Hear from Crescent alumni who reached the podium, who aspire to get there (like Morgan Di Nardo ’23), and who helped athletes on their Olympic journeys.
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Robert Ogilvie ’81 is committed to levelling the playing field
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Andrew Saunders ’87 embraces disruption while maintaining the core principles of journalism
Greetings Crescent Alumni,
As we approach the Paris 2024 Olympics, I recall an unforgettable moment from my time at Crescent School. It was during the winter of ’02 when our school community gathered in the gymnasium, filled with anticipation and excitement, to watch Team Canada at the Winter Olympics.
As we cheered them on, I couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride knowing that Crescent had played a part in Olympics history. Over the years, our school has produced a remarkable array of talent across many fields that have coincided with the Olympics and high-performing athleticism. From the thrill of victory to the agony of defeat, their journeys have inspired us all and left an indelible mark on the legacy of Crescent School.
In this edition of our alumni magazine, we celebrate Crescent’s enduring connection to the Olympics of the past, present, and future. We’ll delve into the stories of alumni who, in one way or another, have made their mark on the Olympic stage. Their stories serve as a testament to the spirit of perseverance and excellence that defines our school community.
We also celebrate this year’s Alumni Recognition Award winners Michael Deluce ’96, P’26, ’30; Dr. Jethro Kwong ’12; and Jason Steel ’93, P’32, ’32, as well as our new inductee to the Wall of Honour, Peter Hall ’80. Read about their compelling accomplishments on pages 8 and 9. Warm regards,
Andrew Norris ’03 Chair, Crescent Alumni Executive
Cover Photography by Nick Iwanyshyn
Editor: Kristin Foster Editorial
Committee: Kathryn Foster, Kristin Foster, Wendy Jacobs, Lynda Torneck
Editorial Board: Spencer Belyea ’13, David Bruser ’95, Bert Fielding ’13, Philip Lloyd ’09, Myles Slocombe ’92
This year’s Outreach, Adventure, Language Immersion, and Ex-change trips saw over 100 Upper School students travel to far-reaching locations for eyeopening experiences and lifelong memories.
In Spain and Morocco, students enjoyed the rich culture, architecture, and shared history of these neighbouring regions. In Iceland, another group skirted around flowing lava while touring Europe’s largest glacier. Students travelled to Canada’s west coast to learn about wilderness survival and fulfill their Duke of Edinburgh Adventurous Journey requirements. Grade 11 and 12 French students visited Paris and Nice for cultural immersion that included language, art, and
cooking classes. Finally, the trip to Tanzania had Crescent boys climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, visiting a Maasai community, and forming a partnership with Gyekrum Arusha Secondary School in Karatu.
International exchange rounded out the experiential trips. Pairs of students travelled to Scotch College in Melbourne, Australia; Westlake Boys High School in Auckland, New Zealand; and Aylesbury Grammar School in Buckinghamshire, England.
01 Boys on the Iceland trip at the Blue Lagoon on the Reykjanes Peninsula
02 Gyekrum Arusha Secondary School welcomed Crescent boys who stayed in Karatu, Tanzania
03 Students on the B.C. trip participating in a wilderness workshop
04 Students and teachers from Crescent and Havergal standing in front of the Golden Gates of Palais Royale in Fes, Morocco
05 Participants of the language immersion trip stand in front of the iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris
A timeless tradition: A spirited group of boys
Crescent’s alumni community ties run deep, and not just with each other—they also stay connected to the school by generously sharing their professional expertise with Crescent boys.
Alumni who recently visited the Investment Team include Nick Warwick ’06, Associate Portfolio Manager at Ninepoint Partners; Kelvin Ng ’08, Executive Director of Global Markets at CIBC; Michael Yelavich ’11, Director of Investment Banking at CIBC; and Stefan Losberg ’13, Senior Associate at Dawson Partners. They each drew from their backgrounds to speak about subjects like the role of economics in global markets, discounted cash flow valuation techniques, their career paths, and more.
Andrew Norris ’03, co-founder and CEO of software startup DevCycle, spoke to the Entrepreneurship Club about his journey as an entrepreneur, and Derek McFarland ’08, VP at Goldman Sachs, visited in May to speak to an AP Economics class about careers in investment banking and finance, the university recruiting process, and his journey from engineering to finance.
Dr. Gabriel Leung ’90 spoke with Upper School HOSA students in February about how he became a physician and an epidemiologist, and the interesting places his career has led him.
Leung was the longest serving Dean of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong and was appointed the inaugural Helen and Francis Zimmern Professorship in Population Health. Dr. Leung’s research defined the epidemiology of three viral epidemics, most recently COVID-19.
Leung challenged students not to choose their focus too early in medical school. “The good thing about Canada and the U.S. is you get to spend four years thinking about what you really want to do,” he said. “So, I wouldn’t close any doors until you’re 30.”
What are the signs that you’re in the right place? “When you actually come out of an exam thinking, ‘Oh, what an elegant exam,’” he said. “Nobody is going to admit to saying that they actually enjoyed the beauty of the exam. But when you see the cleverness behind the questions, that’s when you know that you’ve actually arrived.
Among those with particularly deep ties to Crescent are the alumni who return to campus as parents, choosing to enrol their sons in the school they knew and loved in their youth. Today, 46 alumni fathers have a total of 61 sons at their alma mater. These families were honoured at a Legacy Breakfast on April 11.
Headmaster Fellin, whose son, Fionn, graduated in June, addressed the group. “We know that having alumni sons at Crescent is an incredible testament to our school and its legacy, which we are proud of.” Chief Advancement Officer Jamie
Crescent has many touchpoints for alumni (in-person events, a newsletter, and a sleek magazine are just a few examples) but Jason Steel ’93, P’32, ’32 has found an opportunity to further enrich this list with the creation of Coyote Conversations, a podcast featuring alumni and produced by Crescent media arts students.
“We know that having alumni sons at Crescent is an incredible testament to our school and its legacy, which we are proud of.”
Lougheed, himself an alumnus and past parent, spoke about how he and his son share the bond of the Crescent brotherhood. Legacy applications to Crescent continue to rise year after year, and the school administration is looking forward to admitting even more sons of alumni next year.
“I was on the alumni executive years ago, and the common theme that would come up was alumni engagement,” he says. Knowing that the alumni community stretches around the globe, Steel landed on a medium that could be enjoyed easily, from anywhere. “We’ve got this amazing group of alumni with great stories to share,” he says. “We involve students in the production and editing so they’re developing real-world skills.” Steel knew he could use this platform to encourage alumni to join the mentorship community as well, deepening the pool of mentors.
For the inaugural season, Hessam Ghadaki ’99 is the host, and guests include Will Christodoulou ’13, Andrew Lindsay ’97, Evan Solomon ’87, Aldonna Stremecki (former faculty), Rob Watt ’85, P’14, Fraser Chapman ’93, and Daniel Goldenberg ’98.
Do you know an alumnus who would make for a good podcast host or guest? Please send submissions to alumni @crescentschool.org.
To listen to the podcast, use this QR code:
Congratulations to this year’s Alumni Recognition Award recipients. These awards shine the spotlight on Men of Character for their exceptional achievements and service to the community.
Dr. Jethro Kwong ’12 is the first urology resident in Canada to complete specialized training in AI applications in medicine through the Surgeon Scientist Training Program at the University of Toronto. Some of his notable AI contributions to medicine include SEPERA, which helps surgeons plan their surgical strategy for prostate cancer patients, and PROGRxN-BCa, which helps treatment planning for bladder cancer patients. His research has been funded by prestigious organizations including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canadian Urological Oncology Group, Bladder Cancer Canada, and the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. He has been recognized with awards from the Canadian Urological Association, the Canadian Society for Clinical Investigation, and the University of Toronto. He has also mentored numerous medical students, undergraduate students, and Crescent alumni in pursuing their path to medicine and beyond.
Michael Deluce ’96, P’26, P’30 is CEO at Porter Airlines Inc. He led Porter through the worst shock to the global airline industry since World War II, taking decisive action when the COVID-19 pandemic hit by shutting down the airline completely and preserving capital. At a time when airlines worldwide had lost billions and were parking aircraft, Porter was able to sign deals to purchase billions of dollars worth of new aircraft at low prices. Deluce has guided Porter through an incredible period of growth at a phenomenal pace, taking on giants such as Air Canada and WestJet in the process. Porter has also been expanding its flight routes, elevating the experience of economy air travel for passengers across North America. Deluce and his family have been longtime supporters of Crescent School through sponsorship of past Crescent golf tournaments and the establishment of a family fund in support of needs-based student financial assistance.
Alumni Community Leadership Award
Jason Steel ’93, P’32, P’32 has been a long-time volunteer at Crescent. He joined the Crescent Alumni Executive in 2008 when it was known as the Crescent School Old Boys Association. During his time on the Alumni Executive, Steel served as a committee member for the Mentoring Program, assuming the role of Chair of the Professional Mentoring Program in 2013. He spearheaded the Careers Night event for Upper School students and acted as an advocate for recent grads to take advantage of the large network of professional alumni. Most recently, Steel conceived Coyote Conversations, the first alumni podcast co-produced by alumni and Upper School Media Arts students. He is a long time benefactor of his Class of ’93 Fund in support of needsbased student financial assistance. His twin boys, Warner and Marshall, are also part of the Class of 2032.
Crescent’s highest recognition celebrates outstanding alumni who represent all that Crescent endeavours to foster in its students. Wall of Honour inductees exemplify the qualities of outstanding leadership, courage, innovation, community service, and generosity.
Peter Hall ’80 is CEO of econosphere inc., a boutique business strategy advisory firm. Hall is a Senior Advisor to three Canadian corporations; provides general and project-specific advisory services; is a featured speaker at conferences across Canada, the United States, and Mexico; and has written regular articles in the Financial Post Until recently, he was chief economist at Export Development Canada, where he was known for his willingness to take bold stances even when such predictions were unpopular. With over 35 years of experience in economic analysis and forecasting, Hall was responsible for overseeing EDC’s economic analysis, country risk assessment and corporate research groups. He has appeared regularly on television, radio, and print media over his career, commenting on the world economy and Canadian international trade issues.
Crescent launches Our Way Forward, the most ambitious fundraising campaign in the School’s history.
Headmaster Michael Fellin P’24 unveiled Our Way Forward at a Town Hall meeting on May 9. The $65 million campaign will support capital projects and grow the endowment that supports student financial assistance. A portion of the campaign proceeds were used to enable the 2021 purchase of the Bob Rumball property, which is the site for future development.
01 Artist’s rendering of the Community Hall interior
02
Artist’s rendering of the Upper Loggia, which will connect the entrance to the Community Hall and Upper School classrooms
03
Artist’s rendering of the northwest exterior of the Community Hall and new entrance
04
Artist’s rendering of the Student Commons
The Our Way Forward campaign has four priorities:
More than a dining hall, the Community Hall will be generously scaled with soaring ceilings, abundant natural light, and plenty of space for shared meals and social interaction. A separate servery ensures a more flexible and adaptable space throughout the day for events of all kinds.
Entrance
Lower and Upper School students will now have a school entrance to call their own with easy access
to classrooms and greater security. For the first time, a feature staircase will connect the upper and lower loggias to support movement throughout the school.
A multi-functional learning and gathering space will support connections between older and younger students and faculty and staff. The Student Commons will be adjacent to the new entrance.
Financial Assistance
With the rising cost of school tuition, a robust
financial assistance program will ensure we can sustain the legacy of a Crescent education for future generations of students. Our vision is that one day, Crescent School will be needs-blind and accessible to any boy of promise.
At the Town Hall, Chief Advancement Officer
Jamie Lougheed ’87 P’18 announced that Crescent had already secured over $59 million toward the campaign goal. Construction of the project begins this summer.
To learn more, visit ourwayforward.ca
CRESCENT THEN Crescent brothers get ready for a game of Frisbee in this photo from the 1980s.
Since 2020, groups of Grade 10 students have participated in the Student Participatory Action Research Collaborative (SPARC), a research consortium that mobilizes student insights and voices to improve school culture, policy, and practice. However, for the past two years, the work started by the Grade 10 students hasn’t ended with the school year.
Grade 11 student Arya Farhangdoost and his research group focused on brotherhood last year. Today, he and his team are researching ways to reconnect the boys across Home Forms and grades. Grade 12 student Hong Duc Cheng researched loneliness and belonging with his group in 2021/2022. This year, they’ve created Grad Wisdom, a drop-in program where younger students can spend time with older students during their lunch period to share a snack and engage in conversation.
“It’s good to have student pilot projects to see if we can actually tease something out and create the change that the students are seeking,” says Trish Cislak P’17, Head of Libraries and Director of Research for the Crescent Centre for Boys’ Education. Cislak’s longterm goal is to build a School Improvement Plan from the projects that come out of SPARC that will evolve year after year to best fit the needs of the student body.
The Middle School mounted their production of Food for the Eagle for three thrilling nights in February. It tells the story of Ari, the youngest son of the Viking chief Swen Forkbeard, who was abandoned, in the mountains at birth and is determined to prove himself in his father’s eyes. The Viking epic was adapted for the stage 16 years ago by drama teacher Tim Evans and first performed by Crescent in 2009, Evans’s first year as a teacher. The opportunity to revise aspects of the play this year meant a bigger, bolder production.
“I was thinking of ways to have them explore the subject matter through drama and make it feel meaningful,” says Evans. Students didn’t simply memorize lines; during the public speaking unit in drama class, they wrote and presented Viking tales. A selection of these stories was integrated into the script and performed onstage. Students also designed stage props, assisted as ushers, moved set pieces, and ran the lights.
John Lynch P’16, ’18, Crescent’s former Executive Director of External Relations who retired in February 2023, recently received the Sam Heaman Award. This award recognizes exemplary leadership and commitment to the Advancement profession and was awarded at the Independent School Advancement Professionals Canada (ISAP) annual general meeting on February 6. Many of John’s former Crescent colleagues were on hand to celebrate this career milestone.
Nearly four decades later, Ian Gardner ’25, Robbie Muranaka ’25 and Benjamin Sheng ’25 play together in the Formal Garden behind the Manor.
On a chilly morning in late April, students from the Class of 2024 boarded a bus to YMCA Wanakita in Haliburton, Ontario for a few days of activities, bonding, and relaxation in advance of graduation in June. The energetic high ropes activity course, archery, basketball, and survival games were balanced out by a euchre tournament, a Leafs game, and the Thursday night campfire.
The campfire was especially poignant for Ari Hunter, who was addressing students he had taught during his final year as a Middle School English teacher before he became Assistant Head of Upper School. Quoting T. S. Eliot, he told the boys, “In this end is your beginning. In some respects, we're crossing a threshold together.”
Andrew MacNicol ’11, an alumnus who recently returned to Crescent as an Upper School math teacher, shared words of wisdom with the soon-to-be grads. His talk touched on the idea that, as they move through their postsecondary lives, they might find that their goals change and their paths
Andrew MacNicol ’11 started at Crescent in Grade 3 and pursued engineering after graduating, but his path led him back to his alma mater to teach math. Past & Present recently caught up with him for a Q&A.
become less linear. MacNicol knows this first-hand as a former engineer who found that he wasn’t happy in his profession. He pursued his interest in education instead.
“Andrew followed his passion and was able to find something more fulfilling and purposeful,” says Hunter. The boys carried on the grad trip tradition of writing letters to their future selves, which will help them understand their paths when they read their messages at a predetermined future date.
What was your favourite subject and who were your favourite teachers? My favourite subject was definitely physics, and my favourite teacher was Mr. Lee, my physics teacher. A lot of my former teachers are still here, like Ms. Newman, Mr. Wotherspoon, and Mr. Barton.
You went to school for engineering, but you’re teaching at Crescent today. Did you know you wanted to end up teaching? No. I went to my first engineering job and didn’t enjoy it, so I spent some time reconsidering. I ended up volunteering at a school and being a professional guide, taking kids on outdoor education trips. I loved it. That's pretty much what got me on the path to becoming a teacher.
What do you love about teaching math in particular?
There's a surprising overlap of people who come from science, math, and engineering backgrounds that work in the outdoors. You have this bag of tools and a problem in front of you, and you have to plan how to tackle that using what’s available. For me, it's about problem solving, and math is the tool for me to do that.
What is the most important lesson that you hope to impart to your students?
I try to hold my boys accountable and get them used to understanding their boundaries. I spend a lot of time trying to establish where the line is and why it’s there. I think it helps us achieve balance. I encourage them to ask, “What do we need to accomplish here, and what are the things that we need to succeed together?”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Crescent bids a fond farewell to five long-standing staff members who retired this spring. Together, they represent over 100 years of dedicated service to the School.
Eugenia Castillo Science Lab Technician
Joined Crescent in 1992
For 31 years, Eugenia served as the Science Lab Technician and “the heartbeat of the Science Department.” With her warm smile and unwavering enthusiasm, she made the daunting task of preparing labs for science teachers and hundreds of students seem effortless. Her impact extends far beyond her technical proficiency, and she will be fondly remembered for her positivity and kindness.
Kee Ip Math Teacher
Joined Crescent in 2002
A master teacher, Kee inspired a generation of mathematicians leading Crescent’s math club, which competes annually in the Canadian Team Mathematics Contest run by the University of Waterloo (Crescent placed first in 2021), and by organizing numerous math competitions. Kee was also a contributing author of a McGraw Hill Ryerson textbook, Calculus and Vectors
Past staff and faculty were invited back to campus for a celebration of Crescent spirit and to reconnect with former colleagues at a BBQ in the Formal Garden. Following the BBQ, they joined the broader Crescent community to cheer on our OFSAA-winning varsity rugby team at FNL Rugby.
Trish Cislak P’17 Head of Libraries & Research Joined Crescent in 2010
Trish engaged boys in a purposeful reading culture to instill a love of reading. She also empowered student researchers to positively impact school culture through her work with SPARC (School Participatory Action Research Collaborative).
Along with her husband, Steve, Trish remains a valued member of the Crescent community as a past parent of Eric ’17.
Trevor Baker & Jaroslav (Jaro) Chovanec Evening Custodians Joined Crescent in 1997 & 2008
Trevor and Jaro worked tirelessly each night to ready our school and campus for the next school day. Both were well-liked, highly respected, and admired for their positive attitudes and strong work ethics.
We are deeply grateful for the remarkable contributions from all our retirees and wish them the best of luck in their retirement.
It’s often said that to determine whether the path you are travelling is the right one, you need to understand where you have come from. Three seminal events at Crescent this spring have driven home this concept for me.
The first was the CAIS accreditation peer review team visit in April. This visit capped a yearlong self-assessment involving all of Crescent’s constituents. We examined every aspect of the School’s strategy, education program, and operations against 12 CAIS National Standards; we then sought to identify the School’s greatest strengths, areas for growth, and possible next steps. The four-day peer review team visit aimed to validate the self-study and support the school in prioritizing growth opportunities. This inten -
sive and reflective process will inform our next strategic plan and determine our areas of focus for the coming four- to five-year horizon beginning January 2025. It is an ideal exemplar for knowing where you are going by understanding where you have been.
The second was a recently hosted BBQ for past faculty and staff. The turnout was tremendous with former headmasters John Tansey and Geoff Roberts, former dean of studies and 42-year Crescent veteran James Wright, former head of Lower School Ross MacDonald, and beloved teachers and coaches Stuart Cumner, Mark Suckling, Rob Cranston, Steve Davies, Dick Howard, and many, many more, in attendance. The names of these Crescent icons routinely come up when I meet with our alumni worldwide, who credit these individuals for having had a massive impact on their lives and for helping them become the men they are today. We are so fortunate for the imprint they and others like them have had on our school culture and community, and we strive to build on their legacy every day.
The third of these seminal events was the May 9 public launch of Our Way Forward , our $65 million fundraising campaign designed to promote community, identity, and legacy. This campaign builds on the successes of our earlier Great Boys, Crescent 2000 and Above and Beyond campaigns,
which added many of the buildings and programs we enjoy today. Our current campaign will fund a new Community Hall, a new Lower and Middle School Entryway, and a new Student Commons, as well as the largest commitment ever to grow the school’s endowment in support of student financial assistance, ensuring we sustain the legacy of a Crescent education for future generations of mission-fit students. This campaign also incorporates the transformative $12 million gift from Ming Wai Lau ’97, which enabled Crescent to acquire the Rumball property in 2021. While its development is for a future campaign, securing this adjacent parcel of land on our north border was an early crowning achievement.
The Our Way Forward campaign is a clear road map to where we are going, as will be our next strategic plan, which we begin working on in September. As we move forward, we are fortunate to draw upon the legions of former faculty and staff who established our mission and purpose, as well as the previous generosity of Crescent parents, past parents, and alumni who helped build the campus of today. Our Way Forward is both a vision of where we are headed and a celebration of where we have been as one of Canada’s leading boys’ schools.
Michael Fellin P’24 Headmaster
The Olympic Games are a spectacle of mind-blowing proportions, with athletes of all stripes delivering world-beating performances in front of a massive global crowd. And while more than three billion people will witness the 2024 Summer Games in Paris, very few have been privy to each athlete’s gruelling journey to the world’s greatest sport competition. Every country’s memorable triumphs are immortalized on cereal boxes and etched into local lore. Canadians remember Sidney Crosby’s golden goal in 2010 or Penny Oleksiak’s medalwinning spree of 2016 with pride. These elite athletes are backed by hours of untelevised training, physical and mental fine-tuning, injury prevention, and, yes, countless failures.
The best way to understand the level of commitment that an Olympic career requires—other than undergoing the relentless training yourself—is to learn from people who have seen greatness in action. Over the last several decades, Crescent School has graduated a number of athletes, scientists, commentators, administrators, and hopefuls who have propelled Team Canada forward in their own way. Here, we asked one Crescent teacher and six alumni who graduated from the school between 1980 and 2023 what it takes to become an Olympian. →
Written by ALEX CYR
Photography by NICK IWANYSHYN
As former teacher Paul Craig trained for the 1976 Olympics, logging enough weekly mileage on the trails and track to wear down a Honda Civic, he repeated a phrase to justify the daily drudgery. “They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again—unless we’re talking about distance running.” The idea was that consistently running 160 kilometres per week would transform the 22year-old Craig into an Olympic 1,500 metre finalist. He narrowly missed his goal, bowing out in the semifinals. Still, thanks to his monstrous training regimen, Craig went on to become one of Canada’s top distance runners of his generation.
By the time he was hired on as Crescent’s cross-country coach in 1990, however, his mantra no longer rang true; distance runners knew of other ways to get faster than simply running huge volumes. Top coaches in the world had begun placing more emphasis on running fast paces in practice instead of long distances, and sport nutrition was becoming more sophisticated by the year. “When I was young, you just ran and ran and ran,” he says. “Then, it was ‘eat what you want because you’ll burn it off.’” So, in his 24 years of coaching, which he balanced with teaching science in the Upper School and later phys-ed, his training philosophy steadily changed. He gradually shortened and intensified workouts for his crosscountry and track and field teams. Hard, 400-metre intervals on the track, he says, became the bread and butter. “It was just as good as running 15 slow miles.” Year after year, his cross-country and track teams competed in OFSAA provincials, and several of his athletes went on to run at the varsity level.
“Some things that you need to be an Olympian—like talent, for example— don’t change over time,” he says. “But the training itself now looks very different. So, to be at the top, you have to be willing to constantly learn new things.”
“They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again—unless we’re talking about distance running.”
—Former teacher Paul Craig
Learning new things is also what drove David Harlock ’89 towards success, first as an Olympic hockey defenceman and eventually as a business executive. At Crescent School in the late eighties, Harlock was known not only for his steady patrolling of the blue line but also as a soccer, tennis and rugby player who excelled in his classes. After graduating in 1989, he enrolled in the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, with the goal of playing professional hockey after completing his degree.
“My parents and teachers instilled that in me: After sport, you should always have a plan.”
After university, he signed his first professional contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs and negotiated a clause that would allow him to play for Canada at the 1994 Olympics should he not make the Leafs’
roster (back then, full-time NHL players were not allowed to participate in the Olympics.) In Lillehammer, Harlock helped Canada win a silver medal; they narrowly lost to Sweden in the championship game. What stands out to him most, however, is brushing shoulders with the world’s top performers, and listening to a talk delivered by Canadian gold medal-winning biathlete Myriam Bédard about her journey in sport.
“I realized that you reach a certain level where everyone is skilled,” says Harlock. “At that point, what separates good from great are the intangibles: mental preparation and toughness, leveraging sport science, performance analysis, and striking the balance between being in peak physical shape and well-rested … it’s not easy.”
Harlock recalls one last intangible that has led him to success on Olympic ice and far beyond: a competitive spirit. It’s what willed him to read business books on bus rides to games throughout his 10 seasons of professional hockey and spend his summers doing internships at law firms and financial companies. After retiring in 2003, Harlock took a job in sales for a small insurance brokerage firm and progressed steadily to become Senior Vice President at Fortune 500 company Marsh McLennan in 2016.
“Once the lights turn off in the arena, you cannot have your identity wrapped up in being an athlete only. You have to set new goals and try to improve in other areas.”
—David Harlock ’89
“If you had told me when I was in university that I would work in insurance, I wouldn’t believe you—but I’ve loved every minute of it,” he says. “Once the lights turn off in the arena, you cannot have your identity wrapped up in being an athlete only. You have to set new goals and try to improve in other areas.” →
“It can sound a little depressing, but genetics play a huge role in deciding who among us will become Olympians; some people simply can do what others can’t. But there are many other ways one can participate in the Olympics.”—Greg Wells ’89, P’32
Few people embody constant growth better than Greg Wells ’89, P’32 , a physiologist, author, and 1989 Crescent alum. When he was a promising 15-year-old swimmer, Wells broke his neck on an openwater swim, which hampered his high school and college athletic career. Determined to find his way to the Olympics but unsure how, he enrolled in a kinesiology degree and fell in love with anatomy and physiology. He recalls going into a lab with a roast beef sandwich, holding it up next to a cadaver and exclaiming to his labmate “Hey, this is the same!” before taking a bite. He says everyone around him was horrified, but it made him realize he had an ease for the material.
A master’s degree, Ph.D., and two postdoctoral fellowships later, Wells became Director of Sport Science at the Canadian Sport Institute in Toronto and worked with more than 200 Canadian Olympians, collecting biometric data to help them maximize their potential. Through his experience, he garnered enough knowledge to share his takes on athlete physiology. He parlayed that vantage point into a second career in public speaking, writing and commentating on Olympic games and athletes, a skill he first fostered as a Grade 7 student at Crescent. “I remember doing the announcements for the entire school: what’s at the cafeteria, when is the next soccer practice,” he says. “It was simple stuff, but I really liked it, because everyone heard it.”
Wells was a commentator with CTV for the 2010 and 2012 Olympic Games and won a Gemini award for best sport science analysis in 2010 with his computer-generated series called Superbodies: segments broadcast during the Vancouver Olympics about the impact of genetics on performance. From Michael Phelps’ wingspan to Usain Bolt’s fast-twitching muscles, he argued there were irreplicable physical gifts that made Olympians as good as they are.
“It can sound a little depressing, but genetics play a huge role in deciding who among us will become Olympians; some people simply can do what others can’t,” he says. “But there are many other ways one can participate in the Olympics.”
Tim Mackay ’07 found his ticket onto Team Canada through his work with the Canadian Olympic Committee. There, he climbed the ranks over his 11-year career to become Senior Manager of Partnerships, where he works with brands to support Team Canada. Notably, he spearheaded Canada’s brand deal with official Olympic outfitter lululemon in 2021.
Mackay is heavily involved in a range of initiatives that support Olympians via brand partnerships, like the Petro-Canada FACE Program, which provides cash grants to a handful of next-generation athletes and their coaches. He also played a key role in partnering the COC with Deloitte to create Game Plan, a total athlete wellness program meant to give selected athletes networking, education, mental health, and career development opportunities off the field of play through free access to a suite of resources including business certificate courses and full-time MBA programs. For example, Game Plan has already been a boon for Canadian Olympic soccer player Diana Matheson, who accessed an MBA at Queen’s University through the program and ultimately created the concept for Project 8, Canada’s first women’s premier soccer league, set to roll out in 2025.
“Mental, emotional, and financial health make a difference on the field of play; athletes need more financial support, so we’re in it to allow them to compete at their best without feeling like they’re sacrificing something,” says Mackay. →
Brian Saunderson ’80 agrees that finances can make or break an Olympic career: a two-time Olympic rower who graduated from Crescent in 1980, Saunderson qualified for Canada’s top level of federal funding after excelling at the World Rowing Championships. Still, that awarded him barely $8,000 per year, not enough to make a living, even back in the eighties. Saunderson said that, if not for the support from his family and his wife, Susie, he might not have been able to represent Canada both in 1988 and 1992.
“For most of us, it felt like one kick at the can and then back to real life,” says Saunderson, now the Ontario MPP for the Simcoe—Grey riding. “The funding model made it very difficult for elite athletes to train full-time for the full Olympic quadrennial and to realize their full potential.”
But to Saunderson, facing the best in the world was worth the financial uncertainties and brutal early morning practices; what makes an Olympian, he says, is confidence in the face of adversity. And while funding opportunities have improved since Saunderson’s days in sport, in part due to the proliferation of social mediabased brand deals, the physical demands of an Olympic life are as brutal and formidable as ever.
“For most of us, it felt like one kick at the can and then back to real life.”
—Brian Saunderson ’80
“It’s putting your craft first day in and day out that makes Olympians so great at what they do. To get there, you truly have to love your sport.”
—Morgan Di Nardo ’23
Two Class of 2023 rugby up-and-comers, Morgan Di Nardo and Stephen Webb, are learning that the path to Olympic sport involves long, daily practices, team strategy sessions, and a lot of cardio. The best friends and high school teammates, who led Crescent to an OFSAA title in 2023, are both living and training in British Columbia and hope to represent Canada’s Olympic team in Paris.
Webb, now a first-year arts student at the University of British Columbia, helped his team win a third-straight national rugby championship last November and was named a tournament all-star. To excel at the varsity level, he has leaned on expert advice from athletic therapists and nutritionists, who offer his team daily support.
“The resources available to us are next level,” says Webb. “It’s made me realize how most high-level performances are backed by a team of people.”
Di Nardo, meanwhile, trains every day with Canada’s national team in Langford, BC, which has also exposed him to a new level of commitment. He juggles daily practices, team meetings, and gym sessions with his own varsity season at the University of Victoria, where he was named 1st Team All-Star at the 2023 Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship in November. And that’s not to mention courses: He also studies computer science.
“Late-night studying rolls into 7:00 a.m. practices; it can get exhausting,” he says. “But it’s been a goal of mine for a long time to make the Olympic team— I want a shot at it while I’m young.”
When the pair played at Crescent under varsity head coach James Trood, rugby was important, but academics came first. Now, Di Nardo and Webb are acquainting themselves with rugby as a full-time job: one whose reward is uncertain.
“It’s putting your craft first day in and day out that makes Olympians so great at what they do,” says Di Nardo. “To get there, you truly have to love your sport.”
the schoolyard made accessible to the community after hours. Written by pat
In my life, I have learned that talent and ability are randomly distributed, but that opportunity and access to the institutions and neighbourhoods that people need to help them flourish are not. So, wherever I go, I seek out opportunities to correct this.”
Those words belong to Robert Ogilvie ’81, a university professor, consultant, policy maker, advocate, and founder of OgilvieLabs. He has spent his career creating opportunities and access for all, starting at the community level.
Ogilvie was born in Grenada to a Grenadian father and Jamaican mother, who met in Jamaica while studying at the University of the West Indies. His father was a Rhodes scholar and medical doctor who chose to do his residency in otolaryngology in Toronto. →
They arrived in the city in 1967 when Ogilvie was four. When he joined Crescent in Grade 6, he was the only child in his middle-class Willowdale neighbourhood to attend an independent school and was met with “a lot of hassling” about his uniform from neighbourhood friends. He was also the only Black boy in his year at Crescent and remembers the contrast between his weekday life at Crescent and his weekends surrounded by his parents’ Caribbean friends. “The juxtaposition was pretty interesting,” he says.
Yet Crescent proved transformational. “It was a great experience that molded me into who I am,” Ogilvie says. “There were expectations of a certain level of performance, and nothing less was accepted.”
Ogilvie went on to complete an undergraduate degree in political science at Queen's University, a master’s in international relations at the University of South Carolina, and a Ph.D. in comparative politics at Columbia University. His studies were driven by a central question: “From a very early age I wondered why some countries were well-to-do, and some were not.” Ogilvie became interested in institutions and governing systems and how they affected life outcomes for individuals and communities.
Ogilvie taught at the University of California, Berkeley, for eight years and then decided to put his ideas into practice. He started with ChangeLab Solutions, an Oakland-based non-profit committed to improving health and opportunity through policy and law innovation.
Ogilvie worked around the country teaching public health officials how to collaborate with city planners to build safe, vibrant communities in which people were more likely to be physically active and have access to affordable healthy food. He spearheaded projects to build safe routes so that children could walk to school again. He also consulted with public health and school boards to get schoolyards unlocked after hours so that
“I know that things don’t always function the way they should, but I also know that there are tried and true ways to live in a good way. I try to embody that, and to help others see their way.”
—Robert Ogilvie ’81
children in disadvantaged neighbourhoods could have somewhere safe to be active outdoors. He wrote “Opening School Grounds to the Community After Hours,” a tool kit to help communities create shared use agreements, and travelled across the country to share his expertise. In the process, he helped grow ChangeLab from a small regional organization to one of the country’s leading consultancies helping to advance equitable policies in public health.
With three young children at home, Ogilvie began to find the travel too much. He moved to the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR), a long-established Oakland urban planning and policy organization, where he worked on local political reform. In 2020, he founded his own consultancy, OgilvieLabs. “Our work is focused on creating more functional local government and helping people build institutions that can help a broader range of people get ahead.” Clients include the California Department of Public Health, the National Recreation and Park Association, the Urban Land Institute, and Smart Growth America. One of his clients is working to enact ranked choice voting and proportional representation in California. Ogilvie prides himself on developing trust relationships with a wide range of decision makers and community advocates around the country. “So much of your ability to get things done is rooted in personal relationships,” he says.
Along the way, Ogilvie has developed an interest in and talent for photography. His favourite subjects are urban landscapes and old cars—the kind that he saw growing up in Canada in the 1970s and that are still common in California. “Photography helps me be really attentive to places, to see the patterns in everyday life,” he says. He started distance running at Crescent and, although he no longer runs, Ogilvie is an avid walker, varying his routes as often as possible. “I like to observe different things—you never know when you’ll see something that clicks in your mind, and you go, ‘Oh, that’s why!’”
Throughout his career, Ogilvie has been driven by his belief in what he calls the old-fashioned values of honour, honesty, and dedication. “I know that things don’t always function the way they should, but I also know that there are tried and true ways to live in a good way,” he says. “I try to embody that, and to help others see their way.”
“I
like to observe different things —you never know when you’ll see something that clicks in your mind, and you go, ‘Oh, that’s why!’”
—Robert Ogilvie ’81
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Ogilvie has developed an interest in urban landscape photography
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Ogilvie at the Opening of SPUR in Oakland, California in 2016. Photography by Sergio Ruiz
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With Kali Zivitz in the West Portal neighbourhood of San Francisco, California
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At the annual SPUR Oakland member party in 2017. Photography by Sergio Ruiz
Andrew Saunders ’87, President and CEO of The Globe and Mail, embraces disruption while maintaining the core principles of journalism
When Andrew Saunders ’87 arrived in Canada in 1984, news arrived on the doorstep every morning, and fingers smudged with black ink were proof that it had been consumed. Today, 97 per cent of readers access newspapers digitally on a phone, computer or tablet. Many Canadian newsrooms have shrunk in size, and more than 200 local newspapers have closed their doors since 2008. Yet one newspaper has managed to thrive in the new environment, and Saunders, who became President and Chief Executive Officer of The Globe and Mail in September 2023, has played a critical role in that revolution.
Saunders and his family immigrated to Canada from South Africa. Attracted by Crescent’s stellar reputation, warm community, and focus on character and leadership, he joined the school in Grade 11 and served as a prefect in Grade 13. “Crescent allowed you to feel very comfortable participating,” he says. “Because it was a small, supportive environment, it built my confidence to venture into unfamiliar territory and take risks.” Saunders made lifelong friends at the School and enjoyed participating in a range of sports. He went on to play rugby for Canada’s Under 21 team.
After Crescent, Saunders knew he wanted to work in an industry that “had great purpose and could make a difference.” Journalism was an obvious choice. “Journalism allows one to shape opinions, attitudes, and beliefs about the world at the individual level.” He earned a degree in political science at York University, then worked in business consulting before moving to broadcasting at the organization now known as CTV. There he helped launch The Globe and Mail-owned Report on Business Television, now BNN Bloomberg, a specialty channel focusing on business and financial news.
Saunders became Vice President of Corporate Sales at The Globe and Mail in 2002, in time to be part of a major transition in the industry. He went on to serve as Vice President of Advertising Sales
“As long as we offer content that meets the full needs of the reader as a citizen, an economic player, and a consumer, we’ll have the highest level of relevance and be indispensable in their lives.”
—Andrew Saunders ’87
and Chief Revenue Officer. Among many achievements, he was responsible for leading the successful monetization strategy for all Globe products and platforms. “When I arrived, we were a newspaper company,” says Saunders. “Now The Globe is a modern media company, reaching seven million Canadians monthly across multiple platforms.” In addition to the iconic newspaper, The Globe universe encompasses magazines, websites, social media, data analysis, curated travel excursions, conferences, events, and more. Once dependent almost entirely on advertising revenue, it now gets most of its revenue from subscriptions and has become the largest Canadian digital publishing news subscription provider. In the process, the whole organization has been re-engineered, with change in every area. Today The Globe has transformed its organization to be a forward-thinking, digital-first subscription business.
Saunders is quick to say that with all this upheaval, The Globe’s core purpose has remained the same. “Our North Star will never change,” he says. “We will continue to provide high-quality independent journalism so Canadians have the information they need to make the best personal and professional decisions—and we’ll do it with the highest ethical and editorial standards.” As CEO, he sees his role as ensuring high journalistic standards, and in doing so, “helping to preserve and support democracy.” He is committed to advancing The Globe’s business model, reaching as many Canadians as possible, and providing a world-class digital experience.
While The Globe has succeeded in adapting to change, other newspapers have been less successful. Saunders is concerned about the state of journalism in Canada. “We have fewer journalists today covering a far more complex world than we did five or 10 years ago.” He is also concerned about the proliferation of content generated by artificial intelligence, leading to more misinformation, disinformation, and deep fakes. “Helping people unpack the truth is an important role for our organization,” he says. Still, he remains optimistic about the future, noting that national publications, especially those with strong business and investment coverage, are doing well.
How does The Globe’s CEO interact with his own product? Saunders says he starts every morning at home with The Globe’s newspaper and then moves on to their digital content on his phone or desktop at the office while also keeping an eye on the competition.
It’s clear that Saunders thrives on the adrenaline of change and challenge. He admits ruefully that he spends a lot of time at the office and lends his expertise to various industry boards. But he also celebrates the joys of family life. Married to his high school sweetheart, Juliet, he has three children and enjoys time with them and his extended family at home and at the family cottage in Thornbury.
Saunders doesn’t expect the rate of change to slow anytime soon and isn’t sure what comes next. One trend, he says, is personalization—the art and science of creating unique experiences for individual subscribers. Whatever comes, he’s confident The Globe will adapt. “As long as we offer content that meets the full needs of the reader as a citizen, an economic player, and a consumer, we’ll have the highest level of relevance and be indispensable in their lives.”
By Brandon Throop ’04
Brandon Throop ’04 is the Director of Investor Relations at New Gold Inc. in Toronto and an avid runner.
I’ve run 11 marathons over the years, but when I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in August of 2022, it put a hold on everything. By the time I finished treatment in February of 2023, I could barely climb a flight of stairs. Eight months later, on the one-year anniversary of my first chemo treatment, I ran the Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Here’s how I did it.
When I completed my treatment, the doctors told me that I was free to do whatever was normal. From the neck up, I was ready to go, but my body thought otherwise. I would meet up with my running group and try to act like the runner I was before cancer, but within two minutes, I was getting back into my car and heading home. I really had to slow down, listen to my body, and take it one step at a time.
Running to me has always been an individual sport, but, while going through cancer treatment, I said yes to every service my cancer centre had to offer. It made me realize that there aren’t many things in life where you really need to go it alone. It certainly applies to running. Having a coach or training plan and friends and running partners to train with can make all the difference versus being out there on your own.
Mobility activation and cross-training outside of running became very important to me. I had been effectively horizontal for four months during treatment, so I had to recondition muscles and tendons. I would bike, go for a walk outside, and try other ways to push myself. I remember being so frustrated in the early days. But I stayed patient and consistent, and suddenly six weeks had gone by and I was back steadily running again.
When you're pushing yourself, diet and nutrition are important. I took full advantage of my work benefit plan by going to cancer-specific naturopaths who advised me on the proper vitamins to take and helped me understand the best diet and nutrition plan for recovery and my general well-being going forward. Before cancer, I could eat a Big Mac and run a marathon. But after, I had to refocus and reframe, understanding that I was eating to perform and treat my body well.
By Paul Gorrie ’94
Paul Gorrie ’94 is a senior associate with Moss Sund Architects. He lives in Toronto with his wife, Monisha, and sons Ashwin, and Aidan.
Aligned with Toronto’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2040, it is important that homeowners make conscientious decisions to reduce their carbon footprint. Fortunately, this has been made easier over the past decade with rapidly changing technology and growing support from manufacturers and suppliers within the construction industry. Reducing your household carbon footprint can be strategically approached by reducing energy usage, transitioning home heating energy sources from fossil fuels to electricity, and selecting low embodied carbon materials for renovations and upgrades. Let’s explore five actionable steps. By collectively implementing these steps, homeowners can contribute to a net-zero future, one home at a time.
Enhance insulation in your roof, exterior walls, and basement concrete slab, and consider upgrading to triple-glazed windows. This reduces the energy consumption of your heating and cooling equipment and allows you to right-size upgrades.
Renewable energy, such as solar photovoltaic panels or wind turbines, can decrease reliance on grid-supplied energy to your home. Although Ontario’s power generation is considered clean, about 10 per cent comes from natural gas and its transmission grid requires carbon to build and maintain.
Replace gas furnaces with electric ASHPs to significantly reduce carbon emissions associated with fossil fuel-based home heating. Similarly, consider switching to hybrid or air source heat pump water heaters to minimize emissions from domestic hot water heating. ASHPs are three to five times more efficient than gas furnaces and can also be used for home cooling.
Air leaks are a major contributor to heat loss in older homes. Seal gaps and holes in walls, roofs, and windows using caulking, gap fillers, or advanced technologies like whole-home pressurized air sealing systems. Even quarter-inch gaps can be a source of significant heat loss.
Materials with low embodied carbon not only reduce your home’s carbon footprint but also signal the demand for sustainable materials, encouraging eco-friendly options in the market. Embodied carbon includes the carbon dioxide created during the material extraction, transport to the manufacturer, manufacturing, the transport of those materials to the job site, and the carbon used in construction, maintenance, and disposal at end of life. Cellulose insulation has 30 times less embodied carbon than extruded polystyrene rigid insulation.
It’s always a good time when Crescent Brothers get together. For more photos and upcoming event listings, go to crescentalumni.org.
Crescent brothers joined Chief Advancement Officer
Jamie Lougheed ’87, P’18 and Associate Director of Alumni Relations Wendy Jacobs at Per Diem on January 16.
Boston alumni gathered at The Yard House to visit with Chief Advancement Officer Jamie Lougheed ’87, P’18 and faculty members Geoff Green and Alicia Hawryluk.
Chief Advancement Officer Jamie Lougheed ’87, P’18 met with David Coleman ’02 and toured the Google campus during a recent visit to Mountain View, California. He was there with Associate Director of Alumni Relations
Wendy Jacobs for a branch reception with five other alumni at Scratch on January 17.
Crescent visited the west coast of Canada in April. Jamie Lougheed ’87, P’18 had dinner with five alumni in Victoria on April 14 at Bard & Banker. Lougheed, Trish Cislak P’17, Gina Kay, Patricia Alviano, and Sandy Boyes met with alumni for drinks in Vancouver at Red Card Sports Bar.
Nine alumni were welcomed by Chief Advancement Officer Jamie Lougheed ’87, P’18 and Associate Director of Alumni Relations Wendy Jacobs for dinner at the SIXTY hotel on January 15.
Members of the Classes of ’37 to ’75 reunited on campus for a special luncheon to reconnect and celebrate their time at Crescent. The late Bill Greer ’37, a 2023 Wall of Honour inductee, was honoured at the luncheon by Headmaster Michael Fellin, who also presented his wife, Rina, and son, Jonathan, with a framed commemorative print of his Wall of Honour entry.
Hundreds of Crescent brothers and many beloved past faculty and staff members were welcomed back onto campus for a reunion on June 8 honouring the Classes of ’79, ’84, ’89, ’94, ’99, ’04, ’09, ’14, and ’19. Former faculty members were on hand to present the Class of ’99 with their 25th anniversary ties.
Have family or career news to share? Send your Life After Crescent updates to alumni@crescentschool.org
The Class of 1980 held a gathering in April at Allen’s on the Danforth. Attendees (left to right): Andrew Blaikie, Bob Palmer, Doug Farrand, Mike Sereny, Martin Toomes, Bruce McMinn, Peter Hall, MPP Brian Saunderson, David Carthew, Geoff Fairbanks, Alex Milic, Vince Paul. Not pictured: Gareth Seltzer and Andrew Day.
Peter Aceto ’87, P’21 joined the leadership team at KOHO Financial Inc. in November 2023.
Jesse Wente ’92 has been selected as part of a team of seven experts who will advise Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge on the modernization of CBC/RadioCanada before the next election. The group will provide policy advice on governance and funding.
In April 2024, Hessam Ghedaki ’99, General Counsel at Times Group & Life Construction, announced a partnership with Canada Builds Initiative, a transformative plan to accelerate home construction across the country.
Tyler Hagan ’99 started a new position in January 2024 as Digital Workplace Solutions Architect at Informa.
Six alumni who are also current Crescent parents accompanied their sons on the U14 hockey team’s Scandinavia trip to watch the World Juniors in January.
Pictured are Mark Crane ’92, Chris Seed ’95, Michael Comisarow ’93, Brian Morgan ’93, Dave Singer ’97, and Derrick Lee-Shanok ’96 (back row) with Class of 2028 students Charlie Crane, Tommy Seed, Chase Comisarow, Alex Morgan, Liam Singer, and Jordan Lee-Shanok ’29 (front row).
Tim Mackay ’07 and his wife, Sarah, welcomed their daughter, Anna, on January 22, 2024.
Tommy Sorbara ’07 and Jessica Sorbara and their daughter, Sienna, welcomed twin boys Max and Leo to the family.
Graeme Doodnaught ’04 married Caroline Trudel in Mont-Tremblant in May 2023. He was joined by his Class of 2004 brothers Stephen Wyprysky, Alan Poon, Hussein Jaffer, Brandon Throop, Scott Watson, and Ryan Austin, as well as Matthew Barnes ’08 and George Revel ’98
David-Michael Phillips ’11 started a new position in December 2023 as Prototype Production Manager at Rheon Labs in the U.K.
JR Robert ’11 and his wife, Danielle, welcomed a baby boy, Xavier, on January 23, 2024.
Jonathan Brickman ’12 married Meghann Ceolin on October 21, 2023, at Enoch Turner Schoolhouse in Toronto. Among his groomsmen were fellow 2012 alumni Mathieu Wong and Jeff Mills.
Spencer Belyea ’13 married Alix Salias in Mexico City on March 2, 2024. Fellow Class of 2013 alumni were in attendance, including Matt Corolis as best man, Alex McRae, Ryan Reeson, Alex Hutcheon, Chester Davidson, and Nicholas Mehta, as well as Cam Overvelde ’20
Marko Popovic ’12 accepted a medical retina fellowship position at the Doheny Eye Institute and Jules Stein Eye Institute of UCLA. He will start his fellowship in July 2024.
Matthew Corolis ’13 won the Best Documentary Short Award for Who Speaks for Charlie in February at the Utah Film Festival.
In March 2024, John Conlin ’15 visited 1997 alumnus Kyle Wittlin’s music school to speak to his students about vocal production.
Naveen Gupta ’15 was accepted into the Urology Residency Training Program at the University of Toronto.
Petr Schumacher ’16 started flying as a First Officer with Porter Airlines in February 2024.
Morgan Di Nardo ’23 was selected by Rugby Canada to play for the Senior Men’s team at the Hong Kong Sevens in April of 2024. Shortly after, Morgan won Rookie of the Year from the University of Victoria, where he has been studying.
Eamonn Lay ’23 was one of two Harvard freshmen selected to attend the Crusaders International Academy in June and July 2024. The Crusaders are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Eden Orbach ’01 passed away at the age of 40 on January 23, 2024, after a brief but sudden illness. He is sorely missed by his wife, Christine; their three daughters, Adina, Eliana, and Juliet; his mother, Marla; and sisters Dara and Rebecca. His family is grateful for the unwavering support of their extended family, friends, and the Crescent community during this challenging time. Eden’s connection with Crescent remained strong after graduation. He served as a mentor through the Alumni Professional Mentoring Program, speaking with young alumni interested in a finance career and was a donor to his Class of ’01 Fund in support of student financial assistance. Crescent played a memorable role on his wedding day as he returned to campus for photos with Christine and members of his wedding party.
William Lear Wood ’79 passed away suddenly on May 6, 2024. He is survived by his wife, Seana; children Aidan, Connor, and Ciara; and his loyal puppy, Fionn. Will is deeply missed by his sister, Shirley Ann Wood; her husband, Paul Kirkley; and their children, Lyndon and Sylvia. He is predeceased by his parents, Lear and Winifred Wood (née Watts). William was an enthusiastic soccer player who enjoyed joking around with his Crescent brothers.
Dick Howard is a former professional soccer player, FIFA coach, and soccer media analyst inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in 2002. From 1972 to 1986, he was Crescent’s Director of Athletics and Head of Phys-Ed and continued coaching soccer until 2014.
Andrew Corolis: When did you start teaching at Crescent?
Dick Howard: It was 1966, and England had just won the World Cup. I read about an opening for Crescent School in Toronto in the Times Education Supplement, which was very prestigious. The job paid a princely sum of $4,400. After coming to Canada, I discovered that the North American Soccer League was starting up. I thought it might give me a chance to continue playing professional soccer.
AC: What was Crescent like in those early days?
DH: The Dentonia Park campus had close to 200 students. It was an old house converted to a school. I had an apartment off campus and taught phys-ed. Then, at Christmas, a teacher left, so I replaced him as housemaster (Crescent had boarding in those days) and Head of Phys-Ed for the remainder of my one-year posting. After that, I got a job playing soccer in the States and continued my professional career. I came back to Crescent in 1972 and stayed until 1986.
AC: You were still playing professional soccer with the Toronto Metros when I was in Grades 7 to 9. A group of us would head to Varsity Stadium to watch you come out of the chute, and we’d say, “Hi, Mr. Howard.” And the next day, you’d be our phys-ed teacher! You came back to Crescent many years later as Director of Soccer. Tell me about that. DH: It was a chance meeting with Geoff Roberts, who was by then Headmaster.
We got to talking, and he asked me if I would consult for a planned turf field to replace the current one, which could get very muddy and difficult to play on. After it was built, I stayed on to set up activities to utilize the field, such as soccer camps with international coaches and Friday Night Lights games against other schools. I put a five-year plan in place with Geoff, who was himself a fine soccer player and a fan of Liverpool Football Club.
AC: In what ways did Crescent change during your time at the school?
DH: The move from Dentonia Park to Bayview was quite a transition. When Chris Gordon took over—CBG, we called him—he undertook a recruitment program that laid the foundation for what’s in place today. He wanted good teachers, obviously, but he also wanted people who were willing to get involved in the sports program. And a lot of these teachers stayed 30, 40 years at the school.
AC: What are some of your fond memories?
DH: It was very much a family atmosphere, and the camaraderie and caring created a great coaching environment. We formed FFATS—staff spelled backwards—and played against the varsity soccer, hockey, and volleyball teams. We had T-shirts made up and got very much involved with the student body.
AC: Is there a particular memory that sticks out for you?
DH: November 6, 1974, when we won the first-ever championship for the school. The pennant is still hanging in the gymnasium. Our varsity soccer team won against SAC.
AC: My brother, Peter, was on that team. At the beginning of the season, I was on it as well, but then I was dropped down to U16. I’m not holding any grudges now, Dick, just letting you know that. What are some of the things you miss about the school?
DH: The energy, the camaraderie, the friendships. I still get together with a group of teachers from the seventies: Alan Kiddell, Geoff Roberts, Paul Duckett, Graham Steele, Steve Davies, Dave Budden, James Wright, Ross MacDonald, Bill Boyer, Pat Mills, Lyle Hamilton, Dave Colley; it’s a pretty good list of people. We have a Christmas lunch downtown and meet on other occasions for walks around Toronto.
AC: What advice would you give Crescent’s 2024 graduating class?
DH: Stay involved. Join the Alumni Association. Read Past & Present. It’s a great magazine, and I’m not just saying that because you’re here today. It’s very well put together.
Andrew Corolis ’78 is Dick Howard’s former student and soccer player. He’s still smarting that Mr. Howard dropped him from the pennantwinning varsity soccer team in 1974.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
