Hub Staff

The Saugeen Shores Municipal Heritage Committee unveiled a new plaque to honour local marine history. The new Captain Spence Interpretive Plaque was unveiled at the Marine Heritage Festival on Saturday, July 25th. The plaque is located on the Captain Spence Trail which runs from the base of the flag on High Street in Southampton north to Pioneer Park.

Captain John Spence was born in the Orkney Islands, off the coast of Scotland in 1814 and died in Southampton in 1904. He came to Southampton, or Saugeen as it was then known, in 1948 with his friend, William Kennedy. They are both credited with playing a key roll in the establishment of the community. Spence's house still stands at 18 Huron Street North.

The plaque will serve as a reminder of the rich history and how the Captain Spence Trail got its name.

The Interpretive Plaque unveiling took place on the Trail, south of Pioneer Park, at the end of
Lansdowne Street. Municipal Heritage Committee member Diane Huber welcomed everyone at the unveiling. “We as the Heritage Committee try every year to establish another interpretive plaque around town that tells us part of the story,” Huber said. “We thought it would be good to tell Captain Spence's story.”

Huber introduced Heather Mulchey, a descendant of Captain Spence. Mulchey noted how the location of the unveiling suited the story being told. “This is the right place to do it, against the the water looking at the lighthouse behind where he was lighthouse keeper for a little while ... it's just a wonderful way to say thank you to Captain John.”