60th high school reunion a blast at NDDHS

by Brandon Mayer

A local reunion for former students and staff of North Dundas’ only secondary school took place last weekend, with hundreds of guests in attendance for various festivities.

A key organizer of the event, which was open to students and staff from throughout the past 60 years, was Eric Duncan, former Mayor of North Dundas who is now serving as the Member of Parliament for the local SD&G electoral riding.

MP Duncan gave a breakdown of some of the event’s activities in a conversation with the Times. He explained that opening ceremonies took place at NDDHS on August 4, with 410 paid registrations for the opening reception. The following day, on Saturday, August 5, there was an open house, memory rooms, and a staff lounge, all open to the public free of charge at the school.

The festivities moved to the Winchester Arena later in the day on Saturday, where over 300 people were welcomed for dinner, and more people joined for a dance afterward. In total, MP Duncan estimates that more than 500600 guests were welcomed in the various events.

It appears that former NDDHS staff and student alumni are well travelled. Guests at the reunion came from such places as Costa Rica, France, Ireland, Georgia, British Columbia, Alberta, and of course many guests from Ontario, Quebec, and New York State.

MP Duncan described the event as “a chance to go on a walk down memory lane.” The organizers learned from events planned in the past that July celebrations don’t always work since they are so close to school graduations. The August

With school just around the corner, you may wonder ‘how do I get funds out of my child’s self-directed RESP for post-secondary education’? One question that often comes up is: does the withdrawal amount need to equal the cost of the school tuition, books etc.? The answer is NO. No one is auditing what the money that is withdrawn is spent on. It can be used for rent, transportation, utilities, tuition, books, or food.

Q: How do I get money out of a self-directed RESP?

A: Once your child has enrolled in post-secondary school (university, college, trade school), they are entitled to withdraw up to $8,000 in Education Assistance Payments (EAP) from the RESP in their first 13 weeks of full-time school. This portion of the payment is from the growth and government grant inside the plan and is taxable to the beneficiary (child). They can also withdraw any amount of Post Secondary Education (PSE) from the plan. This portion of the payment is your capital and is not taxable. After the first semester, there are no restrictions on withdrawals for full time studies. Part time studies (Specialty Courses/Programs) are restricted to $4,000 per program/semester. (Note: the Canadian government recently changed legislation to reflect these increased numbers in 2023.)

Q: What constitutes proof of enrollment?

A: A letter from the Registrar of the school, a copy of your child’s timetable with their name, student number, and school name.

Q: What if a beneficiary does not pursue post-secondary education?

A: There are several options:

You can wait – the plan can remain open for 36 years long weekend was therefore chosen, although it is never easy to choose a date that works for everyone.

You can choose a new beneficiary – in an individual plan, this can be anyone, but if it is not a sibling under 21, the grants must be repaid. In a family plan, the CESG can be allocated to other family plan members; if the amount is over $7,200 then excess grant needs to be repaid.

You can roll the RESP into your RRSP – the grants will be returned to the government, the capital can be withdrawn, and the income can be rolled into your RRSP, so long as you have the room to a maximum of $50,000 per contributor.

You can withdraw contributions anytime from the plan – however when you do so, the grants will be repaid to the government.

You can withdraw earnings and growth – an Accumulated Income Payment (AIP). If all beneficiaries have reached the age of 21 and are not attending post-secondary education, and the RESP has been in existence for at least 10 years, you can make an AIP payment – it is taxable at your marginal tax rate plus a 20% penalty tax.

You can roll the RESP to an RDSP – if the beneficiary has become disabled, you are able to move the accumulated income to an RDSP on a tax deferred basis with no 20% penalty.

The reunion was not just a social gathering. It also acted as a fundraiser to aid in the beautification of the school, and to support the next generation of NDDHS students.

Overall, the event packed two days of great fun and memories. Photos from the event, and an update on the fundraising efforts, will be provided in the September 7 issue of the Times.