The Shield - Winter 2013

THE

A MAGAZINE FOR THE ROYAL ST. GEORGE’S COLLEGE COMMUNITY

WINTER 2013

SHIELD The Legacy Lives On A Celebration of Past and Current Georgians and Their Old Boy Dads

Generations of Truslers Carry on the Georgian Tradition Growing Trees with the Hess Brothers A Day with TSN’s Dave McCarthy RSGC’s New Facilities — A Source of Pride

Members of the Class of ’88 at the 2012 Service of Lessons and Carols.

The RSGC Alumni Association Executive

Needs You!

The RSGCAA has existed for over three decades to engage alumni and enrich their lives. The Association has also been a strong supporter of the College.

From sports and social events to mentorship programs for recent Old Boys and current students alike, we are committed to enriching the lives of RSGC men.

In order to make the RSGCAA the best it can be, we need you to get involved.

Whether you can help with events or just want to have your voice heard in our upcoming strategic process, this is your alumni association. Get involved today.

Get in touch now at alumni@rsgc.on.ca

Contents

The Shield Winter 2013 Email: shield@rsgc.on.ca General Inquiries: 416.533.9481 Alumni Inquiries: 416.516.5202

Cover photo: Rob ’81 and Jack Keilty ’10 by Scott Eklund, Red Box Pictures

Headmaster: Stephen Beatty ’86 Editor: Laurie Alpern Assistant Editor: Fiona Cooper Copy Editor: Dave Mitchell Designer: Jonathan Cresswell-Jones Photography: Tom Stevens, Tim Hutton RSGC Board of Directors

20

26

33

Officers Chair: Ruth Woods Vice-Chair: Paul Clark ’85 Treasurer, Audit and Finance Committee Chair: Cathy Bateman Headmaster: Stephen Beatty ’86 Chief Financial Officer, Board Secretary: Jane Nyman

FEATURES 20 Alumni Spotlight BY LAURIE ALPERN Alex Furber ’05: Class clown turned world-class actor.

22 Student Spotlight BY LAURIE ALPERN Max Holzberg, Class of 2015, is inspired to make a difference.

24 Parent Spotlight BY LAURIE ALPERN Rob Keilty ’81 and his family have a permanent place in RSGC history.

26 Planting a Solid Foundation The bond between these Old Boy brothers continues to grow as they expand their unique tree-growing business.

BY CARMELLE WOLFSON

30 Jeffrey Latimer: Entertainment Icon and Long-time Georgian

BY CARMELLE WOLFSON

Jeffrey Latimer’s star power has never taken away from the fact that he is – and always will be – a Georgian.

33 Moving Mountains: A Family Legacy BY LAURIE ALPERN Thomas (Class of 2013) and Graham Trusler (Class of 2015) have two things running through their veins: RSGC and a passion for skiing.

DEPARTMENTS 5 6 8 10 11 16 19 36 38 42

Message from the RSGCAA Point/Counterpoint: The use of mobile in the classroom Our Humble Home Andy Whiteley: On the Road Again Alumni Connections RSGC Events: It’s been a great year with many memories!

Giving Our Changing Lives – Find out who got married, who’s a new Dad, etc.

Retrospective – New jobs and interesting tidbits on RSGC alumni Time Capsule

Board Members Michael Barker, Facilities Committee Chair Guy Burry ’77, Campaign Committee Co-Chair Anthony Caldwell, Nominating and Governance Committee Chair James Crossland, Communications Committee Chair Kimberly Cudney, Georgian Parents’ Guild Representative Tye Farrow, Past Chair Sandy Gibson ’01, Alumni Representative Shelly Haber, Strategic Planning Committee Chair Wanda Ho, Campaign Committee Co-Chair Dorothy Byers Bruce Chapple ’87 Peter Furnish Molly Johnson Robert Keilty ’81 Bruce MacLaren Caroline Newall Jesse Parker ’01, Clergy The Shield is the official magazine of Royal St. George’s College. Serving RSGC’s alumni and community, it strives to engage, inform and connect all audiences.

FPO

The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College 3

LETTER FROM THE HEADMASTER

Dear Fellow Georgians,

T

his past September 5 was one of those days that I will hold, crystallized, in my memory for the rest of my life. It was the first day of school and my eldest son, Jack, came down the stairs, ready to head off to his new school, dressed in his brand new maroon blazer and his Winchester house tie.

My son was a Georgian.

One of the great joys of all educators is to have the opportunity to witness, first-hand, the learning and growth of the next generation. As teachers, we revel in the chance meetings we have with our former students, now adults with children of their own. In rare cases, we get the privilege of teaching the children of former students. In my case at the College, I have the opportunity to be a part of the education of the children of the men I knew when we were boys. As you will see in the photograph on page 11, there are 17 Old Boys of the College whose sons I have the pleasure of watching grow up; most of these men were at the school at the same time as I was ­– many I count as friends.

As we approach the 50th Anniversary of the opening of the College in September 2014, there is a sense that Royal St. George’s College has grown up. Many of us who attended the school in the 60’s and 70’s were at a fledgling school, still run by hook or by crook by the original Founders whose vision and commitment overcame the multiple challenges in finances, enrolment, resources or facilities.

Our parents understood the value of manners and tradition, and an excellent education for their sons.

The deepening roots of the College are marked by the return of familiar last names.

The multi-generational school allows fathers, sons, uncles and nephews to share traditions and touchstones, establishing RSGC as a family tradition. By my estimation, we have had almost 50 second-generation Georgians attend the school. We can’t be far off our first third generation Georgian.

In this edition of The Shield, we are recognizing some of the multi-generational Georgians ­– the Georgian sons of Georgian dads.

For this Old Boy dad, I know my breath caught a little when I looked at my New Boy son ready to head to 120 Howland Avenue.

Thirty-six years after my first day at the College, my son was about to embark on the same journey that had so profoundly shaped me. I knew on his first day he would learn the three points of the Georgian handshake and would be taught, along with his new Grade 3 classmates, how to tie his tie by the new Prefects.

They will be taught that Manners Maketh Men. I have said many times that the world needs more Georgians.

The term “legacy” tends to suggest something from the past – a bequest or gift. In the case of our second generation Georgians, the legacy is a celebration of the future.

Stephen Beatty ’86 Headmaster

4 The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College

A Note from the Editor

2013

marks the beginning of the semi-annual Shield! I hope you enjoy this first-ever winter issue. We received incredible feedback about last spring’s revamped magazine, among which included a few questions about whether future issues could possibly live up to it! I like to think so and hope you will agree. Of course, it helps that so many members of the RSGC community are doing incredible things out in the world!

That certainly makes my job much easier. And this issue is particularly special because of the legacy theme. Getting the 17 alumni with kids currently enrolled in the College to come in for a photo shoot was much easier than I anticipated. Each one was incredibly eager to take part in the initiative and rearranged their schedules to be there. Again, I would love to hear your feedback about this issue and about any story ideas for the future. Please get in touch!

Laurie Alpern Editor

lalpern@rsgc.on.ca

RSGCAA Executive Committee

MESSAGE FROM THE RSGCAA PRESIDENT

The Power of a Personal Touch

F

ellow Old Boys and Friends, I graduated from Royal St. George’s College in 1994, but the first alumni event I ever attended was a pub night about six years ago. I had received a letter in the mail about annual giving; scribbled at the bottom was a handwritten note from Kevin Lint. Kevin was Head Boy in my year and was a wellliked guy. I hadn’t seen Kevin since the day we walked out of RSGC as graduates, so I was happy to hear from him. In the note, Kevin wished me well, briefly talked about his own life and personally invited me to an upcoming Toronto-area pub night to catch up.

The note reminded me of my time as a boy at RSGC. Headmaster John Latimer was famous for sending boys lovely handwritten notes and birthday cards. John would send notes like “What a great props director you are! You did a superb job with little recognition. Congratulations and thanks.” I’ve kept every one of those notes he wrote me. I think it goes to show there’s power in a personal touch.

As for the pub night, I only went because Kevin had personally invited me and I wanted to see him again. By the end of the evening, he had sold me on getting involved in the Alumni Association.

So with that in mind, you’ll understand my disappointment that I can’t personally invite every member of the RSGC community to come and see what we’ve accomplished at the school in the last few years. Through the tireless work of the Board of Governors and the Capital Campaign Committee, the school has undergone its most massive renovation to date. Gone are the unsightly portables and the tarmac. In their place we have a huge addition to See House, including a vaulted roof art space, large classrooms, breakout areas and a Black Box Theatre. The excavation of the tarmac has allowed for sub-grade parking. Atop

Alumni Association President Colin Watson ’94 Vice President and Mentoring & Networking Chair Alex Edmison ’02 Representative to the Board of Governors & Past President Sandy Gibson ’01 Arts & Culture Committee Chair Bernard von Bieberstein ’97 Communications Chair Micheal Fountain ’99 Fundraising Committee Chair & Capital Campaign Alumni Co-Chair Jamie Lint ’98 Faculty Rep Drew Blanchette ’01 Capital Campaign Alumni Co-Chair & Member-at-Large Jamie Peters ’90 Members–at-Large Peter Antonoff ’82 Arthur Kennedy ’81 Dave McCarthy ’04 Jay Murray ’79

the underground parking lot and in place of the old tarmac now sits a field turf pitch, several gathering areas and a beautiful new hockey tarmac named the Gage Love Ball Hockey Tarmac.

Headmaster Stephen Beatty ’86 has said that our campus now finally physically reflects the pride we’ve always had in the place ­– and I agree. I hope that you’re now sold on a visit if you haven’t been by in a while.

As for the Alumni Association, it continues to thrive. Reassessment and tailoring of events has meant greater attendance, with the last two Old Boys’ Dinners attracting the largest number of alumni to date. The success of our mentoring programs is also growing. Building on the success of mentoring programs aimed at graduating boys, we’ve also created well-attended mentorship programs for recent university graduates. Our next mentorship goal is a program based in universities for, and by, undergraduate Georgians. Look for that this fall.

This year, we’ve also embarked on an ambitious strategic planning process to

complement the College’s current planning.

RSGCAA Vice President Alex Edmison is chairing the planning process. I encourage you to contact him at Alumni@RSGC.on.ca if you’re interested in adding your input.

The Alumni Association Executive is always searching for new ways to engage alumni and enrich their lives. If you would like to get involved or have any ideas, I encourage you to reach out and become involved.

I look forward to seeing you either around the school or at an alumni event.

Consider this a personal invitation.

Colin Watson ’94 President, RSGCAA

The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College 5

POINT/COUNTERPOINT

Debating is one of RSGC’s oldest traditions since the school’s doors opened almost 50 years ago. Now, we carry on the tradition in the pages of The Shield as we invite two members of the community to tackle a debate topic in writing.

IT Director Charles Fowler and Matthew Raymond, Class of 2013, may have a great working relationship—but they clearly have a difference of opinion here. And when they clash, watch the bytes fly...

Pro-Mobile CHARLES FOWLER

N

ot only do I think we should permit students to use mobile devices in class, I also think we should encourage it. In fact, I expect in the long term that many of us will make use of multiple devices, choosing the one that’s right for the job at hand. I concede that in a setting like ours where everyone already has a laptop, this could be a tough sell, but there are advantages to mobile devices that make them stand out.

First, unlike a traditional computer or even a laptop, your mobile devices are always with you. These days they are just like regular computers, nearly fully featured and literally in your pocket. Ask yourself what you need to do during your working day - read things, write stuff down, take a picture or record some sound or video, talk with a colleague, or otherwise share any of the above with others. You can do any of these things with any of the devices you are likely to own, but the mobile device has the unique quality of being with you wherever and whenever you need to do those things.

Furthermore, none of these devices is a silo any longer. If you choose, you can set it up so that whatever you create or consume on one device is available on your other devices as well. I began this document on my laptop, then strayed from my desk to a quieter corner of the building and added a few thoughts via my hand-held device, and then when I was nearly done, I shared it with a colleague on a tablet for some fresh eyes.

There are the things a mobile device makes more convenient than a traditional computer: reading, with your books or other documents synchronized across your hand-held and tablet, right down to the place you left off; highlighting text within what you are reading with the swipe of a finger, your notations collected on the fly in a live index; jotting notes. I love how, on a tablet, I can pull out a stylus and scribble down a thought, switch to a marker to circle or emphasize something, then doodle an illustration with a brush or pencil tool. I could go on.

The traditional computer continues to do some things uniquely well. I prefer it when writing at length, creating more 6 The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College

involved multimedia content like e-books, editing video and other media-rich presentations, and using software that is demanding of hardware, like games, or just very specific uses, like customized databases.

And that leads me back to the crux of my point, which is, let’s use the right tool for the job. One school I’m in touch with has students equipped with multiple devices: laptop, hand-held and tablet. When students ask which device they should bring to class, one teacher there tells me he likes to say, “You’ll be writing about 500 words…” and let the students use their own judgment.

At RSGC, we’re not there yet, but I would argue that we’re not far off from being ready. We have some technical issues to resolve: for one, our wireless network would need some beefing up. And as a faculty, we would need to think about how we share and receive information from and with students to ensure that mobile devices have jobs to do in class. For example, we’re close to being able to offer student timetables, class notices and daybook-type information, optimized for mobile screens.

Mobile devices are a handy part of daily life outside of school and many schools have figured out how to take advantage of what mobile devices have to offer within the classroom as well. I think it’s only a matter of time before we do the same here.

Charles Fowler ’86 is the Director of Information Technology at the school, a role in which he struggles to find a balance between enthusiasm for the new on the one hand, and realism about what will actually be helpful on the other.

Pro-Mobile vs. Anti-Mobile in the

Classroom Anti-Mobile MATTHEW RAYMOND

I

am writing against the resolution that mobile phones should be used in a classroom setting as a learning tool. We live in a world where everyone, wherever they are, is connected through social media. I believe that having mobile phones in the classroom would do more harm than good.

First, mobile phones are distracting because of the availability of social media. Second, they would make information to cheat more accessible and discreet. Third, the Macbooks we use completely cover any reason we would need to access our mobile phone.

Pick up any iPhone or Google phone and browse through the pages inundated with applications. Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and every other social media site under the sun is available for download almost instantaneously. Add the popular games such as Angry Birds or Temple Run and this phone is perfect for playtime. This is the problem. We live in a world where teachers are often fighting for the attention of their students. When you add a mobile phone into the equation, the amount of distractions multiply and the teacher can simply not compete. I have seen it happen in our school with the use of the Macbooks. Teachers are constantly battling with students over the use of Facebook and playing games.

One of the methods to combat the inappropriate use has been wireless monitoring, which is nearly impossible when it comes to mobiles. The absence of this monitoring would leave the classroom like the Wild West. The students would be able to send and receive text messages, check Facebook, play Angry Birds or any number of games. The teachers would spend more time policing acceptable use of the technology than actually using the tool for its intended purpose.

When you bring a mobile phone into the classroom, you bring the entire Internet with you. Access to popular search engines such as Google gives the students all the information they could ever need right at their fingertips. This is a doubleedged sword, however, because the ability to cheat is just too available. During an assessment, it is very easy to be sneaky

and quickly search Google for an answer. Teachers do not need another thing to look out for when doing assessments.

The old adage, “Too many cooks in the kitchen spoils the soup” can be updated to “Too many devices in the classroom ruins the class.” At RSGC, we already have laptops that are capable of much more than any smartphone. A simple comparison puts the Macbook streets ahead of a smartphone in computing power and just about everything else. The computers are monitored, which is useful for keeping students on task. The Macbooks are loaded with important applications such as Microsoft Word and Photoshop, which add to the learning experience. The smartphone in the RSGC classroom is unnecessary and adds to the electronic clutter we face on a daily basis.

In review, I believe adding mobile phones to the RSGC classroom will cause more trouble than good. First, smartphones are little boxes full of distraction against which teachers will have trouble competing. Second, smartphones make good tools for cheating and will turn teachers into watchdogs. Third, the Macbooks we use outclass even the most advanced smartphone.

Mobile phones would add digital clutter to our classrooms.

Matthew Raymond is in the Class of 2013. He is on the executive committee of the Toronto Student Film Festival, head of the photography club, an avid snowboarder and a wannabe writer.

The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College 7

CAMPAIGN UPDATE

Our Humble Home F

rom its founding in 1964, St. George’s College has cherished its urban location and beloved campus. Our facilities, however, have never really measured up to some of the more lush, rolling campuses enjoyed by our sister and brother schools, but the sense of making do with what we had was a part of the esprit de corps of being a Georgian.

Thanks to the major transformation and campus redevelopment undertaken as a result of the Honouring Our Past | Building Our Future Capital Campaign,

RSGC is no longer the little kid on the block.

“We’re really proud of this facility – and being proud of an RSGC facility is something that’s kind of new for us,” said Headmaster Stephen Beatty ’86. “It definitely helps us in Admissions since we used to ask families to look beyond the shortcomings of our facilities and now we brag about them and show them off.”

And with an incredible 6,600 square-foot addition to See House, including a 1,600 square-foot art room with 16-foot timber frame cathedral ceilings, modern

8 The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College

new classrooms with separate dialogue rooms and a 2,200 square-foot Studio Theatre featuring a modular stage, 14-foot ceilings, moveable seating, grid lighting and finely tuned acoustics, there is certainly much to brag about.

“The theatre is everything

I could possibly have hoped for and I think the boys really love the openness of it,” said Senior School Drama teacher Dr. Chris Newton. “It’s like a small little gym in here at times; they can do all sorts of physical things. Some of the boys have been operating the lights already, too, so they’re getting a real hands-on feel for it.”

In addition to See House, other campus improvements include plenty of new activity and play spaces for students of all ages. An artificial turf field where the boys can practice or simply kick or toss a ball around, the new and impressive Gage Love Ball Hockey Tarmac, a brand new judo dojo, the Outdoor Student Commons and plenty of outdoor landscaping make the RSGC campus a wonderful place to practice,

play, participate in a gym class, socialize or relax outdoors.

“The adults are loving watching the kids enjoy their new campus,” said Steve.

“There are so many different things for the kids to do: those who want to kick a ball around or slide tackle can do that; they can play wall-ball; balance on the side planters; play hide and seek; hang out and talk. It’s just such a pleasure to watch them.”

Emilie Toguri, the Junior School Art teacher, is in agreement with the Headmaster.

“The new grounds really give the boys a chance to get some exercise and expend energy – they just adore it,” she said. “They need to go out, roll and jump around, and there’s so much space for them to do that now. And what is really wonderful is the dedicated space at the core for the boys who are more contemplative, who want to read, have a chat or enjoy some downtime with someone.”

And of course, the new art space is a huge selling point for the school.

“It’s lovely, fresh and new.

And it really encourages you

to make art because there’s a lot of natural light,” said Emilie. “When you come in here, you feel invigorated and inspired.”

None of the campus improvements would have been possible without the generosity and commitment of the entire RSGC community, who as of late January, have raised a collective $5.2 million for the Campaign.

The fundraising done to date thrills Steve Beatty.

“It’s an impressive number for us,” he said. “But what’s more impressive is the participation rate. That’s my ultimate goal in the campaign: to have the school’s finances impacted as little as possible through long-term financing.

I would love to have every family and every Old Boy join every staff and Board member in building this facility, in having the pride of being a part of this for the boys.”

But Steve knows that while the campus has been transformed, the core values of the school will never change.

“This is still us – it just looks a lot nicer,” he said. “We were never defined by our former campus and we’re not defined by our new, beautiful campus. We have more space now but it’s not going to change the fundamental that we’re all in this place together.

The philosophy of ‘known and loved’ doesn’t change either.”

Grade 11 student Simon Thomasson was part of the inaugural performance of The Tempest in the Studio Theatre. He also takes advantage of the hockey tarmac as a member of RSGC’s Ball Hockey League. He is very proud of his new campus.

“We don’t have to look with envy at other schools anymore,” he said. “We have bragging rights now!”

The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College 9

TRIBUTE

On the Road Again

A

fter 15 years as RSGC’s Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Headmaster, Andy Whiteley has hung up his PC. He and his wife, Annette, CFO at the York School, retired on the same day in January 2013.

Andy says he has been intending to retire for several years, but kept putting it off for various reasons.

The beginning of the New Year was perfect timing, with a new Headmaster solidly in place and the Honouring Our Past | Building Our Future Campaign nearing completion.

“I’ve really enjoyed working with Headmasters Hal Hannaford, Paul O’Leary and Steve Beatty, and I don’t think I could have retired without seeing the new building finished,” said Andy, who started at RSGC back in 1997 after a 14-year stint as CFO at Ridley College.

Andy cut the ribbon for the new facility on October 24, 2012, marking a new beginning that was many years in the making. The new facility is just one of the legacies that Andy leaves behind.

“His legacy will be multi-fold – not just the physical plant and the expansion, but also the restoration of the historical aspects,” said Doug Jamieson, Director of Choral Music and a colleague of Andy’s since 1997.

“I hope that Andy has established a culture here in which the CFO is not just a bean counter who tells everybody how much to spend. Andy’s a guy who says ‘if you have a worthwhile vision, let’s see what we can do to make it happen’.”

But it’s Andy’s own vision that has played such a major role in the transformations to the RSGC campus. Before he arrived, the campus was quaint but shabby. Things began to change after his arrival, including an extension to the Junior School, the refurbishment of the Chapel and an overhaul of the organ.

“Andy really understands the importance of improving and maintaining the physical aspects of the College so that the students and staff can thrive,” said Doug. “He has his own style and vision of things. And he always shows such creativity and imagination for problem solving and fundraising.”

RSGC will certainly feel the absence of Andy’s vision, spirit and fun personality. His ability to wear many hats will also be missed.

10 The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College

“Andy is a corporate guy with the soul of a rock musician,” said Doug. “That combination has served him well here. He has had to take charge of a multi-million dollar fundraising campaign and also be the guy who puts on a party hat. I’ve seen him do everything from rolling up his pants to mop up a flooded floor, to bartending at a fundraiser!”

Now, the only hat Andy is going to need is his travel hat.

He and Annette are renting out their house, jumping in the car and going on a 10-month trip throughout North America that will take them across Route 66, the Pacific Coast Highway and the Transcanada Highway, with flyaways to Tobago and Maui. Summer will be spent at their island cottage in Haliburton County, where they plan to buy a pontoon boat, and renovate the kitchen and bunk house.

“My two favourite places in the world are Florida and Southern California, so that’s where we’re headed,” said Andy.

Stops will be made in New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville, Amarillo, Los Angeles, the Grand Canyon, Napa, Sedona, San Francisco, Vancouver, Calgary, Saskatoon, Cape Cod, New England, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. The itinerary has been very carefully constructed to match up with timely visits with their children and events like a classic car show and rock ’n roll extravaganza in London, Ont., the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, Carnaval in Port of Spain, Trinidad, and a vintage sports car weekend in Watkins Glen, NY. Andy’s beloved 2006 Mini Cooper will be put in storage so that it’s in mint condition when the big trip ends in October.

But even when the big trip does end, Andy and Annette plan on living life to the fullest and continually itching their travel bug.

“We hope to never spend another winter in Canada,” said Andy. “We love France and have lots of friends and relatives in Ireland, Chile and Australia. We hope to spend lots of time there.”

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

The Legacy Lives On

T

here are 17 RSGC alumni with sons currently enrolled in the College. The Shield gathered these men and their boys for a photo shoot this past fall.

Front row (L to R): Owen Clute, Class of 2017; Spencer Chapple, Class of 2019; Simon Ormsby, Class of 2018; Devin Chapple, Class of 2021; Will van Nostrand, Class of 2020; Nicholas Woollcombe, Class of 2020; Connor von Teichman, Class of 2020; Jack Beatty, Class of 2022; Andrew Woollcombe, Class of 2022; David Quaggin-Smith, Class of 2016.

Second row (L to R): Thomas Trusler, Class of 2013; Graham Trusler, Class of 2015; Fielding Phillips, Class of 2014;

Owen Burry, Class of 2013; Nick Balan, Class of 2013; Patrick Quaggin-Smith, Class of 2013; Andrew Firstbrook, Class of 2015; Theo Wright, Class of 2016; Jack Lewis, Class of 2016; Matthew Clark, Class of 2014.

Third row (L to R): Eugene Trusler ’75, Timothy Ormsby ’78, Michael Woollcombe ’87, Matthew von Teichman ’92, Scott Lewis ’83, Kevin Smith ’83, Guy Burry ’77, Paul Clark ’85, Andrew Spears ’79, Alex Spears, Class of 2015.

Back row (L to R): Stephen Beatty ’86, Fraser Phillips ’78, Andrew van Nostrand ’88, John Firstbrook ’76, Thomas Clute ’79, Bruce Chapple ’87, John Atkinson ’91, Bill Balan ’86.

The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College 11

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

A DAY

IN THE LIFE OF A

SPORTS ANCHOR

12 The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College

D

ave McCarthy ’04 has always been a huge sports fan. And now he gets to spend his days surrounded by sports, as a sports anchor and reporter on TSN Radio 1050. Hired in August 2011, Dave has already rubbed shoulders with some notable athletes and sports professionals, including most of the Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Argonauts, Paul Bissonnette, Bob Cole, Donald Fehr, John-Michael Liles, Paul Maurice, Luke Schenn, Darryl Sittler, Brendan Smith, Matt Stajan and Milos Raonic.

We had a chance to sit down with Dave and get his take on a variety of topics, including sports, superstitions, a typical Dave McCarthy day and the breakfast of champions…

On sports: “I’ve always been a big sports fan. The Blue Jays won the World Series when I was six and I remember it like it was yesterday. No one else my age really remembers it very well. But from that point on, I became a huge baseball fan. The Leafs were good at the time too, so it just kind of went from there. But once I realized that I was never going to play sports professionally, I knew I wanted a career in sports. I was probably about 10 or 11 when I started getting interested in broadcast journalism. I knew I wanted to attend Ryerson University and it sort of evolved from there.”

On his breakthrough moment: “I did an internship at TSN’s Off the Record and the producer at the time, Todd Hayes, was involved with TSN radio. He asked me if I wanted to get involved, so through that connection, I had my ‘in’. So many people want to get into this industry, so you do have to get lucky and know someone who has the confidence in you. I just kind of got lucky that way.”

On working at TSN: “Working as an intern at Off the Record, I was lucky enough to get to know Michael Landsberg. He was a big reason that I got in there. He has given me really good advice and has been a big mentor to me.

I always see people like James Duthie, Bob McKenzie and Kate Beirness kicking around the halls, and there’s no pretention there at all, which is really nice. That’s not always the case when you work in television, but so far at TSN, it’s been great. It’s a really cool place to work and I’d say my

best memory so far is producing the nineto-noon show with Scott MacArthur.

On interviewing athletes: “No one has wanted to hit or walk away from me, so that’s good! I guess that means I’m not asking any difficult questions or I have a kind face! For someone early in his career, that’s a good thing.”

On favourite sports and teams: “Hockey is number one and baseball is number two. I’m a local guy, which means I haven’t been happy in a long time! But I don’t really understand how people can be fans of teams like the Miami Dolphins or a college basketball team without having a connection to that team. I’ve been a fan of the Leafs and Jays for as long as I can remember.”

On impartiality in journalism: “You have to be able to put your preferences aside. As a broadcaster, you can’t be a cheerleader. As a viewer or a listener, there’s nothing I hate more than hearing someone who’s waving flags or pompoms.

That means I don’t have any problem being impartial in my job. Even when it comes to the Leafs and Jays, who I really want to win, I’m usually kind to them, even though they haven’t really merited any kind of praise lately. I just tell it like it is. And often, when you get into the business, you stop cheering for teams and start cheering for individuals. You develop a connection and you want to see that guy succeed.”

On a typical Dave McCarthy day: “It varies significantly depending on what I’m working on. When I’m working on the show, it starts at 7:00 am. The show’s on at 9:00 am and I’m done at 2:00 pm. But I could do a Jays or Marlies game in the evening. On weekends, I host Sport Centre updates, which is a three-minute update at the top and the bottom of the hour of all of the top stories happening at the time. There’s rarely a time when I’m sitting around waiting for the day to end. If you like working in a fast-paced environment, this is definitely the place for you.”

On superstitions in the broadcast booth and in sport: “I don’t have any. None. Zero. In fact, when people mention superstitions, I start to get irritated! I try to convince other people to stop having them! Especially in the broadcast industry, having a superstition could really hurt you. You

need to be flexible and adapt – people get fed up with the divas in a hurry. I don’t even really have superstitions when I play sports either. When I play hockey and baseball, there are little things that I like to do, like to get to the game a little earlier. In golf, there’s a little process I like to go through, but that’s only because I’m not very good!”

On sports outside of work: “I don’t watch sports on TV as often as you might think! But when the Leafs are on, I’ll watch every game. Even when I’m not around to watch it live, I’ll tape it and watch later. I try to avoid the score, but in my business, it’s hard to miss!

When I come home, I want to focus on things other than sports because I do it all day. I find at times it can get a little monotonous and I don’t want to lose the excitement of it. You don’t want to do sports all day long – especially deck the house out in sports memorabilia. I’ve got a couple of pictures that are somewhat meaningful but that’s about it.”

On free time: “I like to play hockey, golf with my buddies and spend time with the people I enjoy spending time with.

Especially in a job when you work a lot of nights, you don’t get to be as social as you might want, so it means so much more to spend time with people. I enjoy going to dinner and exploring new restaurants.”

On the Breakfast of Champions: “I don’t start my day with Wheaties! A typical breakfast is waiting until lunch! I know it’s not very healthy, but it saves me a good half hour of sleep if I don’t eat breakfast – especially if I wake up early for the morning show. I drink one coffee a day too – mostly black with just a little bit of cream. Sugar in coffee is foreign to me.”

On the iPhone vs. Blackberry battle: “Without question, Blackberry. I refuse to make the change and I never will!”

On RSGC: “I’m still good friends with quite a few guys from RSGC. I made a lot of friends there and the friendships have only strengthened since we graduated. And I come back every year to play in the alumni ball hockey tournament – I’ve played ever since I graduated! I was involved in ball hockey for years at RSGC and helped run the league with Mr. D’Arcy. Ball hockey is a great RSGC memory for me.”

The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College 13

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

An Evening at the Old Boys’ November 16, 2012

14 The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College

Photos: CanGrad Studios

Dinner

Thanks to Dinner Chair Stanley Janecek ’82 (R).

2012 Alumnus of Distinction Honoree Guy Burry ’77.

The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College 15

EVENTS

Building Community Andy Whiteley with two Old Boys from the RSGCAA.

Donor Reception & Ribbon Cutting On October 24, 2012, RSGC officially opened our brand new, highly anticipated facility. Donors were honoured at the elegant reception, the Donor Recognition Wall outside the Chapel was unveiled and – in the highlight of the evening – Sir Andy Whiteley, decked out in a knight’s costume, cut the ribbon with a sword! Guests were able to tour the additions, including the new classrooms, art room and parking garage. Thanks to all of our generous donors who made it all possible!

Catch the highlights in these photos! http://ow.ly/h4doQ

RSGC Hockey & Family Skate Night It might have been frigid outside, but inside St. Michael’s Arena for the annual RSGC Hockey & Family Skate Night on January 22, 2013, the action was hot! Kids, mascots, music, raffle prizes, free hot dogs and hot chocolate – that was just the beginning. Four fast-paced and exciting hockey games were definite highlights, starting with the U14 team playing against the parents. The parents came out victorious, winning 4-1. In the U16 vs. staff match-up, it was close but the teachers edged the students 6-4.

The Senior Varsity team had more success over a team of local firefighters, winning 4-3 in a shootout.

And in the alumni game, the Old Knights defeated the Older Knights, with the 2000’s grads winning over the 1990’s grads in a shootout!

Want to see more pictures? http://ow.ly/h4jnJ

The staff team for the inaugural ball hockey game.

Knights’ Fayre Community BBQ & Celebration Despite the cool, rainy weather, the Knights’ Fayre on October 28, 2012 was a resounding success. The community came out in droves to celebrate the new facility. There was a ceremonial faceoff on the new Gage Love Ball Hockey Tarmac, followed by an intense ball hockey game between the staff and students. The students were thrilled to walk away with a 5-3 victory! Jousting, zorb balls, face painting, tattoos and lots of yummy goodies, including hot chocolate and warm apple cider, made for a very fun day. The Daily Bread Food Bank was the big winner, with the Grade 7 class bake sale raising almost $700 for the charity and the Pumpkin Patch photo shoot bringing in over 2,000 lbs. of non-perishable food items.

This photo gallery shows just a glimpse of the fun… http://ow.ly/h3Qvr

16 The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College

Terry Fox Run & Spirit Day September 28, 2012 was a day like no other – the Terry Fox Run & Spirit Day. For the first time, the entire school enjoyed picnic-like games together, with Junior and Senior boys bonding, co-operating and collaborating to win points for their Houses. A Tug-of-Spirit, the Monster Ball Relay and other fun games were a huge hit. But nothing topped the run itself and the fact that the boys of RSGC continue to raise money for the Terry Fox Foundation.

Thanks to everyone who made a donation for such a worthy cause.

These pictures capture the essence of the incredible day! http://ow.ly/h3JLw

Don’t miss these upcoming events: February 22, 2013

Alumni Reunion, Montreal February 28, 2013

Hidden Gems Concert April 12, 2013

Grad Moms’ Tea @ the RCYC May 9, 2013

Alumni Networking Forum May 16, 2013

Recent Grads BBQ & Ball Hockey Tournament May 23, 2013

Grad Class Parent & Son Legacy Dinner May 26, 2013

School-wide Grandparents’ Day Brunch May 28, 2013

Athletic Awards Ceremonies June 12, 2013

Junior School Prize Day Class of 2013 Graduation Ceremony

The Shield Winter 2013

17

Let’s put our heads together.

Whether your association with RSGC is as a current parent, an alumnus, a parent of an alumnus, a grandparent, a member of the faculty and staff, or a friend, we can all agree that RSGC is a truly special place. More than just a school, RSGC is a community in which everyone strives to give the students opportunities to thrive, take risks, grow and succeed.

At RSGC, all of our boys are known and loved.

Please consider a gift in support of the Capital Campaign, Headmaster’s Initiatives or The Georgian Alumni Scholarship.

Annual Giving 2012-13 To make a donation or for more information, visit rsgc.on.ca or contact Fiona Cooper at fcooper@rsgc.on.ca or 416.533.9481 ext. 299.

GIVING

Alex Edmison ’02

A

lex Edmison ’02 feels very strongly about giving back to the school that played such a major role in his formative years.

“You just want to support Royal St. George’s College – they do great work there,” said Alex, who started at the school in Grade 8 in 1996. “They’re an incubator of success. The guys who graduate from the College have unlimited potential to do great things.

Helping the school to grow benefits everybody, and you’re increasing the value of your school and your alumni title.”

Alex started making contributions to the Annual Giving Program shortly after graduating from the business program at Queen’s University – which he says he never would have been able to complete if not for RSGC. Perhaps that’s why he is much more involved with his high school than his university.

Ever since he graduated from university in 2006, Alex has been a faithful contributor to the Headmaster’s

Alex (l) and Colin

Initiatives Fund and the Georgian Alumni Scholarship Endowment.

Alex’s contributions aren’t only monetary. He has also been an active member of the Royal St. George’s College Alumni Association’s (RSGCAA) executive committee since 2008 and is currently the Vice President.

“My time is the greatest gift I can give,” said Alex, who negotiates commercial leases at CB Real Estate for a living. “The progress we’re making as an association is significant, but many more hours are needed to get there.

There are great things to come.”

Alex’s main role with the RSGCAA is the networking component. He works diligently to organize alumni networking events that connect recent grads and young alumni in university with Old Boys who have experience in the working world.

“We connect the younger guys with the older guys so they can learn a lot more about the opportunities out there. The other goal is to get the

alumni that come out to network with each other,” said Alex. “But ultimately, we’re helping to increase the brand of Georgian alumni. The stronger we are as a group, the better.”

He is also working with RSGCAA president, Colin Watson ’94, to update the association’s strategic plan.

While Alex’s involvement with the school started slowly – initially through RSGC university visits and then the annual alumni ball hockey tournament – it has grown into a big commitment that he thoroughly enjoys. Plus, he always loves going back to visit his alma mater.

“RSGC is like a second home to you and they always welcome you back – you’re always a part of the Georgian community,” he said. “There’s always going to be a supportive community behind you, a great group of friends and a great organization that you can be proud of. The more you can give back, the better.”

Alex feels close to the Georgian community and will always be grateful for the College’s impact on his life.

“RSGC took me to the highest level of achievement I think I could have ever achieved,” he said. “The school is very strong in taking one individual student, finding out what his strengths and weaknesses are, and helping him become the best he can be.”

In terms of what makes RSGC special, Alex points to four things: the College’s ability to take everyone to their maximum potential; a commitment to remain small; caring and supportive teachers; and the great sense of community.

“We build lasting and meaningful friendships and we’re given all the tools to succeed,” said Alex, who still lives with two fellow Old Boys. “The doors that the College can open for you, along with the friendships and sense of community, are always nice.”

The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College 19

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

HORSE PL

BY LAURIE ALPERN

W

hen Alex Furber ’05 arrived at Royal St. George’s College in Grade 7, he was a class clown. But by the time he left the College after graduating from the Junior School, he was a young man transformed, with an incredibly strong sense of self. Thanks to some influential teachers, Alex learned how to put his comedic ways to more constructive use.

“Ms. Somerville and Ms. Steinhauer fostered my desire for comedy and channelled that into doing plays,” said Alex.

“I played a drunk sailor in HMS Pinafore in Grade 7 and I was Shere Khan in the Jungle Book in Grade 8. They were both really fun. Playing the villain in Jungle Book was the first big role for me.”

Dressing up in the Jungle Book’s tiger costume for the Junior School play is now a fond and distant memory for the 25-year-old, who just ended a long run playing the lead role in the Mirvish production War Horse at Toronto’s Princess of Wales Theatre. Still, Alex’s experience

in Grades 7 and 8 is the perfect example to show that what you do in your younger years impacts your future.

“Doing the plays at RSGC was obviously very important for me. I think it set me up for realizing that it’s what I wanted to do as a career,” said Alex, who also played clarinet in the Junior School B-Band.

In Grade 10, while boarding at Trinity College School, Alex confirmed his desire to become a professional actor.

“I was really loving theatre. My drama teacher took me under her wing, pushed me and made me believe that I could do this as a career,” he said. “That’s when I realized for sure that acting was what I wanted to do for a living.”

After graduating from high school, Alex went to theatre school at George Brown. By Christmas time, he had been asked to leave the program as part of the school’s first round of cuts to shrink the class.

“I didn’t flunk out or anything. They just saw that I wasn’t ready for formal training,” he said. “And they were

A Great Resume

Photo: Tim Leyes

Alex’s performance in War Horse was extremely well received by Toronto media and critics. So much so that in January 2013, he was named Best Leading Actor in a Play in the BroadwayWorld.com Toronto awards. In addition to War Horse, his other theatre credits include Romeo And Juliet, The Book Of Miracles, Taming Of The Shrew, The Little Prince, The Importance Of Being Earnest, All My Sons and Grease.

20 The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College

absolutely right – I think they hit the nail on the head. If anything, it made my resolve stronger.”

That’s when Alex decided to make things happen for himself. He got an agent, started up and produced his own show, and applied to the National Theatre School in Montreal.

A recent graduate of the three-year program, Alex was thrilled to nail the role of Albert Narracott in War Horse.

“When I first read the part, I just knew it was for me,” said Alex. “I understood the character so well. Sometimes you go out for parts and know you’re not the best fit, but with this guy, I knew how to play him.

When I got it, I was over the moon – it’s been such an incredible experience.”

Both the play and Alex have received rave reviews, which is icing on the cake for a guy who is extremely passionate about his work and enjoys every minute of the eight performances a week.

“It’s been amazing – really a complete dream come true,” said Alex. “It’s such an incredible part and I love the play so much.

The cast is full of talented, amazing, fun people. And to have all of my family and friends going back as far as RSGC and high school come see it… It’s just fantastic to share it with everybody.”

RSGC English teacher Janet Somerville isn’t even remotely surprised by Alex’s success. She knows he is a natural and remembers him as being playful, smart and creative. His performance in War Horse made her weep.

“He really is phenomenal. You believe in his character – he’s totally committed to the role,” she said. “He’s a natural talent – and I don’t say that just because I know him and have been a part of his journey.

He also has humility, which is rare in this day and age.”

Somerville remembers several other unique qualities in Alex.

LAY “It’s interesting to watch the young man that he has become because, to me, he really isn’t any different,” she said. “He still has that same goodness, that same kindness. He was always authentically himself and he always knew who he was – that’s really unique for teenage boys.”

Alex still has the same best friend, Paul Trebuss ’05, whom he met at RSGC in Grade 7. Paul, who just started working in nursing at a hospital in Toronto, couldn’t be more proud of his friend’s success.

“When I saw his show, I gave him a giant hug and just thought: ‘he made it’,” said Paul. “Everybody that knows him knew he’d make an impact somewhere – it was either going to be Saturday Night Live or some big Broadway production.”

And unlike Ms. Somerville, Paul does indeed remember Alex as a class clown.

“He was a class clown but not the disruptive type. He respected everybody – he was the class clown with a conscience,” said Paul. “He is easily the funniest person you’ll ever meet. He’s oddly shy when you first meet him but after a minute, you’ll just break down and laugh. He’s absolutely brilliant.”

So where does Alex go from here, after spending a year of his life as Albert Narracott?

According to the actor, he’d like to do some film and television, and keep doing theatre. He’s also hoping to work at Stratford and Shaw one day.

As for Paul, he believes Alex is at the top of his game and will continue to have much success in his career.

“There is no up from here,” said Paul.

“It’s only horizontal. But horizontal in a great way.”

Photos courtesy of Mirvish Productions

The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College 21

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

MAX HOLZBERG MAKING A DIFFERENCE Max’s younger brother Sam, centre, is also a Georgian, currently in Grade 8.

22 The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College

BY LAURIE ALPERN

R

oyal St. George’s College has a reputation for nurturing honourable, responsible and polite young men. And while Grade 10 student Max Holzberg is all of those things, there is something unique about him too.

“A lot of the traits Max has are shared by so many of the boys at our school,” said Alex Shum, who taught Max mathematics in Grade 9. “What is unique about him is that so many of them coincide in him. I don’t know of many other students in whom all those qualities are bundled up.”

The qualities Alex refers to include kindness, optimism, enthusiasm, empathy, resilience, a great sense of humour, an ability to engage with people on a personal level, a tremendous sense of what is just and a desire to make a difference.

All of these qualities led Max to start the Social Justice Club when he was in Grade 9. The club includes a small group of interested and dedicated boys who meet to talk about social issues and make action plans in an attempt to make a difference.

From awareness weeks to fundraisers, the boys are armed with plenty of ideas, from book fairs to fashion shows.

“We need to give back and we do our best to make a difference,” said Max. “We try to get the school more involved with these issues because we’re fortunate to be in such a good place and at such a good school.”

His work has not gone unnoticed.

Last year, Max was awarded the Andrew Drillis Award, which is presented to the Senior School student who demonstrated

great enthusiasm for the College’s extracurricular program. He was also named Right to Play’s All-Star last November, thanks to his dedication to and enthusiasm for the program. In February, he was informed that he would be receiving a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal for his work with Right to Play.

Max’s mother, Moira Holmes, says she and Max’s father, Ben Mark Holzberg, can’t take credit for Max’s dedication to making a difference and his desire to get involved in extra-curricular activities at the College.

“It’s just who he is; he requires no encouragement from us. I don’t know where it comes from!” said Moira. “He has always had a really strong sense of social justice. He sees a lot of opportunities to be actively involved in things that relate to social justice at RSGC.” Max started at RSGC in Grade 7, arriving from another small school in the area – the Institute of Child Studies (ICS). According to Moira, ICS encouraged a lot of thinking around social justice right from a young age – and that encouragement has continued at RSGC. “He just has this innate quality about fairness and justice,” said Moira. “Even when he was little, he had this profound sense of what was fair and what wasn’t.

He’s just a really fair-minded person.

At RSGC, they have to do community service, but Max would be doing it anyways.”

In fact, Max accumulated all of the 40 community service hours required for graduation in his first year of high

school. But he continues to log the hours with enthusiasm.

“Why should I stop? It’s not about the hours, it’s about trying to help out and be a better person,” said Max. “There is a lot of time in a week, so if I can give some of that to other people, I will. Given what I have, I really want to give back.”

Alex Shum likens Max to ivy on an old building. You never know where it’s going to go or how far – all that’s required is a tiny bit of inspiration.

“He has no fear about standing up for what’s right,” he said. “It may not be popular, it may not be cool and it may not earn him social currency, but if it comes to standing up against bullying, fighting against homophobia or raising awareness for the equality of women, he raises his voice in a very engaging way.”

Max credits both RSGC and his parents for helping him to become the best version of himself.

“I have a big group of people I can talk to if there’s anything wrong,” said Max. “There are a lot of really great teachers and I’ve learned a lot. I’ve learned important values like being a good person, being involved in the community and not being afraid of who you are. I really get that here and I don’t think it would be the same anywhere else.”

As for Max’s parents, they couldn’t be more proud of their eldest son.

“He’s a great kid and we’re all so curious to see what Max is going to do when he’s an adult,” said Moira. “RSGC has planted all these wonderful seeds.”

The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College 23

PARENT SPOTLIGHT

THE KEILTYS: FOREVER ETCHED IN RSGC HISTORY

BY LAURIE ALPERN

W

hen Rob Keilty’s mother convinced him to go to Royal St. George’s College in 1976, he had no idea that the College would become such an integral part of his life.

Rob is now not only the father of a Lifer and will soon become RSGC’s longest standing Board member, he also honoured his mother Dorothy’s 2006 death by holding her funeral in the Chapel and recently witnessed the completion of stunning stained glass windows dedicated to her in the Chapel’s west end.

“Once you’re in, you’re in,” Rob said of his involvement with the school. “My business partners and I believe that it is incumbent upon us to be involved in our community. Besides, it’s really fulfilling.

You always get more than you give.

Having my son graduate from RSGC and be so positive about the school is a bonus.”

Rob, who graduated in 1981 and joined the board 20 years later in 2001, was really influenced by his mother, who not only wanted him at the school known for Manners Maketh Men, but who also urged him to take on the role of Board Chair. He held the position for an impressive five years, from 2003-2007.

“In a big part, I credit my Mom,” he said. “I was hesitant to become the Chair because of the time commitment, but my Mom encouraged me and I found it to be a challenging yet rewarding experience.”

It was also extremely important to Dorothy that her son learn proper manners.

“My Mom was really big on things like how to sit properly at the dinner table and how to conduct yourself as a gentleman,” said Rob. “Going to RSGC reinforced that. We used to get a detention when we didn’t have our top button done up!”

Those values and manners are his biggest takeaway from the College. His son Jack ’10 feels the same way and believes the school has played an integral role in the man he has become.

“RSGC promotes gentlemanly conduct as in Manners Maketh Men and the Georgian Code,” said Jack, who is currently studying History and Political Science at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

“That certainly comes through in the way that I live my life.”

24 The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College

When Jack started at the school in Grade 3, he would admire the stained glass windows in the Chapel and take note of the names on them. Now, in addition to his and his father’s names, his grandmother’s name is forever etched into RSGC’s history.

“It’s really cool to be remembered in the same way that I recall,” said Jack.

“My parents wanted to do something for the school and in memory of my grandmother, so they decided that the windows would be something nice because she really loved the Chapel.”

After Dorothy passed away, Rob and his wife Ruth made a contribution to the Capital Campaign, which hadn’t yet officially launched. They wanted to do something special for Dorothy. When the idea came up about the windows, they added to their original donation and commissioned the window in Dorothy Keilty’s name.

The window, designed by Jane and Kathryn Irwin of Art Zone in the Annex, took almost three years to complete, plus another week to install. Each window is two feet wide and 16 feet tall, making the stained glass an impressive feature at the back of the Chapel. The rose window features images of St. George and the dragon.

Wayne Squibb, a close friend of Rob’s, a father of two Georgian alumni and a past board member, thinks the windows are very fitting.

“It’s really a wonderful thing,” said Wayne. “His mother was very much involved with the school. And the Chapel was where she really wanted to be remembered. That’s how much love she had for the school. She was one of those great women who gave so much to RSGC. It was fabulous for the

Family Photos: Scott Eklund, Red Box Pictures

College and incredibly meaningful for the entire Keilty family.”

It was actually Wayne who recruited Rob to join the RSGC Board 11 years ago.

“I thought, what better candidate to be a role model for the boys and an asset to the school than Rob? He’s a successful businessman, an Old Boy, has a great love of the school, and his mother was actively involved in and proud of his

RSGC connection,” said Wayne.

“He would tell you now that being on the Board was one of the best things he has ever done and I think it even increased his love for the school. He’s a role model board member.”

Rob has been involved in championing the construction project since its inception. He’s excited about the campus transformation, yet he knows that deep down, RSGC’s fundamental values will

never change – it will always be about the boys.

“The game of all those schools, like UCC and Crescent, has risen dramatically since I was there,” said Rob. “RSGC has done a really good job of changing what’s important to change when you have to keep up with the times, while leaving the good stuff unchanged. The RSGC community will always feel like a family.”

The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College 25

FEATURES FEATURE

F*&!ed Up

Planting a Solid Foundation

From L to R: Jonathan, Milton and Gregory Hess.

Former RSGC Board Chair Milton Hess sent all four of his boys to the College, including Jeffrey ’87 and Adam ’93.

And while the family is still incredibly tight, two of the brothers, Gregory ’88 and Jonathan ’91, have formed a successful business together.

26 The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College

Photo: Strangemore Photo

The Importance of Family

BY CARMELLE WOLFSON

F

or brothers Gregory ’88 and Jonathan Hess ’91, their working relationship began as boys passing the puck to each other in their backyard hockey rink. It was good practice for the tournaments they played together as teammates on several hockey teams at St. George’s College.

This formative experience cemented a close bond between the brothers, who today together run Tree Global Inc. Tree Global, they say, is the first international tree nursery service that grows high performance trees for largescale international projects focused on environmental restoration, agriculture, timber and sustainable biomass. The business model is driven by the need for billions of trees each year and providing a tree that will survive better, grow faster and have a shorter time to yield in order to drive economic value and environmental benefits.

As business partners, the mutual trust between the brothers makes it easy for them to work as colleagues even though they’re half a world apart: Jonathan is based in Toronto, while Gregory has been in Mongolia for the last year. As much as they were when they were boys, they remain “very strong team players,” according to their father and former RSGC Board Chair, Milton Hess.

It was by no means a typical career trajectory for Gregory and Jonathan.

Hockey scored them both offers at prestigious Ivy League universities.

Showing his athletic talents on the soccer, tennis and hockey teams at RSGC,

Photo: Strangemore Photo

The Hess family is extremely tight-knit despite the fact that Gregory lives in Mongolia and Jonathan, pictured here with his wife, four-year-old twin boys and six-year-old daughter, lives in Toronto around the corner from his father, Milton.

Jonathan was recruited to play on the Lakefield College School hockey team at the end of Grade 10. After graduating from Lakefield in 1991, he moved down to New Hampshire to play hockey at Dartmouth College.

A few years earlier, in 1988, Gregory had graduated from RSGC and been admitted to an undergraduate program at Harvard University to play on their hockey team. His first year playing for Harvard, he helped the team win its only NCAA championship. Gregory continued playing hockey at the professional level for a few years following graduation before deciding to pursue a post-graduate degree.

“The time came when I knew I had to get on with what I wanted to do next,” he said. That next step turned out to be enrolling in a Master’s program in Public Health at Yale University.

Through his studies, Gregory found his calling in international development, later landing a job with the World Health Organization. He worked in humanitarian assistance for the UN body for nearly eight years. This included coordinating emergency relief in the Balkans during and after the Bosnian War in the ’90s and leading the way in global efforts to integrate aid with peace-building efforts.

Throughout all of the globetrotting, Gregory’s upbringing gave him the qualities he needed to function in an international environment.

“What I got from my father was curiosity,” explained Gregory, who credits his father for sparking his interest in learning about different people, cultures and

politics, leading to an international career.

“Being able to operate in those cultures is really a matter of treating people with respect. That’s also something that my father always emphasized with us.”

Taking the knowledge he had learned about relief in conflict and post-conflict areas, Gregory and his wife Michaela decided to create their own organization called Peacepath Consulting to improve the effectiveness of humanitarian organizations. Searching for a business partner in the project, he drew in another RSGC alumnus, Fraser Hore ’88, who was working in private sector consulting.

Through Peacepath, Gregory was able to help various organizations and levels of government to see the larger picture and better coordinate their aid efforts.

“It was an outlet for my entrepreneurial instincts,” said Gregory. “It was really fundamental to what I’m doing now with Tree Global in terms of what I learned about building companies and services in international environments.”

Realizing that international development didn’t have “the accountability that really drives performance”, Gregory began considering venturing into business opportunities that didn’t rely on donors to make a larger impact internationally. His first instinct was to seek business advice from his brother Jonathan.

After completing an MBA at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, Jonathan worked for nearly a decade at Scotia Capital.

When Gregory contacted him in 2010 about the new venture, Jonathan had just

The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College 27

started working at a small investment firm and was looking for a new challenge.

“He was bouncing ideas off of me,” recalled Jonathan. And then they made a discovery.

A temperature of -40 degrees Celsius is typical of Mongolian winter nights.

GLOBAL GROWTH The brothers researched a range of business opportunities, from housing for slums and water and sanitation systems, to humanitarian transport systems in Africa. When they looked at trees, however, they discovered a growing demand for trees for reforestation, agriculture and biomass projects. Every company was supplying their own trees, but no company specialized in providing those trees.

Neither Gregory, with his background in international aid, nor Jonathan, with his expertise in finance, knew much about trees, but their skill sets complemented each other perfectly to start a company together. Gregory functioned as the creative visionary, while Jonathan took care of the financial management and project development. Using his international networks, Gregory visited tree nurseries around the world, where he found a method that increases the rate of tree growth without relying on genetic modification.

Jonathan then raised the necessary capital and developed the business plan.

The business really appealed to a broad investor base as it crossed three of the largest growth sectors in the market (environment, renewable energy and food), had differentiating technology and significant long-term environmental and social impact. Within a year, the idea took off and they landed their first major project.

Gregory moved Michaela, his 8 and 9-year-old daughters and his 6-yearold son from Geneva, Switzerland to Mongolia for the new adventure.

According to Gregory, Mongolia is the fastest-growing economy in the world, in large part because the country is on the cusp of a huge coal, copper and gold mining boom. The company constructed a world class tree nursery on lands leased from the Forestry Department of Mongolia and has grown 500,000 trees there in the last year for both the Mongolian government and mining and 28 The Shield Winter 2013

construction companies for environmental remediation efforts. They have ambitious plans to increase that to five million over the next few years.

“To our knowledge, we’re the only service of this kind,” said Gregory.

In Mongolia, the large-scale, unregulated cutting of trees for wood export to China led to deforestation in the ’90s.

That practice is banned now, but the demand for forest products remains high for both construction and firewood. Many Mongolians still live in yurts (portable, bent wood-framed dwellings), which they heat by fire in the cold winters. A temperature of -40 degrees Celsius is typical of Mongolian winter nights.

“Jonathan gets all the warm countries and I get all the cold ones!” joked Gregory.

Tree Global’s business plan revolves around establishing nurseries on the ground at or near project sites it sells its Gregory and his two daughters.

seedlings to. Tree Global uses almost entirely local labour and management to run its nurseries.

Aside from environmental projects, like the reforestation efforts they’re providing trees for in Mongolia, Tree Global also works on biomass projects that produce sustainable energy and agricultural projects, producing trees that grow nuts, fruits, citrus, coffee, palm, rubber or cocoa. Combined, these represent markets that are worth hundreds of billions of dollars.

Jonathan has recently returned from Madagascar, where they are considering setting up shop. There, the idea of renewable energy is really taking off and they hope to create some business connections for biomass projects. Due to the current unstable political environment, companies in Madagascar are interested in developing small-scale, self-sufficient energy sources to reduce reliance on the government.

In addition to Madagascar, Tree Global is hoping to start projects in Brazil and Thailand over the next year, in which case Gregory is prepared to move with his wife and children yet again.

He considers Geneva his home, but the entire family is enjoying life in Mongolia.

During the week, the kids attend the International School and on weekends, the family takes day trips, driving through the countryside, often without being guided by any roads.

The Hess family has always been tight-knit. Jonathan, who has fouryear-old twin boys and a six-year-old daughter, and Gregory are both dedicated to their family lives. Although the two families do not see each other often because of geography, their children are close. Meanwhile, Jonathan has made his home around the corner from his father, Milton, a retired partner at business law firm Stikeman Elliott.

It’s not unusual for Milton to get a call from Jonathan or Gregory seeking business advice.

“He has been a tremendous resource,” said Jonathan. “He is very willing to give his time, not just to us, but to anybody.”

Milton often helps people who seek him out in the early stages of their careers by making introductions and providing a sounding board for their business ideas.

He and his wife Julie (who won the Lieutenant Governor Award for her volunteer work at Centennial Nursery with multi-handicapped children aged 2 to 3) believe strongly in the importance of “service”. This drove Milton’s decision to join the board of RSGC in 1988, which he served on until 1994, including filling the role of Chair from 1991-1994. When Milton joined the board, Jonathan and his younger brother Adam ’93 were attending RSGC, while Milton’s two eldest sons, Gregory and Jeffrey ’87, had already graduated from the College.

“I felt that it was my duty to give back to the school as best I could,” Milton said.

RSGC INFLUENCE Since RSGC also puts a strong emphasis on service, it’s no surprise that Gregory says it motivated his career path in international development. He remembers St. George’s for the values it taught him such as respect, humility, discipline and trust.

“When I look back on it, that is what I would want in a school for my kids. I’d look for those qualities,” he said.

Milton was also pleased with the education RSGC provided his four sons and believes the school’s culture gave

his sons what they needed to succeed.

According to Milton, it prepared them well for post-high school life, “both academically and in terms of their self-worth”.

“I think there was a stimulation that comes in any school where there’s a culture and expectation of doing your best,” he said. When considering schooling options for his sons, he was drawn to the school in part because of the reputation of St. George’s faculty. “It’s not the facilities that make the school, it’s the teachers,” said Milton.

When his children were still young, Milton always stressed that they should never be afraid of failure.

“Take on the challenges that you want to take on and do the best you can with them,” said Milton. “You’re not going to be successful at every one. But don’t avoid taking them on because you’re afraid you’ll fail.”

As parents, Milton and Julie were actively involved in their children’s lives growing up. “Not just taking us to and from things, but being there with us and helping us learn from it,” said Gregory.

“They always encouraged us to pursue our passion.”

And who can complain when that passion is to make a difference in the world.

Many Mongolians still live in yurts, which they heat by fire in the cold winters.

The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College 29

FEATURE

Jeffrey Latimer

Entertainment Icon and Long-time Georgian

Jeffrey Latimer ’83 is constantly on the go as founder of Jeffrey Latimer Entertainment and manager of the musical acts The Tenors and Neverest.

On any given day, he might be sorting out the final details of a concert, putting together a crew for The Tenors’ 70-city concert tour, looking at marketing plans for one of his theatrical shows, coordinating his PR and social media teams, and attending award shows around the world.

“There’s always plenty going on,” said Latimer. “I certainly don’t have a 9-to-5 job!”

Jeffrey and The Tenors with First Lady Laureen Harper after receiving Diamond Jubilee Medals.

BY CARMELLE WOLFSON

T

enor Victor Micallef can attest to Latimer’s wacky hours.

“If you call him at 2:00 in the morning, he’s doing emails. You call him at 5:00 in the morning and most likely he’s already on a phone meeting with someone in China,” he said. “Jeffrey treats his artists with respect and really wants what’s best for them. He really wants to make sure he does the most for their careers.”

Jeffrey met The Tenors four and a half years ago, when he set up a gig for them to play “Because We Believe” for Bill Clinton in front of a crowd of 5,000. Back then, The Tenors were still The Canadian Tenors and were being handled by different management.

“We were thinking of folding the project because of some difficulties with management,” said Micallef.

30 The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College

Jeffrey and the Queen after tea.

But Clinton and the crowd loved The Tenors’ performance and Jeffrey continued helping the band by getting them to open for celebrities at private events and developing their careers and reputations.

Shortly after that, The Tenors asked Jeffrey to join them as manager of the band. At that time, Jeffrey had already made a name for himself producing live entertainment, with shows including Forever Plaid, Stomp and Evil Dead the Musical.

“We knew he was very talented at bringing people together,” said Micallef.

“He can sit back and work a room, and within a couple hours he has become best friends with some very important people.

People like him. They trust him. And rightfully so, because he’s the type of guy who should be trusted.”

Jeffrey builds personal relationships with everyone he does business with, including the band, and has become like a brother to Micallef.

“We call him the fifth and silent tenor,” said Micallef.

GIVING BACK Indeed, Jeffrey has a lot in common with all four tenors. Like Jeffrey, the singers believe strongly in contributing to charitable efforts. The Tenors have worked with Free The Children in Kenya and raised over $2 million to build schools and sponsor over 500 orphans in Bulembu, Swaziland.

“Not only are they building this village, but they’re teaching the kids to become leaders themselves. And that’s the best thing,” said Micallef. “They’re showing them how to do it on their own.”

Micallef and the other Tenors will visit the village again this summer and will also do concerts in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Swaziland.

Jeffrey also can’t turn down a chance to give back. He works with Free The Children as Chair of We Day, an annual event that encourages volunteerism among youth. As Chair of the One By One Foundation, Jeffrey used his connections in the entertainment industry to attract Matt Damon and Brad Pitt to fundraising events. Jeffrey is also on the board of the Jays Care Foundation and brought Warren Buffett to Toronto last year when he chaired the David Foster Foundation Gala. And through the Amici Camping Charity, the Latimer family has sent thousands of children to camp.

“It’s just been part of our upbringing. It’s the fun and the power you can have when you empower youth,” said Jeffrey. “If we can work on education and health for youth, they’ll take care of themselves and give back in their own way. We now have nine We Days in Canada and are launching in the US and the UK.”

Jeffrey and Neverest at the NBA All-Star Game.

When he’s not volunteering his time to improve the lives of others, he is working hard to get The Tenors into high profile events like the 2012 Olympic Games and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebration.

Jeffrey’s philosophy is not to take no for an answer.

“When someone says ‘no’ or ‘I’m not sure’, that’s just the beginning of the negotiation or the relationship,” he said.

When Jeffrey first spoke to ITV producers about having The Tenors play for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee concert last summer, he was told no. But he persisted.

“I knew I had some pull because the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were going over and the Queen loves them.

So by having The Tenors sing with the musical ride, I knew they would get on the show,” he said. “In the end, they turned out to be one of the highlights for the Queen and she asked The Tenors to have private tea with her.”

A great example of Jeffrey’s persistence was when he brought the 96-year-old George Burns to play in Toronto in the ’80s. Jeffrey pitched the idea to Burns’ manager, who told him that Burns needed to be looked after carefully because of his age.

“We have a lot of people interested and he’s only going to do a few shows,” said the manager.

Jeffrey and Warren Buffett.

So, in order to stand out from the others, Jeffrey took a picture of the airplane pilot, the cockpit and a seat in first class where Burns would sit. He snapped a shot of the limousine and the driver that would pick him up from the airport. He took a photo of the exterior of the hotel, the royal suite in the hotel and a woman with a martini glass who would meet Burns at the front door. He took a picture of the Green Room and the inside of the O’Keefe Centre where Burns would perform. Finally, he photocopied a cheque for $100,000 –­ the fee Burns would take home. Each photo made up a page in an album. At the very end, Jeffrey wrote, “I’d like to take care of Mr. Burns.”

The day after he couriered the package, Jeffrey heard back from Burns’ manager.

“You got him,” he told Jeffrey.

According to Jeffrey, the show cost $176,000 and they brought in $177,200.

The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College 31

But it was a sell-out. He describes the performance and spending a weekend with Burns as one of the highlights of his career.

STARTING OUT Before discovering his talent for producing entertainment and managing acts, Jeffrey was interested in performing.

He was involved in the theatre program at RSGC, acting in numerous plays with Father Michael Burgess as the director.

Jeffrey says he wasn’t “a brilliant actor,” but really enjoyed it.

The environment at RSGC suited his character better than his previous school.

He transferred to the College midway through Grade 10 after leaving Crescent School.

“They cared about us much more [at St. George’s] than my experience at Crescent,” said Jeffrey. “It was a very supportive community and the teachers built closer relationships with their students.”

One of the teachers who made an impression on Latimer was Chris D’Arcy, a 36-year veteran of the College who taught Mathematics at the time Latimer attended and currently teaches computer science.

“He understood who I was and that I wasn’t all about the academics,” remembered Jeffrey, who says his closest friendships today were forged at RSGC. “I was also very much about the social and the other side of school life.”

“RSGC finds a way to accommodate boys that may need a bit more time and

Jeffrey with Bill Clinton and George Bush in Toronto.

space to be themselves,” said D’Arcy.

“The school finds the patience and empathy for kids who may not quite fit a UCC or Crescent mould. So Jeff was given the latitude to put himself back on the rails here.”

“St. George’s gave me tons of confidence,” said Jeffrey. “It allowed me to

understand failure and success – that it’s okay to fail as much as it is to succeed.”

Those who did not know Jeffrey as a student at RSGC may remember his father, John Latimer, who served as headmaster of the College from 19881996 and as a member of the Board from 1982-1996. John, who passed away after a battle with cancer in 2003, was responsible for getting St. George’s a royal designation in 1989. Not your typical headmaster, John was remembered for taking shots at boys with a water gun from his office window as they walked across the school tarmac. His handshakes were also unforgettable. When you gripped down, you might have felt something squishy and sticky. When you pulled your hand away, a brownie was stuck to his palm.

Jeffrey is just as charming and charismatic as his father was, says D’Arcy.

“He was very clearly his father’s son,” said D’Arcy, who has postponed his retirement to take the ACES Engineering program in a new direction.

“He was just a guy that loved life. Full of beans, just like his dad.”

After graduating from RSGC, Jeffrey enrolled at University of Guelph, where he spent most of his time acting. After a year he decided to pursue a career in the field, moving to Los Angeles to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. That’s where he discovered he was stronger in producing than acting and began producing his own shows for the first time.

“I realized that if I was going to be successful, l needed to cast someone other than myself in roles,” he said.

In L.A., Jeffrey met Fred Roos, who produced many Francis Ford Coppola films, and began working on film sets as a production assistant. Although he was lucky to connect with some major players in the film industry, he ultimately decided to return to Canada.

“In my five years in Los Angeles, I realized I was a very small fish in a huge pond,” said Jeffrey. “I had more access to a lot more people in Canada.”

That brought him to start his own company, Jeffrey Latimer Entertainment, and produce over 150 live shows, as well as operate the New Yorker Theatre, the Starlight Theatre and the Diesel Playhouse.

32 The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College

Jeffrey and his partner of 16 years, Larry, in Africa with Free the Children.

His favourite aspect of this line of work also seems to be the strength that has helped build his career: working with people.

“I love people, I love conversation and I love bringing people together to make deals,” said Jeffrey. “I enjoy sitting down with people, understanding what they want and bringing out the best in them.”

That is what he has done with all of his clients, from The Tenors, Neverest, Bollywood actress and Top Chef star Lisa Ray, and Dragon’s Den star W. Brett Wilson, to the many productions running around the world he produced with his team last fall. Jeffrey’s latest production with producing partners Natalie Bartello and Linda Barnett is Queen For a Day, a musical starring Alan Thicke based on the first reality TV show in the 1950s.

One of Jeffrey’s non-theatrical clients is Canada’s “shoeru”, a shoe salesman named Ron White, with whom he has been working for 14 years. Jeffrey readily admits he knows nothing when it comes to shoes. Nonetheless, he has succeeded in raising the profile of the shoe company by attracting numerous celebrities, like Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson, Rachel McAdams and Céline Dion to support the Ron White Shoe Drive, which has donated 30,000 shoes to the homeless.

“It’s all about taking something good, giving it to the people and getting more people to love it,” said Jeffrey.

Yet after all his success, Jeffrey hasn’t forgotten his education at St. George’s.

“It’s amazing the impact the school made to set me on this great path,” he said. “It allowed me to not have to worry about being the smartest academic, but understand where my power was and where my strengths were as I set out to follow my dreams.”

FEATURE

MOVING

MOUNTAINS A FAMILY LEGACY

BY LAURIE ALPERN

F

or Thomas and Graham Trusler, two things run in their veins: RSGC and a passion for skiing. Both boys, of the Classes of 2013 and 2015 respectively, started skiing at the age of two – just shortly after mastering the act of walking.

It was a natural for the boys to get comfortable on the slopes at an early age, being born into a family of skiers. It was just as natural for Thomas and Graham to attend Royal St. George’s College. Their Photo: Herman Koeslag

uncle, David ’78, was the first of the family to attend the College, while their father Eugene ’75 and uncle Andrew ’81 followed David’s footsteps.

“RSGC has done a really special job,” said Eugene, who is a metallurgical engineer and designs playground sand for a living. “When we looked to which school we would put our boys in, there wasn’t any doubt in my mind which school would benefit the kids.”

One of the biggest ways the College impacts the

boys is the flexibility they are offered as far as skiing is concerned. Both boys ski competitively on an individual level and as part of the RSGC team, which makes for a lot of missed classes.

“RSGC has been great at providing an online academic community,” said Thomas. “I utilize the online tools I have to keep up to the best of my abilities. It makes it more of a challenge in balancing academic pursuits and skiing, but I’ve been doing it for so long, it’s almost natural.”

Ashleigh Gledhill, one of the team’s coaches since 2005 and Thomas’ coach for the last four years, knows how hard Thomas works to balance his sport with schoolwork.

“He’s quite independent and has worked to balance the skiing and academics successfully,” she said. “He’s hard-working, mature and independent, and he takes control of his schooling as best he can.”

Ashleigh also knows what an asset Thomas and Graham are to the RSGC team. Since

The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College 33

Thomas has been on the team, they have qualified for OFSSA every year and won five out of six banners. And Graham was one of only a few students in Grade 9 to make the team last year, which shows just how talented he is.

“They’re both remarkable skiers and seem to absolutely love being out there,” said Ashleigh. “They put their heart and soul into it. The ski hill seems like it’s their second home. And with Thomas now in Grade 12, it’s nice to have that leadership on the team.”

In full season, Thomas and Graham usually spend five to seven days a week, eight hours a day, skiing. They also spend time skiing as a family, a tradition that has continued since their father, Eugene, was a young boy.

“We were always interested in skiing as a winter activity,” said the boys’ grandfather, George. “My late first wife, Connie, was on the ski team at the University of Toronto back in the late 40s and she was a very keen skier. In the later years, she was an instructor. So skiing was a regular weekend activity for the family.”

The Truslers joined Osler Bluff Ski Club in the Blue Mountains in 1953 and built a cabin there ten years later. Now, Eugene, Thomas and Graham, along with their mother Laurie, all ski there together. To top that off, Eugene is an extremely

dedicated and proud “ski dad”, attending most of his sons’ races no matter their location.

“It’s so much fun to watch.

I go to all the races that I can,” said Eugene. “If I can’t get there, I’ll watch the races through live timing.”

Eugene almost always brings the family dog, Jakey, along with him. The fouryear-old black lab is the team’s unofficial mascot.

Ashleigh says the family’s support of the team is invaluable.

“Eugene, Thomas and Graham have moved mountains to support this team and they’ve missed personal races to ski for the RSGC team,” she said. “Eugene wants the team to be a success and he’s always trying to strategize.

The hours he and his wife have spent shuttling kids around to get them to our races or to change schedules so they can be at our races is pretty impressive.”

And while his sons have both had successful ski results in individual competition, Eugene makes sure the RSGC team is a top priority.

“The rule in our household is that you’ve got to ski for your school,” said Eugene. “It’s important not to just look out for yourself – you’ve got to give back to the school.”

And give back the boys do, putting all of their energy into the team and sometimes sacrificing individual scores as a result.

“If you join early, you have more years to build up and eventually you become the oldest and most experienced.”

— Graham

34 The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College

From L to R: RSGC skiers Cameron Bellamy, Thomas Trusler and Gordon Bruce.

Jakey, the ski team’s unofficial mascot.

“For a sport that is so often individual – you against the clock and all the other racers, Thomas has done an incredible job of putting the team first,” said Ashleigh. “At times, he even holds back to ensure a safe finish so that the team can finish strong.”

Thomas does it for the love of the sport and dedication to his team.

“I have great teammates. It’s a lot of fun and it’s nice to see the sport through a team-based view rather than just individual competition,” said Thomas. “I love the emotions involved with competition, accomplishing the challenges that you face dayto-day on the hill in training or racing. It’s a sport you can never really perfect.”

As for Graham, he skis for RSGC with a smile and

has achieved results that are competitive with the older boys on the team. As one of the youngest boys competing for RSGC, he still has several more years to continue to make an impact.

“If you join early, you have more years to build up and eventually you become the oldest and most experienced,” said Graham. “It’s hard to start off because everyone is so much bigger and has more experience.”

Unfortunately, towards the end of last season, Graham broke his leg in two places while training for a ski cross.

He had surgery in the spring to have a plate taken out of his leg and is still strength training to get back to full strength. He plans to be back on the hill this winter.

“I’m a bit nervous,” Graham admitted.

For George, it was an incredible “When you have a big injury like that, experience to present the Trusler Cup to you get a bit scared and worry it’s going his grandson. to happen again. I’m definitely going to “It was thrilling,” said George. “There be more cautious now.” aren’t many people who are there to Regardless, Graham will try his hard- present their own awards and this was est – both to help out the school team the first time since I donated the trophy and carry on the family legacy. in 1975 that I presented it myself. It was “You definitely want to say ‘I won this really special. I feel very fortunate to still and I’m part of this family,’ so you always be here, able to get around, and watch my want to win and do your best,” he said. grandsons grow and develop.”

As for Thomas, he hopes to add his Graham is hoping to see his name on name for the second consecutive year to the trophy one day as well. the Trusler Cup trophy, donated by his “When my brother graduates, I’ll grandfather George in 1975. In 2012, he probably have the chance to do that!” he became the third Trusler to win the trophy, said with a smile. joining his uncles David and Andrew, who The Trusler family has left a lasting first had their names etched on it 35 years legacy at RSGC. And if Thomas and ago. David won in 1977 and 1978, while Graham one day have sons, they say they Andrew followed suit in 1979. would definitely send them to RSGC, What made Thomas’ 2012 win all the potentially creating more opportunities more special was that his grandfather was for a grandfather to present the Cup to on hand to present him with the award. his grandson.

“It was a pretty special moment,” said Thomas. “It was definitely a cool thing to be awarded a trophy with your namesake by your own grandfather.”

Ashleigh agreed the moment was a special one.

“The Trusler Cup is always exciting to give out, but to have Thomas’ grandfather there awarding it to his grandson, there’s something really special about that,” she said. “It was a pleasure to be able to sit back and see the pride in his Thomas grandfather’s eyes – in the whole family’s eyes.”

As for Eugene, his father presenting the Trusler Cup to one of his sons was a dream come true.

“I always hoped it would happen,” said Eugene. “I had a strong feeling that Thomas would win it last year. He has something that very few skiers have and that’s touch. He knows just where and how to apply the edge pressure, and how to take it around and come out from the turn faster than he went into it. He has an innate athleticism.”

Winners of the Trusler Cup 1975-76 — G. Rogers 1976-77 — G. Rogers 1977-78 — D. Trusler 1978-79 — D. Trusler 1979-80 — A. Trusler 1980-81 — unavailable 1981-82 — unavailable 1982-83 — unavailable 1983-84 — P. McCleary 1984-85 — B. Chapple 1985-86 — A. Crysdale 1986-87 — R. Malo 1987-88 — R. Malo 1988-89 — unavailable 1989-90 — M. Harris 1990-91 — S. McLorie 1991-92 — S. McLorie 1992-93 — J. Bunting 1993-94 — S. McLorie 1994-95 — A. Von Teichman 1995-96 — A. Von Teichman 1996-97 — B. Joel 1997-98 — G. McLorie 1998-99 — R. Clark 1999-00 — R. Clark 2000-01 — A. Petitt 2001-02 — M. Rubes 2002-03 — J. Harricks 2003-04 — K. Drury 2004-05 — T. DeGeer 2005-06 — M. Brymer 2006-07 —J. Mason 2007-08 — J. Mason 2008-09 — C. White 2009-10 — F. Bruce 2010-11 — B. Mason / F. Bruce 2011-12 — T. Trusler

The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College 35

Our Changing Lives BIRTHS Vitas Sipelis ’92

Jamie Lint ’98

Vitas and his wife Lauren welcomed a little girl, Olivia, into the world at 2:44 pm on January 24, 2012 in Mission Viejo, California. The 8-lbs., 14 oz. Olivia was welcomed to the family by her two big sisters, Julia and Sofia.

Jamie and Juliana are thrilled to announce the arrival of Camilla Helen Coura Lint on August 26, 2012, weighing 7 lbs., 3 oz. at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto. Uncle Kevin ’94 is over the moon.

Aahren DePalma ’99 Aahren and his wife Leanne welcomed their first child, a baby girl, Penélope Felice DePalma, into their lives on April 14, 2012. The family resides in St. Louis, Missouri.

Mimi

Christopher Kelly ’00 It is with great joy that Christopher and his wife, Dr. Emily Kelly, announce the birth of their second child, Miriam Eleanor June Kelly. “Mimi” was born at 9:02 am on June 27, 2012 at the West Parry Sound Health Centre, weighing 6 lbs., 11 oz.

Asad Jobanputra ’97 Asad is expecting his first child in early April 2013.

Stay tuned to the next issue for details!

Camilla

Penélope

DEATHS Shane Danniels ’06 The entire RSGC community mourns the tragic death of Shane Danniels, a member of the class of 2006. He passed away on November 1, 2012 after a brief but courageous battle with brain cancer. RSGC sends condolences to Shane’s family, including his father Ray, mother Susan, sister Sarah and brothers Troy and Sam ’04. Shane is remembered at the College as a bright, optimistic, charismatic and compassionate student. He was, in every way, a Georgian, and modeled in his life those values that we strive to teach to all our Georgians. Shane was known for his kindness, fierce loyalty and his passion for everything he undertook. He was an accomplished musician, athlete, academic and most importantly son, partner, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin and friend. Shane had a sharp mind, a relentless pursuit of knowledge, a magnanimous heart and a smile like a brilliant light. He will always be remembered at Royal St. George’s College.

36 The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College

MARRIAGES Andrew Hurst ’91

Matt Rubinoff ’96

Rubinoff

Andrew Hurst ’91 and Leslie Aston finally got married after a short 16 years together. The wedding took place October 13, 2012 at the Enoch Turner Schoolhouse in Toronto.

Matt and his wife Caroline tied the knot at the Solage Hotel in Calistoga, California on September 21, 2012. Many fellow ’96 alumni were in attendance. In the photo below, from left to right, are Tim Pacaud ’96, Jamie Frawley ’96, Matt Rubinoff ’96, Trevor Allen ’96, Andrew von Teichman ’96, Jason Pantalone ’96 and Brady Joel ’96.

Hurst

Simpson

Chris Roscoe ’02

Colin Simpson ’01 Colin and Astrid Heyerdahl (Saint Clements ’01) were married in Whistler on September 15, 2012. He and Astrid actually dated during the final year of high school and reconnected a number of years later. They now live in Vancouver.

It’s been a busy few months for Chris (Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering and a new job in Maryland flying satellites, among other things!), but the biggest news is that he married Caitlin Bailey in the RSGC Chapel on October 27, 2012. Father John Hodgins performed the ceremony together with Rev. David McMaster of Timothy Eaton Memorial Church. In attendance at the wedding was alumnus Sandy Gibson ’01. Tom Wade-West played the French horn in a brass quintet at the ceremony, while Gary Martin played saxophone in a jazz combo at the reception. Chris said the chapel looked and sounded spectacular.

Chris and Sandy Gibson ’01

Xxxxyxyx

The RSGC chapel in wedding mode.

Gary Martin played saxophone at the reception.

The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College 37

Retrospective 1970s The Class of 1977 The Class of 1977 celebrated its 35th anniversary at the Old Boys’ Dinner last November. To commemorate 35 years, Guy Burry ’77 hosted a special gathering at his cottage last summer.

Want to share your latest news, proud moments and achievements with the RSGC community? Send details to Fiona Cooper at shield@rsgc.on.ca

1980s The two evenings were spent socializing and reminiscing, while several rounds of golf were played at courses in the Lake Joseph area.

Bruce Lawes ’81 Bruce, an acclaimed artist, had an extremely successful 2012. He took home several awards, including first place in the International Artists Magazine Competition and an Arabella Magazine Award from the Buckhorn Art Festival, and was named a finalist in Artist Magazine’s Annual Art Competition and Southwest Art Magazine’s Artistic Excellence. The accolades kept coming at the American Art Awards where he was the winner of The Stoney Award,

The Class of ’77 at the Burry cottage.

Golfing was part of the celebration!

38 The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College

Bruce Lawes in his studio.

given for the most wins in multiple categories, and The Masterpiece Award, given for most outstanding painting.

He also placed first and second in the Erotic Female category; first, second and third in the Realism Animal category; first, third, fourth, fifth and sixth in the Realism Human category; second in the Realism Still Life category; and second, third and fourth in the Oil Human category. As a result of his success, he was the focus of articles in four different magazines last December.

Pedaling for Parkinson’s Peter Istvan ’87

Jonathan Hames ’88 Almost 20 Old Boys from the Class of 1988 joined Jonathan at the Carol Service last December.

Two pews were set aside for the group, which gathered to support Jon during his battle with esophageal cancer. Jon is determined to fight the disease. To support your fellow alum, please visit his Cancer Care website at caringbridge. org/visit/jonathanhames and write a few words of encouragement.

The summer of 2012 marked the second annual Pedaling for Parkinson’s to raise awareness and research funds for Parkinson’s disease. Peter and his long-time friend David founded the fundraising event. Over three days, the participants cycled over 100,000 pedal strokes – one pedal stroke for each Canadian diagnosed with Parkinson’s. The first event in 2011 was a success, raising almost $18,000. The 2012 event was even more impressive, with 72 riders raising over $54,000. As a result of the astounding fundraising, Parkinson Society Canada has created an official Pedaling for Parkinson’s Research Grant. 100 per cent of the funds raised during the event go to the grant, from which researchers can

apply for funding. The 2013 event is running July 12-15. Peter and his crew have implemented plans to increase the total dollars raised and are working closely with Parkinson Society Canada to help ensure success of the event. Visit pedalingforparkinsons.ca for more information and to register for this year’s race.

The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College 39

Retrospective

1990s Neil Hetherington ’91 After spending almost 13 years as CEO of Habitat for Humanity Toronto, Neil has recently moved to the US to head the organization in New York City. He joined Habitat Toronto in 2000, making him the youngest CEO of a Habitat affiliate in the world at the time. Over the course of his tenure, he has helped increase Habitat Toronto’s building

2000s capacity from one home every two years to 50 homes annually. He is the recipient of several awards of distinction including Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 Award in 2006 and the Queen

Neil wears many hats...

40 The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College

Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.

“This new opportunity will offer many new challenges and occasions to help more families through our home ownership model,” said Neil.

Jeff Todd ’00 Jeff released his first novel, Storm of Hate, on August 23, 2012. The book tells the story of different characters and their experience in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Through its pounding, gritty, shifting narrative, Storm of Hate considers the weight of the past, the horror of the present and the undying hope for the future.

It explores humanity’s paradox: while meaning is shaped by others, we are all very much alone.

Jeff currently lives in the Bahamas where he is completing his second novel and serving as the Business Editor of the Nassau Guardian.

According to Jeff, a lot of his memories and experiences while at RSGC influenced some of the stories and ideas that occur in the novel.

Matt King ’02 After starting Toronto based production company LaRue Entertainment, Matt has enjoyed much success in the entertainment industry. In 2012, the company produced three television shows, a number of music videos and other online content.

LaRue Entertainment

has serviced/produced for The Score Television Network, Rogers TV, MuchMusic/MTV and on a number of television shows, films, and projects including Kenny V. Spenny and Howie Do It. In 2010, LaRue produced a music video for recording artist Diamond Rings, which was filmed on RSGC’s campus!

Need to Charter a Plane?

2010s Kit GreenSanderson ’12 Kit is off to a great start in his first year at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. In his first tennis tournament of the year, he won the Men’s Singles D and lost in the finals of the Doubles B. He was named Liberty League Rookie of the Week on September 17, 2012.

Paul John ’12 In other tennis news, Paul is a freshman at DePaul University in Chicago where he has earned a spot on the tennis team.

In his first singles match, Paul lost a close battle against Ball State, while he and his partner won their first doubles match against Marquette. Paul is a three-time national champion (once in singles, twice in doubles), a four-time provincial doubles champion and a three-time provincial singles finalist.

Aaron Mitchell ’03 Aaron has just launched a new company: Human Logistics specializes in aircraft charters of all kinds, from helicopters and executive jets, to cargo and passenger airliners. The response received in their first quarter of operation has been heartening, with bookings well into 2013.

Visit humanlogistics.com for more details.

The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College 41

TIME CAPSULE

Then & Now:

Father Kenneth Scott The only surviving Founder of Royal St. George’s College, Father Kenneth Scott played a key role in the early success of St. George’s College. Serving the College since its inception in 1964 as Chaplain, as well as teaching English and Christian Knowledge, Father Scott published the book Dealing with Dragons, detailing RSGC’s history, when he retired 18 years later, in 1982. He says his best memory at the school is his two trips with the Choir.

In his early retirement, Father Scott spent his time writing music, articles and his memoirs, and travelling with his wife. The father of two boys, including Gregory ’75, and two girls (all of whom are now retired except for one son), Father Scott also has five grandchildren between the ages of 11 and 26. He currently resides in a retirement home in North York.

Father Scott and Headmaster Stephen Beatty ’86 meet for tea in the Headmaster’s office.

42 The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College

Blink and you could miss giving your son the best education You could walk right past Royal St. George’s College and never even know it’s there. Tucked behind some trees on a residential street in Toronto’s Annex, it looks more like a home than a school. And in many ways, it is.

Look a little closer, however, and you’ll discover what’s missing from most boys’ schools: the kind of camaraderie that comes from a small student body; a more creative learning environment; and a genuine love of the school.

It’s the one school you and your son don’t want to miss.

of his life.

IF YOU WANT YOUR SON TO THINK BIG, THINK SMALL.

rsgc.on.ca

Fellow Class of ’84 Georgians

Chuck Magyar, David Lyon and Stewart Istvan Working together, using a holistic approach to managing clients’ wealth management needs…

Stewart was a “lifer” at RSGC spending 10 years at the school (’74-’84) while both David and Chuck spent the balance of their high school years there (’78/’79-’84 respectively). We all look back fondly on those formidable years remembering the wonderful teachers, classmates and of course good ’ol Tony’s popcorn wagon, our “cafeteria” (a.k.a. the lunch truck) and many after school games and tournaments played on the asphalt “field”.

28 years after graduation, the 3 of us have remained not only friends but have joined together as partners, taking over the Forest Hill Branch at DundeeWealth in May of 2005. Since then, we continue to help clients with their wealth management needs.

We provide solutions to concerns about estate planning, mitigating tax, insurance needs and overall life planning objectives and strategies.

Most institutions want you to come in for a second opinion; we would like you to come in for a better one… a personal approach, from one Georgian to another.

Chuck Magyar, CIM

David Lyon

Portfolio Manager Director, Private Client Group DWM Securities Inc. cmagyar@dundeewealth.com

Insurance Advisor Branch Director, DundeeWealth Marketing and Sales Dundee Insurance Agency Ltd. DundeeWealth dlyon@dundeewealth.com sistvan@dundeewealth.com

DundeeWealth, Forest Hill Branch, 980 Eglinton Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario M6C 2C5 416.785.0513 44 The Shield Winter 2013 • Royal St. George’s College

Stewart Istvan