Always the last award handed out at the annual Leamington District Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards reception, the Alf Bennie Award celebrates a local citizen that has had a significant impact on our community through their various volunteer work, and has made a positive difference in making our community a better place through their deeds and contributions.
“This is an award that recognizes the kind of contribution that can’t be measured by one event, by one organization, or by one accomplishment. It’s about years of giving your time, energy, and talents that don’t always come with much attention and recognition,” said the Alf Bennie Award presenter, Cordell Green of Blackburn Media.
Hall of fame journalist by day, family man, trivia guru and volunteer by night, Mark Ribble was clearly surprised as he was announced as this year’s Alf Bennie Award recipient, all the while covering the awards event for the Southpoint Sun this past Wednesday evening at the Roma Club in Leamington.
Green continued, “Tonight’s honouree has spent years telling the story of this community, but just as importantly, hoping to preserve it. He doesn’t just write about what others are doing. He shows up and he’s a part of it.”
Born and raised in Point Pelee National Park, later moving to town, Ribble graduated from Leamington District Secondary School with a dream of going to college and becoming a hockey play-by-play announcer.
Years after the original plan didn’t play out, he found his way into the news business, first as an apprentice pressman, later as a sales representative and reporter, and currently has the title of editor of the Southpoint Sun weekly newspaper.
Ribble shared that his involvement with the newspaper has allowed him to overcome his tendency to be shy and connect with his community by covering a wide variety of local events and by getting others to reminisce about their past glory days by means of his wildly popular nostalgic column “Rib’s Ramblings”.
Love of sports set the stage for the first of many times that Ribble has volunteered for the local community over the past 40 years.
Reflecting on his first time volunteering, he said, “Way back, Randy Lamotte and I (as teenagers) took a team of little guys to coach and we really enjoyed it.”
From his first time coaching baseball, he then took over the helm of overseeing many other ball and hockey teams, along with volunteering to sit on local minor hockey and baseball boards, including the board that formed the Junior C Wheatley Sharks.
Mark’s affinity for trivia and ball led him to volunteering to host a trivia night to raise funds for Leamington Minor Baseball, which he’s done for over 20 years.
Wanting to honour his Uncle Bob and other Canadian war veterans, Ribble and his nephew Jerry approached the town seven years ago about a hometown heroes banner project that continues to this day, seeing over 100 vets remembered by name, era, branch, rank and photo, for a period that begins just after Thanksgiving up until Remembrance Day.
That banner campaign led to Mark and Jerry being acknowledged with a special award at last year’s 2025 Mayor’s Recognition Awards in Leamington.
Noticing the success of the commemorative banners, Wheatley Legion President Tom Brown sought out Ribble in 2021 asking him if he had any interest in leading a Remembrance Day ceremony in Leamington.
Teaming up with Jerry for another venture, Ribble and a newly formed committee took on the challenge and will see Mark once again pick up the microphone to lead the Remembrance Day program for another year at the site at Princess and Mill Street East.
“Being involved with the Remembrance Day ceremonies and seeing the banners in town has been a big reward for me,” he said. “Knowing that we made a difference for families that were seeking recognition for their loved ones.”
Always wanting to do community theatre, and with encouragement from his wife Debbie, Ribble has now been hit by the acting/directing bug. He spent many hours this past spring at The Bank Theatre in his directing debut of the play Farce of Nature, and will spend many more with his directorial return for the upcoming sequel Farce of Habit coming to the downtown venue this fall.
Ribble was asked about his sentiments on winning the 2026 Alf Bennie Award and said, “It makes me feel good. I’m really more humbled by it than anything, because I feel over the years I’ve been at many business excellence award events and have watched some of the winners and all the things they’ve done for the community. Some part of me feels not worthy of it, but another part feels that I should be proud and that I was recognized for my efforts.”
As far as thank yous, he acknowledged an understanding family and accommodating coworkers over the years.
“My wife Debbie has been fantastic with all of the stuff that I have been involved with and the patience that she has shown. A big thank you to the person nominating me and the Chamber for recognizing me this way.”
