The City of Cambridge Cambridge • Ontario • Canada

Hall of Fame Members

Bernice Adams

Inducted 2004

Born in Preston on December 2, 1934, Bernice Marjorie (Brine) Adams was well known for her work as a radio commentator, as a journalist and as a member of first the Galt and then the Cambridge city councils. At the radio station she began work as a secretary but was soon recognized as a person with spark, enthusiasm, humour and a gift of the gab who was soon one of the city's better-known radio personalities. Her radio features included her "Woman of the Week" in which women of Cambridge were recognized for their contributions to the community. Mrs. Adams also submitted a number of unsolicited pieces to the Cambridge Reporter and soon found herself writing a weekly column called "Adams About Anything". The column featured stories about local history, personalities and all the fun of raising teenagers. Following the 1974 flood Mrs. Adams, through her work at the local radio station, was instrumental in attracting significant contributions to a fund to assist people who had suffered losses to the flood waters. Her other passion was for acting and she participated in a number of performances staged by the Galt Little Theatre. Mrs. Adams served as both president and vice-president of Beta Sigma Phi and the Cambridge Jay-cees. Mrs. Adams was first elected to Galt city council in 1971 and was acclaimed to represent Ward 2 in Cambridge in five subsequent elections. Elected to regional council in 1977, Mrs. Adams was appointed to the Waterloo Regional Police Commission in 1978. She was named vice-chair of the commission in January 1978 and was named commission Chair of the Commission in May 1979, the first woman to hold the position. She is reported to have taken "complete charge" of the five-member board leading it through its court battle with former police chief Syd Brown. She was described as "fiery", a "hard worker", a person who possessed a "colourful personality" and one of council's "most forceful and influential spokesmen." The Bernice Adams Awards program that recognizes local contributions to the visual arts, the performing arts, music and communications and the literary arts, was named in her memory. Mrs. Adams died on November 26, 1980 and is buried in Mount View Cemetery.