a golfer, Dave won numerous events including what is known locally as the Amateur Golf Slam in one year – the Doon, Elmira, Dundee, and Rockway Invitations.  He also won club championships at Conestoga and Deer Ridge along with numerous tournaments.

Dave began his 16 years of coaching with the University of Waterloo Varsity Golf Program in 2003 as an assistant coach along with Jack Pearse to head coach Doug Painter.  After two seasons, Dave became head coach, and Pearse continued on as a ‘Coach Emeritus’.  Under Dave, the program continued its winning ways, capturing twelve OUA championship medals (seven gold, three silver, two bronze) and nine out of ten top ten finishes at the Canadian University/College Golf Championship, winning a silver medal in 2012.  Dave is a seven-time OUA golf coach of the year winner and has served three times as an assistant coach for team Canada at the World University Golf Championships.

During his time at the University of Waterloo, Dave had the opportunity to coach over 100 student athletes.  Some recognizable names that Dave taught include Garrett Rank of Elmira (two-time OUA champion and 2012 male athlete of the year), Justin Fluit (2005 male athlete of the year), Gajan Sivabalasingham (two-time OUA champion), and Jud Whiteside, who was inducted into the Warrior Hall of Fame in 2019.  Dave prided himself on developing the person, not just the athlete, emphasizing being a contributing member to the community and university.  In an individual sport like golf, Dave stressed a team-first attitude that players accepted. They realized the benefits of the positive environment.

In 2011, the golf coach’s association of Canada introduced the “Jack Pearse Coaches Award”, presented to the coach who has contributed to the growth of post-secondary golf.  Dave was the inaugural winner.  Both Dave and Jack retired as university coaches in 2013, handing over the head coaching duties to Brad Sims.  Dave continued to be a part of the staff and he returned as head coach from 2014-2017 and remained involved with the program until his retirement in the summer of 2019.  Dave retired as the winningest player and coach of any sport in University of Waterloo history.

Dave has given back to golf in the Region of Waterloo in several ways. For example, he was instrumental in the development of the Jack Pearse and Dave Hollinger Warrior Golf Endowment, established in 2000 to provide funds for golfers at Waterloo.  Dave has also been an important member of the President’s Golf Tournament Committee that has help raise over $1.1 million for the Warriors Excellence Fund and Women’s Sport Initiative.

 Carla Munch Miranda

Born and raised in Cambridge, Ontario, Carla attended Preston High School and was a multi-sport athlete, earning her the 1993/94 Graduating Female Athletic Award.  She later attended the University of Waterloo and played field hockey winning an Ontario University Athletics (OUA) gold medal in 1995.

It is through her love and participation of the sport of golf that Carla Munch Miranda has been tremendously successful and innovative in the golf industry. She played in several Ontario and Canadian amateur tournaments and fell in love with the game.  In 2003 she completed her professional credentials through the Professional Golf Association (PGA) of Canada and Ontario. In 2004, Carla began the University of Waterloo women’s golf program. 

In 2006, Carla and her husband had the opportunity to buy the Cambridge Golf Club where she was able to translate her enthusiasm for the sport into her home club.  Her values of continuous learning, family, and the advancement of young girls and women in the sport, permeate her work. Carla sees that the foundations of a young person’s growth can be realized through sport participation – opportunities to build confidence, understand teamwork, develop resilience, and reach for goals. Carla’s teaching and work has been recognized by her players, her professional associations, and the University of Waterloo.  A short list of accolades and accomplishments that Carla has achieved include:

• 2019 PGA of Canada Ben Kern Award Winner – Coach of the Year
• 2017 Team Ontario, Canada Summer Games Head Coach
• 2013 Team Ontario, Canada Summer Games Coach
• First Women’s Golf Coach at the University of Waterloo (U of W)
• two OUA Team Gold medals, nine OUA Team Silver, and four OUA Team Bronze medals in 16 years of coaching at the University of Waterloo
• 2019 U of W Team of the year, 2007 U of W Coach of the year
• Team Canada Coach of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) World University Golf Championships
  • 2008 in South Africa
  • 2010 in Shenzhen, China
  • 2011 in Spain
  • 2014 in Switzerland
• 2006 PGA of Ontario Assistant Golf Professional of the Year
• 2019 PGA of Ontario Coach of the Year

 Edward (Ted) Scharf

Much of Ted Scharf’s leadership and contributions to the community has been through his lengthy association with the Kitchener Rangers Hockey Club, complemented by his personal volunteerism and service to the community.

The changes to the Kitchener Rangers enacted under his leadership have positioned the organization as a sports franchise that is envied and respected by players, peers, and stakeholders throughout the country – “one of the best among the best”. Under his leadership and serving as an agent of change, the Rangers Hockey Club now positively impacts many areas of the community – sports development, social services, and philanthropy.

Ted was a first round (tenth overall) selection of the Kitchener Rangers. He excelled in his junior hockey career, playing 140 games over three seasons, and was named Rangers’ Team Captain in his third season.

Ted played five seasons professionally in the World Hockey Association with the New York Raiders.

Following his retirement from the Raiders, he returned to Waterloo Region and successfully obtained his real estate license.  In 1988, he launched his own brokerage firm, Scharf Realty Limited, and was elected to the Board of Directors of the Kitchener Rangers Hockey Club – the first ever Rangers alumni player to become a director.

While member of the Rangers’ Executive, Ted’s leadership skills were clear and acknowledged, and he was elected as the club’s president.  He is the club’s longest serving Rangers President (nine years) from 1996-2000, 2002-2003, and 2006-2009.

Ted served as president the last two times that the Rangers won the Ontario Hockey League championship, including the 2003 Memorial Cup Championship in Quebec City, and when Kitchener hosted the 2008 MasterCard Memorial Cup.

Over the decades, Ted has served the community in a variety of volunteer roles some spanning several decades:

• Athlete of the Year Program
• Camp McGovern Celebrity Golf Tournament
• Independent living Centre of Waterloo Region
• Joseph Schneider House
• Kitchener Minor Hockey Association
• Kitchener Rangers Hockey Club
• KW Real Estate Board
• KW Symphony
• KW Zonta Club
• Scouts Canada Jamboree
• Stanley Park Optimist Club
• Tournament of Hope
• Volunteer Action Centre
• Waterloo Regional Police Association

Recognition for his outstanding contributions to the community include:

• KSA – naming the inaugural Kitchener Rangers Humanitarian Award as the “TED Scharf Humanitarian Award”
• Volunteer Action Centre “Community Partner Award”
• Naming of the Kitchener Rangers Hockey Club Executive Boardroom as “The Ted Scharf Room”
• KW Association of Realtors’ “Volunteer of the Year” 2016.

Wearing the “C” on his hockey jersey when he was captain of the Kitchener Rangers Hockey Team has become emblematic of Ted Scharf’s commitment and leadership in his community. His caring and compassionate spirit are evidenced in his many contributions to Waterloo Region.