Sometime after their
marriage, Joseph and Margaret Harper decided
to buy a house in a neighbourhood where
children could be brought up safely. They
chose Leaside, population 18,579, a
dormitory community that was a separate
municipality located just northeast of the
City of Toronto. A main artery, Bayview
Avenue, had just been extended south to link
Leaside with downtown Toronto. And so it
was in Leaside that Stephen, born April 30th
1959, spent the first twelve years of his
life living in a home located at 332
Bessborough Drive. His younger brothers
Grant and Robert were also born while the
family lived there. Years later in the
midst of the 2004 federal election campaign,
Stephen Harper was asked by the National
Post to name his closest friends. “My
brothers,” was his reply. They were then
both at his side fighting the political
wars.
Leaside boasted that it
was Ontario’s only municipality built
entirely according to a pre-designed plan.
Many of its streets were curved, some were
crescents. Stop signs were frequent,
discouraging through traffic. The
ubiquitous trees and lawns gave a pleasant
green look, and the narrow lots each
contained a single family dwelling flanked
by a driveway leading up to a small garage.
The Harper home, a red-brick two-storey
house with a bay window and a small
fireplace in the living room is on a lot
that is 33 feet wide, and 138 feet deep. It
had a tree growing on the front lawn and
another tree in the fenced backyard.
Leaside was then the
quintessential WASP middle-class Toronto
suburb. The 1961 census indicated that 84.2
per cent of its residents had origins in the
British Isles while 4.6 per cent were
French. No other racial or national group
lived there in notable numbers. Most houses
sheltered the young families of ambitious
people rising in the world. Few were old or
poor or very rich. A notable community
spirit encouraged participation in organized
sports and other activities. The Leaside
Lawn Bowling Club offered croquet as well as
lawn bowling. Leaside fielded strongly
competitive baseball and hockey teams. The
Leaside Garden Society held flower shows and
planted flowers on public property,
including the grounds of the Leaside Public
Library. A couple of years before Stephen
Harper was born a young woman named Margaret
Atwood attended Leaside High School, a few
blocks from his home.
Toronto the Good was
not yet buried in Leaside at a time when the
province required that adults wishing to buy
alcohol obtain a permit, fill out a form
listing name and address for every purchase
and drive directly home with the unopened
package. The Leaside Council was
recurrently preoccupied with forbidding
bowling on Sunday, the day the Lord rested.
On February 23, 1963 when Stephen was not
yet four, the Leaside Council rebuked two
local enterprises that had engaged in
commercial activity on Sunday. According to
the minutes, “The Theatre of Bayview has
been opened on Sundays and now Bowlerama in
Thorncliffe Park. A letter will be sent
informing them of the violation of the
Lord’s Day Act.” But already, the community
was going to the devil. The minutes for
Leaside Council from March 1, 1963 reported:
“Tennis was added to the list of games
permitted on Sundays.” On Sundays though,
competitive matches between members of the
House Tennis League remained prohibited
until 1969.
It was a safe, healthy,
comfortable, and very conservative
environment for a little boy growing up.
The family regularly attended Sunday
services at the Leaside United Church.
Margaret was then a full-time homemaker.
She devoted her energies to making a good
life for her husband, raising her three
sons, and cultivating her garden. Only
later, when her younger son was approaching
the end of elementary school, did she return
to part-time office work and serve as a
volunteer at the Queensway Hospital Women’s
Auxiliary.
I once asked Margaret
what Stephen was like as a child. She
replied: “He was the way he is now – quiet
and thoughtful.” When he reached school
age, Stephen attended Northlea Public
School, housed in a long low two-storey
red-brick building just two blocks away from
his home. The school, with an entrance at
one end marked “Boys” and one at the other
end marked “Girls,” had an enormous grassy
yard which also served as the public park
for the northern section of Leaside. The
boys especially met there to play games
after school and on weekends. The school
also housed the public library’s collection
for children. Stephen was, from the start,
an apt pupil and as his teachers confirmed,
he was attentive and well behaved. His
favourite subject was math, he recalled on a
return visit to the school in November
2004. And he was deeply involved for years
in the Scouting movement. As a Wolf Cub, he
advanced to the position of Sixer – leader
of a group of five to eight Wolf Cubs – and
then to Senior Sixer – one who leads the
Sixers. He then went on to become a Scout.
Meanwhile, Joseph’s
career progressed. When he first moved to
Toronto, he had worked for the chartered
accounting firm of
George A. Touche and Co. After four
years, he joined the accounting department
of Imperial Oil and soon displayed a notable
talent for the precise, logical analysis
that was required by the new instrument
known as the computer. He became a pioneer
in applying the computer to the needs of
very large business firms. He was a leader
of the team assembled in 1958 that contrived
for Imperial Oil what was to be one of the
first large commercial mainframes to be put
in service in Canada or the United States.
As his professional
life prospered and his sons grew, Joseph
began to feel that the family had outgrown
its small house in Leaside. He and Margaret
found what they were looking for sixteen
kilometers to the west, in the borough of
Etobicoke. There, a development called
Princess Anne Manor offered spacious modern
houses built ten or fifteen years previously
on large lots. The new Harper home was at
57 Princess Anne Crescent, a large
ranch-style bungalow, with big picture
windows, a grey stone front, red-brick at the
side, three fireplaces, and a spacious
two-car garage. To the side of the driveway
a pole bore a netted hoop for basketball
practice. No sidewalk ran between the lawn
and the wide street. Presumably everybody
drove. Here, Stephen would live from 1971
until he left in 1978 for a new life in
Alberta.
Wow!
That's all I can really say to
try and convey the feeling I had
after listening to this album.
Producer T Bone Burnett has put
together one of the finest
pairing of voices ever.
The music is not too shabby
either, a collection of cover
tunes that really works well. LH
We need a rep for the 1980-1984,
2000-2004
and 2005-2009 periods.
Please contact us by email:
volunteers@leasidehighschool.com if you
can help us out.
This 2
bedroom features a fully equipped kitchen. Bathrooms
feature mini spa and in-floor heating. Living room
with gas fireplace, TV/DVD, sofabed. A/C.
Washer/Dryer. Queen and two twins. Access to
outdoor pool and whirlpool, fitness room and gas
grill.
I know for a fact that there are several aspiring
film directors who cut their teeth at Leaside High
School. Who could forget the grade ten "Film
Study" course? I was fortunate enough to be a
member of the first film study class offered
up in the early years of the new fangled credit
system. It was probably 1972 and I believe Mr.
Pile was the teacher. The course
was tough, we had to sit through movie after movie
and then in the end, make our own film on Super 8.
Where are those old super 8's today? Wouldn't
it be great to share some of those old films and
videos on our alumni web site? Contact me at
the email address below if you have any media that
we could display on the site.
The previous paragraph segues nicely in to what I now do for
a living. You could say I lovingly restore your
memories that have been hidden away in a box somewhere for
years.
These old films and pictures are among the most precious of
our possessions and are among the things the California Wildfire
victims took with them when they were forced to evacuate
last month. Almost every evacuee interviewed stated
that family memorabilia was what they retrieved from their
home. It's important to bring these memories
into the digital world soon.
Videotapes deteriorate over time. Heat, humidity, and
improper storage take their toll on tapes, decaying the
magnetic particles that represent your child's first steps.
By digitizing that old footage now, you can effectively stop
the deterioration in its tracks. Transferring your old film
and video to DVD can be a time-consuming and frustrating
process for you. -- that's why I created my
company,
Manic Media.
We also shoot and edit video for the web. See how
classy your website will look with your customer
testimonials in video form..
We're closing in on the 1,200 mark for registered members of
the alumni web site. If you haven't yet registered,
please help us out and become a member. We rely solely
on member donations, video sales and a small amount of
advertising revenue to fund the site. The more members we
have, the easier it is for us to sell advertising space. You
can help us grow by registering and by telling a friend
about the web site. Registration at the alumni web
site is free.
"Where Are They
Now?" is a regular feature in the Lancer Newsletter. If
you would like to be included in a future "Where Are They Now?",
simply forward a short bio (approx. 150 -250 words) along with a
picture of yourself to your class rep. A picture from your LHS
days would be fine if you don't have a current photo.
If you don't
know who your rep is
CLICK HERE to find out.
"1950 - 1954"
BILL HURD 1951
I graduated from LHS
with the class of 1951. My business career started in sales
and marketing with the Dominion Textile Co. Along the way, my
efforts became focused on the synthetic fibre segment of the
market and I spent the major portion of my career with the
Monsanto Co. specializing in the carpet industry. In the early
spring of 1982, I accepted a corporate transfer to relocate to
the U.S. On April 17, 1982 (the day Trudeau repatriated the
constitution) my wife Marie and I flew to southern California to
start our new life in the U.S.
Upon
retirement in 1999, Marie and I elected to continue living in
southern California. You can’t beat the climate for working on
your golf game.
This year marks our
25th anniversary living in California. Upon reflection, this
amounts to 1/3 of my life so far.
I would appreciate
receiving any or all updates on my former classmates
After high school I went to work with my Father in a Floor
Coverings store in Long Branch. This was the beginning of a
career in that industry which now spans 53 years.
Through Bob Graham, a high school buddy, I went on a blind date
with a girl from Etobicoke and we just celebrated 51 years of
married life along with our 3 children and 5 grandchildren.
My career took us from living in Etobicoke to London, Ontario,
back to Mississauga and then to Montreal. In 1977 I was
transferred by my company, Bigelow Canada, to the parent office
of Bigelow Sanford in Greenville, SC. Various executive
positions lead us to Charlotte, NC, Phoenix, AZ and finally
California which was the home of my parents in retirement, along
with my brother and sister. We now reside in Escondido,
California just north of San Diego and life has been gracious to
us although some physical ailments abound.
I still continue to work in the flooring industry but do get
back to Canada and visit relatives including Bill & John Horton,
my cousins who I grew up with along with a few other former high
school chums.
I would really like to hear from any and all friends from that
part of my life and encourage them to email me so we can
communicate and get caught up on what our lives have provided.
What
a year it has been for the young graduates of LHS '57! Not
just one, but two reunions. The first was held in Port
Hope, on a beautiful sunny day, in the lovely garden of Anne
(High) and Sel Shields. Many hugs, lots of good food and
drink, and much sharing of news since we had last seen one
another.
Anne had thoughtfully provided name tags, but we all agreed that
they were unnecessary since none of us had changed one bit.
There were many laughs as we recalled favourite (and other)
teachers. We were a lucky bunch in a gentler time, and the
passing years have helped us to appreciate what we had even
more.
Helen Currie won the prize for the grad that had travelled the
greatest distance to attend - all the way from Victoria.
Not to be outdone, Bob Dawson also came from Victoria to attend
our pub night in October. We missed those of you unable to
attend, and thought fondly of those who have passed away during
the past years. Added to that list now is the name of
Rosalie Kerbekian.
Greg Kasparian, our school captain, gave a gracious and humorous
speech recalling some of his memories of school years.
Jackie Hough led us in a spirited, if not a tuneful, rendition
of the school song. Some of us remembered some of the
words. Helen Currie had a copy of Peggy Atwood's operetta
from grade 11, which she thought we could perform. Wisely,
I think, we opted to sing only one song.
At the pub night, Stan Litch proudly wore an LHS 40th
anniversary shirt. It still fits him perfectly. There were
many more laughs shared and wild stories exchanged as some
joined us that had been unable to attend the first party:
Steve Cornforth, Jim Henning, Gord Epp, Bob Dawson, John Cowan,
Stan Litch. Tom Irwin spoke of Neal Fisher, who is about to
undergo serious surgery. All of us are hoping for the
best.
We came away from these parties with a strong commitment to keep
in better and more frequent touch. The email memories and
stories that have been flowing back and forth ever since provide
good evidence that this is going to happen.
Suzanne originally grew up in North Toronto, however, her family
moved to Leaside and she was enrolled in LHS. Graduating in
1960 from Grade XIII, Suzanne continued her education at
McMaster University in Hamilton, graduating in 1963 with a
Bachelor of Arts in Humanities and English. This was followed
by a year at the Ontario College of Education, to obtain a High
School Teaching Certificate.
Her first posting, which suited Suzanne’s love of the outdoors,
was Kapuskasing, Ontario, where she taught English. This was
followed by a stint in Parry Sound. Her first love, however,
was a man named Rene, whom she had met in Kapuskasing, Suzanne
returned to the “Kap” and married Rene in 1967.
A year later, saw the birth of her first child, Emily. Two
years later in 1970, another daughter, Raymonde, was born.
Some time later, Rene accepted a position with the Government as
a teacher and the entire family moved to a town just outside of
Heidelberg, Germany. After spending about two years on this
posting the family returned to the Toronto area.
Suzanne and Rene are the proud grandparents of Maika, living in
France and Chloe, living in Toronto.
Among Suzanne’s hobbies are bicycling, reading, and her
favourite, kayaking. Suzanne
still finds time to get out to the HarbourFront
Kayaking School.
After leaving LHS
I went to Ryerson Polytech and graduated with honours in
Social Services and worked for the non-profit sector until
the birth of my son in 1976.
I returned to
school at Simon Fraser University to obtain my elementary
teaching certificate and taught grades 3 and kindergarten in
northern B.C. until moving to open two Day Care centres in
Kelowna.
I had always had
an interest in fiction writing and attended the UBC creative
writing school before returning to Simon Fraser to complete
my degree in education. Following my formal education, I
have worked for the province of B.C. as a Victim Service
worker and Information Specialist for the Ministry of Social
Services.
PAUL PARKIN, 1968
Following my days at LHS, I attended Seneca College
completing their three year Business Diploma program. While
at college I worked
in the hotel sector as a banquet or wine/liquor staff
member. I spent 3 summers at Chateau Lake Louise working in
the Dining Lounge as a waiter serving food and liquor.
After college, my wife (Sylvie) & I travelled and worked our
way around Western Europe. We worked at a ski lift in
Switzerland for a couple of months.
In Toronto, I began
my career in the Telecommunications Industry working for
Bell Canada, and then moved to Calgary to a firm that is now
called Telus (formerly Alberta Government Telephone). I
currently reside in Ottawa & have returned to Bell Canada
(since 1992). My jobs have all involved either
Sales/Account Management or Product/Market Management.
I’m happily
married & my two grown daughters have moved to the Golden
Horseshoe area of Ontario. They both graduated from
university & have careers in the Education field. I think
they enjoy the summers off.
Although in Ottawa,
I am still a big Maple Leaf hockey fan. My Ottawa Senator
friends tolerate me as I await an eventual Stanley Cup for
Toronto. I like to travel and have been at various times to
Europe, Greece, Chile, USA and Caribbean. I have also
travelled to many places out West searching for that perfect
“Champagne Powder Snow” ski experience. I enjoy working
around the house & when not doing some household repairs, I
do enjoy a fine glass of Red and watching my big screen TV.
I skate on the
Rideau Canal, downhill ski on a regular basis near Ottawa
and at Tremblant and frequently make a yearly winter trip
out West with a few buddies to get that “altitude high.” I
golf for personal and business purposes and belong to a
weekly men’s golf league.
My favourite "LHS"
events as I recall were the yearly School elections, the
autumn football games & the end of the year Grad night
dance.
A wonderful time was had by all
Saturday October 20th at Originals on Bayview when
the Graduating Class of 1972 got together for the first time in
25 years – and 35 years since graduating from Leaside High
School. About 40 members of the graduating class, including Mr.
Stickney, had a great time reminiscing about the good old
days!! Several members of the group were sorry not to be able
to attend, and the group that were there had such a fantastic
time, a follow up get together, I am sure, will be sooner than
later!!
Note to the Class of ’72:
If you have not sent me your short bio for the Class of ’72
Directory please do so at your earliest convenience!!
I
married Doug Thompson in 1978 and we bought a farm in Wilno,
Ontario where we have lived ever since. We have 2 sons Adam
(28) who works as a cinematographer in Montreal and Zacchary
(23) who is attending Humber College. Our whole family loves to
travel. As a family we spent 8 months back packing through the
South Pacific when the boys were 6 and 2 and then 2 months
through Mexico, Belize and Guatemala when the boys were 12 and
16. Now everyone continues on their own. (Adam is currently
shooting a video of factories in Shanghai China).
Doug has spent his time building homes for others and 20 years
ago built a beautiful home with a passive solar design for us.
At first he ran a Guest House in our original 5 bedroom farm
house, but it was robbed so many times, that now there are only
beds left (no comforters or towels etc.) so we are debating
selling it. It was too hard to run the business when we don't
live right there (our new home is 2 minutes down the road).
It's a little discouraging that it has come to selling the
house.
I worked as a teacher for 15 years, doing 5 years in the local
high school and then 10 in the elementary system. I have been
retired on long term disability for 12 years now because I
developed Multiple Sclerosis. My walking is slightly impaired
and my memory is shaky, but otherwise I just keep cheery so I am
fine. I walk with an orthotic splint on so find the winters a
little too cold for me.
For the past 2 years Doug and I have traveled to Mexico to
explore the Mayan ruins (I can't climb the temples like I used
to, but I still love the majesty of the ruins). We explored the
state of Chiapas and found this great compound in a shrimp
fishing village on the Pacific coast. It is in the Lonely
Planet travel book. Puerto Arista is the name of this paradise.
This year I hope to go down and learn to speak Spanish.
Doug still loves to hunt, fish, cross-country ski and play the
guitar. I have left all the winter sports I used to love
in my
past. Canadian winters are too cold for me. My sister Marion
lives in New Zealand, so visiting her is an option I have done as
well.
Well, that's a brief synopsis of what I have been doing for the
past 35 years. I also play bridge regularly with some close
friends at home. Some things just stay the same (Mom and Dad
taught me when I was 8 years old).
I love to hear from old friends and have recently acquired an
Apple laptop and am constantly learning.
A little intro to this edition’s
bio on Pete Holmes …..
A
good many people will probably recall the Holmes’s house on
Bessborough was, for our group anyway, the party house.
Pete’s parents would go away most weekends to “the lot” and the
party would be on!! A couple of years ago I was walking by 206
Bessborough and got talking to the current owners, a couple in
their mid 30’s, and I mentioned that this was in my day, "THE party
house". Their response …… "still is!!"
PETE HOLMES (’77)
In
1980, much to the dismay of many a late night wanderer, Pete
moved from the friendly confines of 206 Bessborough Dr. for the
greener pastures of rural Waterloo Ont. The Holmes' had
purchased a campground and trailer park (Valpine Country Trailer
Park) which they operated until 2000. Pete assisted with the
park and worked as a sales representative for an auto parts
company in Kitchener until 1986 when he was offered a position
with the head office in Rexdale.
Pete made the daily
commute to and from Toronto for a few years, fighting the ever
present traffic on the 401. He then was provided with an
opportunity to relocate to Halifax, Nova Scotia and become a "Bluenoser".
Pete jumped at the chance but decided he didn't want to go it
alone so he promptly married his girlfriend of several years.
Sherry and Pete "honeymooned" in Halifax for a few years and
started a family when Kyle was born in 1992. They moved back to
Waterloo later that same year as they wanted their children to
grow up knowing the rest of the family, and just a short couple
of years later they had their second boy Wesley.
Pete currently works
for insurance giant Manulife Financial. The progressive
company provides loads of vacation time which allows him to
enjoy his hobby/obsession which is fishing and the great
outdoors. No place is too far away when looking to score
his trophy of a lifetime. Salmon in the Great Lakes,
Walleye in Kapuskasing, Lake Trout in the Yukon and Shark in the
Atlantic are just a few of the places Pete has been seen wetting
a line. He has also written articles for such literary
bastions as Ontario Out of Doors magazine and Readers Digest.
Pete and "the boys" (
John Creighton, Bill Starke, Simon Stevenson, Bob Quick, Ted
Foster and Peter Stewart) still get together at least once a
year for a long weekend of golf, poker and just catching up.
The upcoming year 2008 is a big milestone for all of them as
they will be turning the "Half Century" mark. (except Peter
Stewart who was known as the only grade nine student that had
his own parking spot at Leaside High) The group decided to
celebrate and enjoy a week of golf in Myrtle Beach next
September. All are somewhat nervous over this trip as no
one is sure that they can actually stand spending a whole week
with each other... only time will tell!!
Pete plans to retire
in a few years and after he kicks the kids out, intends to
become a professional fishing guide and write several novels....
or he will simply sit in his boat and watch the world go by.
After
traveling around the world by bicycle, thumb, bus, train, boat
and foot, Frank Armstrong has settled in Kingston, Ont.
A business reporter with the Kingston Whig-Standard, a newspaper
for which he has wanted to work since high school, Frank is
married to super hottie artist Julie Davidson-Smith.
After Leaside, Frank attended Ryerson University for journalism,
worked a season as a landscaper, then a winter as a fish market
manager before embarking on a global cycling trip in 1992.
It took seven years for Frank to return to Ontario. He
lived in Leicestershire, England for four years, working first
as a psychiatric nursing assistant, then as a newspaper
reporter, before moving to Halifax, NS. There, he served
as a military and courts reporter, where he traveled on
battleships, rappelled out of helicopters and covered some of
the most sensational court cases in the country.
At the Herald, he won a national journalism award for his
contribution to a series on homicide in Nova Scotia. He
has also been nominated for several provincial journalism
awards.
As a reporter at the Whig in Kingston, Frank has interviewed
some of Canada’s best-known public figures, including Prime
Minister Stephen Harper, Paul Martin and Dalton McGuinty.
However, he prefers interviewing regular folks, who really
rarely are ordinary.
If Frank didn’t have to work for a living, he would spend his
time traveling to hot climates, surfing, running half-marathons,
rock climbing, mountain biking, scuba diving, learning new
languages, writing fiction and dancing like an idiot.
Karen J. Ball attended Leaside from 1993-1998 where she was the
head photographer for 2 years. After completing high school, she
went on to Ryerson University where she obtained her B.A.A in
Administration & Information Management & B.Comm in Information
Technology Management. She majored in Telecommunications and
minored in eBusiness. If that was not enough she then went on to
pursue her MBA in eBusiness at the University of Phoenix,
graduating Summa Cum Laude.
With
her MBA in her hand, Karen obtained a position at an Internet &
Marketing Company as a Client Services & Customer Care Manager
which she has held since April 2007. She manages approximately
200 accounts which continue to constantly grow. Being very
ambitious, Karen also holds a few positions within the
community. She has a part-time position as a Customer Service
Representative at Loblaws Companies Ltd since 1995 and an
Administrative Analyst position at Martin & Meredith Ltd., since
2005. Karen still has her eyes set on pursuing her Ph.D. in the
future. Her energy and determination have taken her down many
paths but there are still many more she wishes to travel.
Please feel free to email Karen at: zorch15563@hotmail.com
"2000 - 2004"
NDIJA ANDERSON 2002
After
graduating from Leaside in 2002, Ndija Anderson pursued
a B.A. in Political Science and French as a Presidential
Scholar at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. While
at Spelman, she served as Co-President of Golden Key
International Honour Society, Secretary of the Spelman
College Cercle de Français, and Publications
Editor of the Honors Program Student Association. Named
one of “Who’s who among Students in American
Universities and Colleges,” Ndija has been inducted into
many honour societies, including Phi Beta Kappa Society.
During her third
year, Ndija studied abroad in France, spending a semester at
Syracuse University in Strasbourg and the following semester at
the Institute for the International Education of Students (IES)
in Paris. While in Strasbourg, she interned at the Council of
Europe, contributing to the "Education of Roma/Gypsy
Children in Europe" project, an initiative to foster
cultural awareness and diversity in Europe.
During her summer
holidays, Ndija held the position of Diversity Marketing
Associate at the Toronto affiliate of INROADS, sponsored by
PricewaterhouseCoopers, for two years.
In May 2006 Ndija
graduated from Spelman College summa cum laude. That
same year, she was also awarded the Harry Jerome Award for
Academic Excellence and the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, which
allowed her to travel independently for a year to investigate
the aesthetic and practice of hair braiding and locking in seven
countries (Australia, Japan, India, Egypt, Sénégal, Brazil, and
Jamaica). Ndija is currently pursuing a joint B.C.L./LL.B. law
degree at McGill University in Montréal, Quebec.
A NEW SCHOOL YEAR AND
CHANGING TIMES
By Nick Mitchell
October 2007
I hope that you all had a happy
summer which, for me, ended today. I pulled out my duvet and alarm
clock and shelved my shorts, sandals and sun block.
It has been an interesting week
especially in the riding of Don Valley West where two fine dignified
Politicians fought a tough battle. One can only speculate as to
whether the issue of school funding might have been a key factor.
I recall the summer of 1973 and
I was desperately seeking my first teaching position. Bill Davis had
cut back education spending and there was a scarcity of jobs in
Toronto. I traveled all over South Ontario to a variety of schools
including St Thomas More Secondary School in Hamilton where I
attempted to pass myself off as a Roman Catholic. I failed the
interview because I was unable to provide a letter from my Pastor. I
felt a victim of discrimination! I would have had a much better
chance if there was just one public education board in Ontario. This
has become a popular topic of late, but I don’t see any big change
in the near future. In any case, I am glad that my ruse was unmasked
because two weeks before school began Mitch Kerr offered me a job at
Leaside and I have been a happy chappy ever since.
I am back again as a supply
teacher and enjoying each day I spend at the School. I keep on
meeting delightful teenagers whose parents I remember with affection
and respect. There have been recent changes at Leaside which I
thought would interest you.
For the last two years we have
had excellent service from two employees, Michael and R.J., who take
care of security at the School. They share a good rapport with
students whom they understand well. Their presence is, of course, a
reflection of uncertain times within youth culture and the
possibility of disruption. They carry devices that can call up every
student’s picture and timetable. Every classroom now has a
telephone. I feel safe at Leaside!
There is also a more structured
school day. For the first time in my memory we have buzzers that
mark the start and end of each class. I have no problem with that;
it saves a lot of arguments. Also, the vast majority of the School
share a common lunch period which has resulted in much quieter halls
during class time.
Many of you have nostalgic
memories of “The But Hut” which has been a social scene for as long
as anyone can remember. Well, that is now a memory. Far fewer teens
use tobacco these days, but the law concerning “School property” no
longer includes exemptions. This is why we see, sadly, so many
students meeting at the bus stop on Eglinton.
On the whole, I am impressed
with Leaside this year. I really respect the “no hats rule”. The ban
on visible and audible cell phones is much harder to enforce,
however. There is also a dress code largely pertaining to female
modesty, but the fact that it does not seem to be strictly enforced
causes me no stress at all.
Sports are in full swing and
thanks to a selfless and dedicated staff there seem to be more
students participating than ever. The School newspaper, “The
Chronicle”, is a very professional production. I also admire the
continued good work of “Oolagen”, a support service for students who
need personal help and encouragement. There is now a “gay/straight
alliance” group who meet regularly and promote mutual respect and
understanding. Leaside certainly does move with the times.
Some things stay the same,
however. David “Le Baton” Stickney is back teaching full time for
one semester. I don’t know where he gets the energy; he is even
older than me! He still commands respect for his dedication to Maths
and to students. He no longer leads his home room class in The
Lord’s Prayer. He stopped this practice in 1980 perhaps to avoid
Leaside being designated as a faith-based school!
Speaking of retired teachers, I
am the secretary of “The Retired Rhetoricians Society” so if there
is a former teacher whom you would like to contact, just let me know
and I will put you in touch.
Finally, I would like to
mention some former students who have excelled in the performing
arts. Laura Bertram, Jordy Pettle and Rachael Crawford are just
three names that spring to mind. I am particularly proud of Andrew
Massingham [‘84], who after several seasons at Stratford is touring
North America in his one man show. This morning I read in The Star
that Ben Carlson [‘88] has been cast as Hamlet at Stratford for next
season. This surely must be the pinnacle of achievement for a young
actor. Do please let me know of any other ex-Leasiders who have also
achieved public notice.
Well, that is all I want to say
for now. I wish you and your loved ones a happy autumn. I will write
again before the new year when I will unshelve my shorts, sandals
and sun block and fly away to Australia.
This is a new section of the Lancer
dedicated to the 5 W's so aptly taught to me by Miss Eaton.
We are going into sleuth mode and expect to uncover the truth
behind some Leaside myths. We will start with one of the
biggest myths out there, that RUSH played LHS. I'm sure
that anyone who knows who Rush is, has been at a party
where someone from Leaside (usually after a few pints) has
exclaimed, "you know that Rush played my high school".
OK, we want to find out the truth behind this myth and will
report back to our readers in the next edition of the Lancer.
Take part in our mini poll below. Results will be printed
in the next Lancer. Click on the box of your choice below
and a small check mark should appear then click on submit.
Please click just once
Global Warming, Food for Thought
Financial Support
A HUGE thanks to those of you who have made donations.
It's great to receive financial support from alumni who believe in what we're
tying to do with this web site. So far the response for donations has not
quite been what we
expected. The
original concept was for leasidehighschool.com to be a membership site with
annual dues of $15.00. That idea was scrapped in favour of asking for
donations. Perhaps because members see some advertising on the web site, the perception is
that we are funded and that there is no need to donate.
Advertising revenue does help offset some of the costs, but it by no means
covers everything.
We want to continue growing the web site, adding
new features etc. and to be in a position to fund a scholarship. This
can't happen without the financial support of our members. We have some
incentives for members who make a donation, please see below.
GREEN LEVEL DONATION
Alumni who make a donation of $10.00 to
$49.99 will receive a coupon for a 20% discount on a meal at The Fox and Fiddle Leaside location.
GOLD LEVEL DONATION
Alumni who make a donation of $50.00 or
more will receive a coupon for a 20% discount on a meal at The Fox and Fiddle Leaside location plus their choice of either
"Leaside High School the First Fifty Years" or
"Reunion 2005" DVD or VHS.
Upon
retirement in 1999, Marie and I elected to continue living in
southern California. You can’t beat the climate for working on
your golf game.
What
a year it has been for the young graduates of LHS '57! Not
just one, but two reunions. The first was held in Port
Hope, on a beautiful sunny day, in the lovely garden of Anne
(High) and Sel Shields. Many hugs, lots of good food and
drink, and much sharing of news since we had last seen one
another.
I
married Doug Thompson in 1978 and we bought a farm in Wilno,
Ontario where we have lived ever since. We have 2 sons Adam
(28) who works as a cinematographer in Montreal and Zacchary
(23) who is attending Humber College. Our whole family loves to
travel. As a family we spent 8 months back packing through the
South Pacific when the boys were 6 and 2 and then 2 months
through Mexico, Belize and Guatemala when the boys were 12 and
16. Now everyone continues on their own. (Adam is currently
shooting a video of factories in Shanghai China).
In
1980, much to the dismay of many a late night wanderer, Pete
moved from the friendly confines of 206 Bessborough Dr. for the
greener pastures of rural Waterloo Ont. The Holmes' had
purchased a campground and trailer park (Valpine Country Trailer
Park) which they operated until 2000. Pete assisted with the
park and worked as a sales representative for an auto parts
company in Kitchener until 1986 when he was offered a position
with the head office in Rexdale. 
After
traveling around the world by bicycle, thumb, bus, train, boat
and foot, Frank Armstrong has settled in Kingston, Ont.
With
her MBA in her hand, Karen obtained a position at an Internet &
Marketing Company as a Client Services & Customer Care Manager
which she has held since April 2007. She manages approximately
200 accounts which continue to constantly grow. Being very
ambitious, Karen also holds a few positions within the
community. She has a part-time position as a Customer Service
Representative at Loblaws Companies Ltd since 1995 and an
Administrative Analyst position at Martin & Meredith Ltd., since
2005. Karen still has her eyes set on pursuing her Ph.D. in the
future. Her energy and determination have taken her down many
paths but there are still many more she wishes to travel.
Please feel free to email Karen at:
A NEW SCHOOL YEAR AND
CHANGING TIMES
