STUDENT Life

ATHLETICS

50/ Flashback to Cricket

Never a major sport at LCC, school teams played a few matches each year in the 1920s and 30s—usually against Ashbury College or Bishop’s College School. In later years an occasional informal match involving staff and alumni was an early Founder’s Day activity that had ended by the 1960s.

51/ Battle with Bishop’s

For almost 75 years, from 1923 to 1997, the competition against Bishop’s College School for the Shirley Russell Cup was a highlight of LCC’s football season. In the early days, two games were played each season, but one game in early October later became the tradition. LCC claimed a majority of victories in the 1970s through 1990s.

52/ Peak Performance

For many decades, LCC had student ski teams participating in a variety of cross-country and downhill competitions. They were particularly successful in the 1950s and 60s, with LCC dominating the GMIAA competitions in all four classes for seven consecutive years beginning in 1957. Annual ski days in the Laurentians were also organized for many years, up to the early 2000s.

53/ Hockey History

Hockey has always been played at LCC and, over the years, the boys’ hockey teams have won 48 championships. LCC girls began playing hockey in 1998, with teams made up of girls from grades 7 to Pre-University. In 2016 the Juvenile Girls team made history when they brought home the Juvenile Girls GMAA City Championship.

54/ Football First

Molly Moroz ’05 was the first girl to play on an LCC boys’ football team.

EXPERIENCE TRIPS

55/ Across the Pond

Student trips to the UK during school breaks date back to 1924, when boys and faculty members crossed the Atlantic by ocean liner and toured by bus and train. Other early trips included a 1950 visit to LCC retired Headmaster Dr. Fosbery in Bournemouth. Between 1970 and 2003, student groups were taken on many trips to the British Isles in an initiative begun by longtime history teacher Denys Heward ’64 and Junior School teacher Dora Parsons.

56/ Camp Connections

Former Headmaster Geoff Merrill had been the program director at Camp Nominingue in the Laurentians for several summers while he served as LCC’s Junior School director. He played a key role in recruiting staff members from the school to work at the camp, which led many parents to choose it for their children. As a result, the bond between the school and the camp grew stronger and, for many years, Camp Nominingue hosted the grade 7 orientation at the start of the school year.

STUDENT LEADERSHIP

57/ Cadet Corps: Pride and Commitment

Affiliated over the decades with three different Montreal military regiments, the Cadet Corps at LCC was primarily a schoolbased youth program focused on military training and discipline. The first inspection of LCC’s cadets was held in 1909 and, in 1919, it was inspected by H.R.H. the Prince of Wales at Lafontaine Park. The Cadet Corps won the Governor General’s Trophy for the most efficient Cadet Corps in Canada five times between 1923 and 1931, and remained a high-profile activity well into the post-WWII years. The Corps came to a formal close at the end of the 1969 school year.

58/ Millennium Minds

Initially certified as a member of CAIS (Canadian Accredited Independent Schools) in 1999, LCC hosted its first CAIS event, The Y2K Student Leadership Conference, in 2000.

59/ Leading the Way

Throughout its history, LCC has had students who have been identified as school leaders. Until 1971 they were referred to as prefects. Today school leaders are part of Grad Pride and Student Council. Both groups are led by the head students who have been elected by their peers and teachers.

HOUSE TRADITIONS

60/ A Sense of Belonging

In 1939, the school held a special event formally instituting the house system, with the objective of providing competitive sports opportunities for all LCC boys. Six original houses were created and three new ones were added in 2002. Today the house system builds upon past traditions and is designed to promote and reward student participation and leadership at all levels.

61/ House Battle

An anagram of “house war”, since 2002 SHOURAWE has been an annual, friendly house competition marking the final event of the school year before the AndersonMitchell House Cup is awarded.

CLUBS

62/ Trivia Titans

In the 1970s LCC students flexed their academic muscle during appearances on the CBC TV’s popular game show “Reach for the Top”. The long-running series, which was broadcast nationally from 1961–1985, was filmed at locations across Canada with the national championships held in Montreal.

63/ Developing Talent

From the early 1970s, before the days of digital technology, and up until the early 2000s, the school had a small darkroom for staff and student use, located across from the Senior art room (today’s LEAD department).

64/ Youth Voices, Global Issues

Quebec’s first student-led bilingual youth forum, Destiny Quebec Global Issues Conference, was held at LCC in 1999. Today this event continues to attract students from schools throughout Montreal.

65/ Mosaic of Minds

Clubs like the Coalition of Racial Equality (CORE), Sexuality and Gender Acceptance (SAGA), Creativity for Community, as well as Indigenous learning, are examples of how LCC has focused on inclusive practices, diversifying the student body, and deepening our understanding that unique personal differences (backgrounds, cultures, beliefs and perspectives) enrich our life experiences.

66/ Shared Literary Journey

Thanks A Lot, Universe is the 20th novel selected as part of the LCC Reads initiative. The brainchild of head librarian Maria Varvarikos (retired 2015) and English department head Brian Moore (retired 2019) was launched in 2005 and is a high school activity where all students explore a common literary work. The first novel was The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

THE ARTS

67/ Curtain Calls

Well before the construction of a stage in the dining hall, drama productions were staged at St. Columba Church, Wesley United Church and St. Mathias Church. Sets and props — usually courtesy of the school’s art department — would be transported from the school to the location (sometimes on foot!).

68/ Half a Century of Musical Magic

In the spring of 1975, 35 grade 6 boys, along with several staff members, participated in a stage production of Oliver, directed by LCC teacher Laurie Hart, with Gordon White as the musical director. This launched the drama program in the Junior School and the first of several “White-Hart Productions”. It was followed by The Pirates of Penzance in 1976 and HMS Pinafore in 1977. The school will soon celebrate 50 years of the Junior School Musical.

69/ Junior School Jingles

Before its wooden stage was removed in 2016, the dining hall was for many years the setting for the Junior School students’ annual December Holiday Concert. The event now takes place in the Saputo Auditorium.

70/ Artistry on Display

Since 2016 grade 11 and Pre-U students have had the privilege of displaying their artwork in a vernissage and exhibition open to the public at The Alan Klinkhoff Gallery (Alan Klinkhoff ’70, Jonathan Klinkhoff ’00, and Craig Klinkhoff ’06) and Galerie 203 (Corinne Asseraf).

71/ A Talent Extravaganza

An annual event, Café Cabaret showcases the many talents of students and staff. In addition to musical performances, they also delve into visual arts, drama, dance and poetry for this occasion.