‘When everybody contributes and gives the time that they can, we make a much more vibrant community,’ says Beverley McChesney-Rumble
KIRKLAND LAKE – From teacher to torchbearer of local history, Beverley McChesney-Rumble has long been a quiet force in Kirkland Lake.
Now, her decades of dedication are being celebrated in a big way.
McChesney-Rumble was recently named the 2025 Ontario Senior of the Year by Mayor Stacy Wight, who credits her former high school drama teacher as a driving force behind the movement that helped save the Museum of Northern History and preserve a key piece of the town’s identity.
The award celebrates outstanding contributions by seniors aged 65 and over who continue to make a difference in their communities.
For McChesney-Rumble, the award came as a surprise.
“It’s very nice,” she said. “I’ve been doing stuff for years, and, you know, you don’t expect any awards or anything like that. You just do it because you feel it’s something that needs to be done.”
That philosophy — a quiet commitment to community — has guided her through years as a teacher, volunteer, advocate, and heritage steward.
She began teaching drama at Kirkland Lake District Composite Secondary School in 1988 after returning from Toronto, where she’d lived for 18 years. She later worked with students with developmental disabilities, all while continuing to direct plays and musicals in and outside the classroom.
Alongside her teaching, McChesney-Rumble has held leadership roles with Trinity United Church for over two decades, served on the board of the Kabaret Charitable Foundation and is a driving force behind The Oakes Project: Heritage, Arts and Tourism (TOPHAT).
SEE: Kirkland Lake woman fighting to save museum her grandfather helped build
TOPHAT, a citizen-led group, was formed in 2024 in response to the town’s decision to end its lease with the Ontario Heritage Trust for the Sir Harry Oakes Château, which houses the Museum of Northern History.
McChesney-Rumble, whose grandfather David McChesney helped build the château, sprang into action to help protect what she sees as a vital part of the town’s identity.
“It was a no-brainer to nominate Bev,” said Wight. “She worked so hard to keep those two entities together — the collection which makes up the museum, and the building, which is a heritage site.”
Wight, who was once one of McChesney-Rumble’s drama students, described her former teacher as a fixture in Kirkland Lake, known not only for her long-standing volunteerism but for continuing to substitute teach even today.
“She is very well known within our community,” Wight said. “She was one of the driving forces behind saving the collection being held at the Sir Harry Oakes Château.”
For McChesney-Rumble, heritage isn’t just about the past, it’s about community pride and intergenerational connection.
She shared a story passed down from her grandfather — who was the head carpenter for Sir Harry Oakes — that stood out: a conversation between he and Oakes about the need for a hockey arena in Kirkland Lake, which ultimately inspired Oakes to build one.
“Anybody, by speaking up, can make a difference by saying to someone in a position to do something, ‘It would be so good for our community if we had this,’” said McChesney-Rumble.
That spirit of speaking up and acting for the greater good is something she hopes younger generations will embrace.
“I think it’s so important to have a museum, because we get to record the stories of people. If it’s not preserved, where does it go? It’s gone. Forever. And that would be very sad, because we’ve got so many good stories here,” McChesney-Rumble said.
Mayor Wight said preserving heritage remains a priority for the community as part of a new tourism and economic development strategy.
“Our cultural identity really revolves around our mining, our hockey heritage. And of course, Sir Harry Oakes Château. It’s always been forefront in our minds,” she said.
Recognizing people like McChesney-Rumble, she added, is not just about the past, but the path forward.
“When we can honour the people that not only contributed all their working lives but continue to contribute well into their golden years, I just find it an exceptional opportunity to highlight everything community members do in our town,” she said.
McChesney-Rumble, for her part, remains humble and hopeful.
“When everybody contributes and gives the time that they can, we make a much more vibrant community. That was part of the reason why it was so important to keep the museum open,” she said.
