John Francis,
Bruce Peninsula Press
Bruce Peninsula District School’s (BPDS) Secondary Grad ceremony was held at the school on June 25, 2026, with a class photo taken at the Lion’s Head lighthouse beforehand.
Principal Lisa Gilbert acted as Emcee, welcoming students, parents and presenters. Sarah Peacock and Jessica Reid gave the Land Acknowledgement. In her final appearance as Trustee, Peninsula Trustee (and Bluewater District School Board Chair) Jane Thomson (who will not be running for re-election this fall) brought greetings from the Board.
2002 BPDS grad Tyler Cameron, founder of wrksourcing, returned to BPDS to give a commencement speech. He told the grads about how his Lion’s Head upbringing had equipped him to manage multi-million-dollar accounts despite having flunked Grade 12 Math. (See the text of his address here)
Lisa Gilbert explained that the subject awards had been handed out already at an assembly. The English and Math Awards went to Bronwyn Stanton; the Science Award to Carly Burbridge. Cadence Langman won both the Cooperative Education and History/World Studies Awards. The Senior Outers Award went to Myles Gambacort.
The 2026 grad ceremony featured 42 Awards, Bursaries and Scholarships. This is a remarkable testament of community support, when you consider that the graduating class consisted of only 15 students. The awards have a combined value of well over $20,000.
The first of the scholarships and bursaries presented were the UNESCO Global Citizenship Awards, which went to Mady Raney and Carly Burbridge.
Tony Barton presented the Graham Barton Memorial Award to Erica Thompson. The Foundations for the Future Scholarship went to Jakob Steinbach; the Canon Jack James Memorial Scholarship went to Quintin Janknegt. Erica Thompson received the Dr. Harpur Healthcare Scholarship; the Biosphere Award went to Mady Raney.
The next three presentations were endowed and presented by the Northern Bruce Peninsula Rotary Club. The Mary Cameron Memorial Award was given to Ellie Robbins, the Keith Hopkinson Memorial Scholarship to Erica Thompson and the Bob Spearing “Service Above Self” Bursary to Carly Burbridge.
The Catherine Pedwell-Ganton Award was presented to Cadence Langman; the Isobel K Ganton Award went to Erica Thompson. The EPH Skilled Trades Bursary was given to Jaxon Quesnel.
Bronwyn Stanton & Mady Raney received the Sources of Knowledge Scholarships; the Tobermory Health Services Award went to Erica Thompson and the SWANS Annette Richardson Award to Brownyn Stanton. The Suntrail (Outers) Award was given to Myles Gambacort, the Independent Order of Oddfellows Bursary to Lilly Smith and the Good Humour Award to Austin Kerton-Moir.
The Bumper to Bumper Automotive Award went to Jaxon Quesnel, the Beatrice Bruin Arts Bursary to Bronwyn Stanton and the Bruce Grey Woodlands Award to Mady Raney.
The True Grit Award was presented to Jakob Steinbach, the RONA Technological Studies Award to Jordan McMann. The Bruce Power Future Innovators’ Award went to Carly Burbridge. The Art Shoppe Award went to Bronwyn Stanton and the Enet West Memorial Award to Ellie Robbins. The David Wilton Award for Altruism was given to Jakob Steinbach.
Brianna Klerks received the BPDS Communication Award; Bronwyn Stanton received the Entente Community Service Award. The Larry Bannerman Awards were presented to Cadence Langman and Myles Gambacort. The Colpoy’s Bay WI Community Award went to Jordan McMann, the Bruce County Council Award to Jakob Steinbach and the CUPE Local 1176 Award to Myles Gambacort.
Jordan McMann received the Bruce Power Women in Trades Award; the Lieutenant Governor’s Community Volunteer Award went to Erica Thompson and the Virginia Wiley Memorial Award went to Hunter Rankin.
The Ivan Hepburn Memorial Trades Award recognized four future tradesmen: Jordan McMann, Jaxon Quesnel, Jakob Steinbach, and Hunter Rankin.
The Tod Wright Scholarship was presented to Carly Burbridge, the Rotary Highest Academic Proficiency Scholarship to Bronwyn Stanton and the Bruce Peninsula District Staff Award to Cadence Langman.
The final Award of the evening is the prestigious Governor General’s Bronze Academic Medal. Principal Lisa Gilbert proudly presented the medal to Bronwyn Stanton.
Twelve of the fifteen members of the graduating class received a Specialist High Skills Major with a focus on the Environment. Seven BPDS School Letters were presented. Twelve of the fifteen were named as Ontario Scholars (over 80% average). These are detailed in the caption to the grad photo.
Valedictorians Bronwyn Stanton and Carly Burbridge gave a thoughtful salute to their classmates.
Cadence Langman’s slideshow was the evening’s finale.
