TheAndrean Spring 2012 Volume 56 Number 1
New Upper Fields!
Official opening of The Yuill Family Athletic Complex kicks off Not An Ordinary Place Campaign
Contents Features 8 Honouring the Past... Building for the Future
By Cynthia Macdonald
20 Reflections of an Old Boy
John Walden ’71 Retires
By KIM SILLCOX
24 Mr. & Mrs. P. Retire After 22 Years
By CINDY VEITCH
28 Strategic Plan 2011–2016 Report Card
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The Pipes & Drums Band performs at the official opening of The Yuill Family Athletic Complex on May 5.
Exclusives & Bonus Links at
Brad Smith ’02, the new
30 St. Andrew’s Green Initiatives
Bachelor Canada • Official Opening of The Yuill Family Athletic Complex Watch this year’s Cadet Inspection online at www.sac.on.ca/live
By KIM SILLCOX
32 Where in the World are Your Former Teachers?
• SAC student and recent Old Boy musicians will be performing at the London Olympics in August
By CINDY VEITCH
Columns 1 View from the Top 2 Community News 4 Sports Highlights 6 Association News
Spring 2012, Volume 56, Number 1 Published by St. Andrew’s College for Old Boys, parents and friends of the School. Editor Kim Sillcox Assistant Editors Jim McGillivray, Cindy Veitch
www.sac.on.ca
Read about this year’s 10th
Annual Battlefields Tour through France and Belgium
38 Old Boys’ News 53 Obituaries 56 From the Editor
Old Boy Correspondent Nicholas Weedon ‘02 Editorial Committee Edna Collins, Scott Hayter, Sue Hayter, Steve Kimmerer, and Michael Paluch Art Direction and Design Fresh Art & Design Inc. Telephone Fax 905.727.3178 905.841.6911
Email oldboys@sac.on.ca • admission@sac.on.ca theandrean@sac.on.ca Website www.sac.on.ca Front cover: The Yuill Family Athletic Complex featuring state-of-the-art synthetic turf for football, soccer and lacrosse. Photo by Paul Mosey
Back cover: Greg Jansz ’12 plays the first Varsity game on the new baseball diamond, part of the new Upper Fields project. Photo by Paul Mosey
View from the Top
We’re Counting on You
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The School has officially launched the $28 million Not An Ordinary Place Campaign. After months of quiet planning, it is now full steam ahead for Phase 2 of the Campus Master Plan. We have raised $19.2 million so far from several lead donors, which means we are nearly 70% there. However, this is not the time to become complacent; we still have $8.8 million to go. The Andrean community is entering an exciting period of growth, one that aligns with our School’s number 1 priority: to ensure that St. Andrew’s College continues to offer young men the best Canadian educational experience. St. Andrew’s College was built by the generosity and vision of those who came before us: people who believed in the School and wanted to support it. To read about these earlier benefactors, turn to page 8 for an in-depth article by Cynthia Macdonald that speaks to those strong leaders, along with a legion of dedicated Andreans, who have banded together over the years to create an independent boys’ school that is second to none. If you were on campus for the official opening of The Yuill Family Athletic Complex in May, you witnessed the first completed phase of CMP 2. The $6.5 million rebuild of the Upper Fields stands in testament to the generosity of our supporters and will offer our boys the highest calibre playing fields of any high school in the country for decades to come. But that’s just the beginning. Over the next few years we will continue to raise funds to add a Performing Arts Centre; Music Centre; Engineering & Robotics Centre; Business & Leadership Studies Centre; Amphitheatre; Teaching Courtyard; and a vastly improved Great Hall & Food Services Centre. For further details, please
see the accompanying campaign brochure. Ambitious? You bet. Achievable? Absolutely. I sincerely believe there has never been a more exciting time to be an Andrean. The Not An Ordinary Place Campaign may well be the School’s last major building campaign, as usable space around campus is growing scarce. You need only look through the pages of this magazine to realize we are all part of a strong, far-reaching community with shared traditions and high ideals. It will take the concerted effort of our entire community to achieve the new goals we’ve set. Over the coming months, we hope enthusiasm for the campaign will gain momentum. The latest in a series of fantastic new videos by William Scoular, introduced at the Red & White Gala on April 21, is an inspirational starting point that speaks to what is at the heart of our School. You may have already observed the banners along Yonge Street, up the driveway, and throughout the School’s hallways that proclaim “SAC is Not An Ordinary Place. I’m giving back to keep it that way!” Please join us by helping any way you can. Thank you. KEVIN MCHENRY, HEADMASTER The Andrean 1
CommunityNews Joel Morrissey joined the SAC faculty in September 2011 as an associate faculty member teaching math and chemistry and tutoring senior math and science. He holds a B.Sc. from the University of Ottawa and his B.Ed. degree from Trent University. Joel was assistant coach for the Varsity Hockey and Lacrosse teams this year and is enjoying living on Masters’ Row.
Brenda Burston married Kevin Fagg on December 17, 2011 in Stouffville, Ont. Brenda is the administrative assistant in the Middle School, and she and Kevin now live in Bond Head with her two daughters. Wendy Coates was appointed as a part-time receptionist in January. She has worked at the School for seven years and will continue with her position in the Campus Shop and occasional work in the Admission and University Counselling Offices. Wendy lives with her husband Steve in Aurora. Nick Day and his wife, Claire, are the proud parents of a baby boy, Julian Alexander Edward born on December 1, 2011. Nick has taught French in the Upper School since 2003 and is a former Assistant Housemaster in Macdonald House. He and his family live in Caledon.
(l-r) former SAC faculty members Bob Arril, Art Wenk and Julian Greenwood.
Julian Greenwood is retired from the practice of law and is now involved in mainly musical things in Victoria, B.C. He taught math at SAC from 1973– 75 and 1987–88. Julian met up with former SAC Chaplain, Rev. Bob Arril a few summers ago when Bob needed a substitute organist in his church. They enjoyed lunching with former math teacher, Art Wenk last summer in Victoria.
Marj McGoey It wasn’t a typical cruise for SAC grandparent Marj McGoey, 84, who borrowed a warm hat from one of her grandsons to wear on a 17-day excursion to Antarctica in November 2011 aboard a Russian ice breaker. Marj is the grandmother of Tye ‘14 and Devon Walters ‘15, Mark McLean ‘08, and great aunt to the McCullough brothers: Brendon ‘03, Clinton ‘05, and Colin ‘07. 2 Spring 2012
Robyn O’Hare and her husband, Ron, welcomed their third daughter, Eden Hope Hartwell, on February 22. Also excited by her arrival are brother Andrew, 9, and sisters Sarah, 6, and Grace, 4. The O’Hare family lives in Aurora. Heather Tugnett joined the St. Andrew’s College staff in September 2011 as a certified athletic therapist and works with Marnie McRoberts to keep the St. Andrew’s College athletes in top athletic condition. She graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with a BA in kinesiology, completed a bachelor of applied health sciences degree in athlethic therapy from Sheridan College, and has worked with elite-level athletes in a variety of sports. Heather lives in Caledon. Rebecca Williams joined the St. Andrew’s community last August as a part-time receptionist. Formally trained as a nutritionist, she is a dedicated mother of three to Caleb, 8, Hayden, 5, and Jessica, 4, and resides in Mount Albert with her husband, Jeff.
Reliving Their Glory Days The 1982 and 1987 winning OFSAA Championship Hockey teams reunite at the MacPherson Tournament on January 13
Stephen Kimmerer
It was a remarkable turnout and a great evening of nostalgia for the 1982 and 1987 winning Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association (OFSAA) championship Varsity Hockey teams. Event mastermind David Tredgett ’82 and his cohort Mike Brewer ’88 mobilized their teammates to attend the Friday night game of the 29th annual MacPherson Tournament in celebration of their 30th and 25th anniversaries. Both teams were invited on-ice for the puck drop and recognized for their spectacular seasons. David was able to gather 13 of 19 members of the 1982 team and Mike 12 of 19 members of the 1987 team. The highlight of the evening was a surprise visit via video by former Varsity Hockey coach, Al Dunford, who is presently teaching in Kuwait but went to great lengths to record a welcome in advance. He addressed individual players he knew would be there and generated a great deal of laughter among his viewers with his trademark sense of humour and colourful escapades.
1982 OFSAA Championship Varsity Hockey team Stats: Overall record: 29-13-3; ISAA record: 12-2-2, topped Fort Frances 3-2, to win the OFSAA title (l-r) Kevin Callahan ’82, John Clements Esq., Craig McLean ’82, Derrick Baker ’84, John Kinnaird ’82, Al Crawford ’82 (captain), Rich Lutley ’82, David Tredgett ’82, John Byberg ’84, Tom Hussey ’85, Paul Stephenson ’82, Kelly Begg ’82, Paul Beckwith ’82, John Archibald ’85, Doug Cooper ’82 Not in attendance: Bob Wilkinson ’82, Doug Coulson ’82, Adam Moreland ’82, John Barker ’84, Ted Kovacs ’83, Geoff Crawford ’83, and Al Dunford (head coach)
1987 OFSAA Championship Varsity Hockey team Stats: 36-13-3, defeated the Weston Ironmen 4-2, to win the OFSAA title (l-r) John Comfort ’88, Maurice Dupre ’87, Jason Leggett ’88, Corey Anquetil ’88, Jeff Laceby ’88, Mike Alexander ’90, Tim Callaghan ’87, Stephen Kimmerer Esq. (head coach), Steve Keating ’87, Warren Wilkes ’88, Glenn Hant ’88, Bob Wilkes ’87, former Assistant Headmaster Geoff Smith, Mike Brewer ’88 (captain) Not in attendance: Chris Irvine ’87, Tom Savage ’89, Craig Dingman ’88, Anthony Reid ’88, Chris Allen ’88, Andrew Silverthorne ’87, and Steve LaFay ’87 The Andrean 3
(top right): Howard Seto; (Bottom left) Paul Mosey
Community News Sports Update
Curling
Squash
Saints Curling had an amazing season with Open Curling earning SAC’s first-ever CISAA Gold medal. The two teams got off to a great start by winning three of the top awards at the CISAA pre-season Funspiel. At the CISAA championships the Open Division team had a bye into the final game after a quarter-final win over Toronto French School, whom they met again in the finals. The championship match was hotly contested, with SAC ahead 5-1 after four ends only to have TFS claw their way back to tie the game 5-5 in the sixth to force an extra end. It was very close, but the Saints were able to gain the final crucial point to win the championship. Because SAC finished highest among schools declaring OFSAA eligibility, the Boys Division team, which captured a silver medal at CISAA, qualified for the OFSAA Championships in the Niagara region during the March Break. The Boys team, joined by the Open team’s skip, Brandon Coverdale, gained valuable experience playing among 20 strong teams from across the province of Ontario.
For the sixth straight year, St. Andrew’s Squash teams have claimed the CISAA Championship at both the Varsity and U16 levels. In CISAA round-robin play the Varsity team won 102 out of 108 games, many of them close matches. Notable mention goes to Zachary Seto who earned 9 points, the highest point total of any #1-rank player on a SAC Squash team in the past 10 years. On the U16 front, seven seeded players and one alternate were eligible to play the final CISAA tournament. They went on to sweep the field with a perfect record of 35 wins and no losses to earn 70 out of 70 possible points. There were a few tight matches, but in the end all U16 team members dominated their fields. Congratulations to all squash players for an outstanding season, including members of the U14 Squash team, who finished second in their division winning 42 out of a possible 56 points.
SAC’s Open and Boys Curling teams included (l-r) Coach David Joiner, Felix Wong, Joel Lat, Jordan Brown, Michael Chiang, Aaron DeGagne, Brandon Coverdale, Alex Brown, Dong-Geun Cho, Angus Lee, and Thomas Sinclair
Hockey
Varsity Hockey wins MPHL 4 Spring 2012
Varsity Hockey defeated Chicago’s Lake Forest Academy 3-1 to claim the Midwest Prep Hockey League (MPHL) championship. The Saints were also St. Francis and St. Sebastian’s tournament champs, silver medalists at CISAA, and bronze medalists at the MacPherson Tournament.
Varsity Squash (top) Back row (l-r) Coach Steve Rush, Scott Elliott (#9), Sean Smith (#6), Graeme Allison (#8), Harry Lee (#10); front row Alex Seto (#2), Kevin Chong (#5), Zachary Seto (#1), SeungJin An (#3), Mark Choi (#7), Josh Mahfood (#4) U16 Squash (Bottom) Back row (l-r) Coach Mark Service, Min Ji (#7), JaeWoo Kang (#5), Henry Hshieh (#4), Scott Elliott (Varsity member who helped with team), Francois Yoshida-Are (#3); front row: Aidan Calverley (#2), Adrian Goyo (#1), Alex Lee (#6), Edric Wong (alternate)
Swimming The St. Andrew’s Senior Swim team had another spectacular season, earning 7 gold, 3 silver, and 3 bronze medals at the CISAA championships, qualifying a record 14 swimmers for OFSAA. Gold Medalists at CISAA included: • The Senior B team in the 200m Medley Relay with captain Ben Sutton (backstroke), Minjoo Cha (breaststroke), Brian Chan (butterfly), and Carlos Guraieb Abella (freestyle) with a time of 2:06.76 • The Senior B team in the 200m Freestyle Relay with Carlos Guraieb Abella, Tega Omene, captain Ben Sutton, and Brian Chan with a time of 1:48:86 • Keaton Ward (AC) in the 100m IM (1:05.78), the 50m Breaststroke (33.38) • Spencer Brown (C) in the 100m Backstroke with a time of 1:03.50 (taking 2.5 seconds off his best and breaking the School record) as well as the 100m
Spencer Brown won 3 medals at OFSAA, including gold in the Sr. 100m Backstroke with a time of 1:03.22, a personal best and new school record.
Freestyle with a time of 56.82 • The Junior 200m Freestyle with Alex Auger, Tim Chuk, Devon Walters and Mark Chan The Senior Swim team captured gold with a score of 351, edging out last year’s CISAA winner Upper Canada College by 12 points. The OFSAA meet also had many notable performances, including a gold medal by the Senior Men’s 200m Medley Relay with Spencer Brown (C), Keaton Ward (AC), Brian
Chan, Ching-To Li (alternates: Ben Sutton (C), Young Woo Jin, William Liang, Carlos Guraeib Abella). The boys entered prelims seeded 7th and won the race by more than 2 seconds, breaking the School record with a time of 1:57.03. Spencer won his second gold medal of the meet with a time of 1:03.22 in the Sr. 100m Backstroke, another personal best and school record. Two silver medals were awarded at OFSAA: one to Mark Chan
Swim Team OFSAA Medalists (l-r): Spencer Brown (C), Ching-To Li, Keaton Ward (AC) Brian Chan, and alternates Carlos Guraieb Abella and Tega Omene.
in the Jr. Boys 100m IM with a personal best time of 1:07.96; and the other went to the Sr. Boys 4X50 Freestyle Relay team of Ching-To Li, Keaton Ward (AC), Brian Chan, and Spencer Brown (C) and alternates: Carlos Guraieb Abella and Tega Omene with a time of 1:44.53. It was not only a remarkable season for Saints’ swimmers, but also a fitting sendoff for John Walden ’71, who has coached swimming for 33 years and retires in June.
(top Left): Mark Burton
Nordic Skiing SAC’s Nordic Ski Teams captured CISAA Championships in both the Senior and Junior Boys divisions at the championship finals held in February. Three months of hard work came together for a tremendously exciting day of racing in Haliburton, Ont. for the School’s 22 skiers at the Senior, Junior, and Novice Boys levels. The event consisted of two distinct races. The first comprised individual races, where the top four ski times combined for the overall Team Result. The second race was a Team Sprint Relay, which also counted for overall points. The Saint’s Senior and Junior Boys teams won the gold medal in both the Team Result and Team Sprint Relay. This is the first time in the last 25 years or more that SAC has won titles at both levels. The Saints went on to represent CISAA at the OFSAA Championship races held in Huntsville.
Nordic Ski Seniors (Top) (l-r) Pablo Valdes, Anthony Iaboni, Mike Sifton, John Joseph Mitchell and Scott Wood Nordic Ski Juniors (Bottom) (l-r) Jack Bahen, Logan Ward, Andrew Ladouceur, Inigo de Abiega, Ben Harrison
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AssociationNews Reconnecting with Classmates at Reunion September 23, 2011
’66
’71
Class of 1966 (l-r) Jim McClocklin, Ian Terry, George Dangerfield, Larry Boland, Bill McNeil Class of 1971 (l-r) James Baxter, John Walden, Gord Dobbin, Robert Boyd, Paul Morón, Mark Jurychuk, Bill Haust, Peter Russell, Norm Turner, John Cross, Tom Bryant, Warren Boyd Class of 1976 (l-r) Mark Ebenhardt, Paul Grassby, Greg Miklas, Robert Morrow, Ian Philips, Eric Jolliffe, Brian Eyers Class of 1981 Front row (l-r) Martin Scott, Dave Lawrence, John Bassett, Stuart Pound, Adam Hawley, Albert Harding, Richard MacDonald, Francois Perron; Middle row (l-r) Clive Davies, George Jackson, Rolf Fox, Ross Morrow, Peter Irwin, Normand Cote, Ken Marshall, Michael Bedard, David Matheson; Back row (l-r) Jeff Long, Ted Sjoblom, Angus Elliott, Warren Stoddart (face hidden), Roger Zonnenberg, Andrew Gregg, Andrew Esfakis (mostly hidden face), Scott Smith, Rick Peters, Greg Hiltz (top of head), Bruce Huggins, Neil Stuart
’76
ate radu 77, g u o Did y , 1972, 19 97, 67 19 in 19 87, 1992, me 9 o 1 c , 1982 2? Then ion 0 n 0 2 u e or for R 21! back ptember e S on 6 Spring 2012
’81
’86
Class of 1991 Front row (l-r) Andrew Metcalfe, Brock Whalley, Ashley Newall, Ben Woo, Scott Davidson, Ian Davidson, Shiraz Mottiar; Back row (l-r) Hugo Jeffrey, Mike Van de Merwe, Markus Wieland, Paul Sadlon, Chris Mitchele, Charles Glave, Scott Mahaffy, Jason Williams, Jamie Inglis, Stephen Skovhoj, James Biggar, Ian Rogers Also in attendance, but missing from the photo: Jay Yoo and Federico Garcia Parra
’91
Edna Collins, Kim Sillcox
’96
’01
Class of 1986 Front row (l-r) Dave Craig, Torsten Lawson, Pearse Brett, Alex Rothwell, Bill Harris; Second row (l-r) Mark Smithyes, Richey Rea, Jay Rosenfeld, Brent McPherson, Brent Kelly, Sean Lundy, Greg Dunlap; Third row (l-r) Edward Siddeley, Ian Hayman, Mark Northwood, Darren Mason, Peter Neal, Mike Webber, Garth Hadley, Doug Metcalf, Sean Kerr, Doug Hiltz, Adam Barta; Back row (l-r) Derek Archibald, Trevor Tejada-Berges, Shawn Sterling, Chris Kemp Also in attendance, but missing from the photo: Sean Harris
Class of 1996 (l-r) Rob Lowes, Julian Hall, Kam Chan, Carl Zank, David Dunlap, David Brannon, Matt Thorne Class of 2001 Front row (l-r) Devon Ajram, Chris Bibby, Josh Kelson, John Lyons, Cameron Steed, Warren Lowe, Jamie King, Ross Marshall; Back row (l-r) Ali Manigat, Jacob Marcinkowski, Paul Perrier, James Allen, Peter Vogel, Olivier Manigat, Michael Dainard, Jack Popiel, Tom Haney, Gord Birkett
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Honouring the Past...
(top right): Howard Seto; (Bottom left) Paul Mosey
St. Andrew’s hosted the official opening of The Yuill Family Athletic Inspection. In his speech, Bill Yuill ‘57 dedicated the field “to fair play,
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Building for the Future Complex on May 5, 2012 to coincide with the 107th Annual Cadet to building character, and to lots of victories for SAC.�
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Leading by Example Andreans who have given back
(Previous page) Paul Mosey
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welve years ago, the Board of Governors approved a plan that would transform the School’s facilities. Since that time, a very good school has become great — with vast, state-of-the-art athletic spaces; fresh, bright classrooms; a magnificent new gallery — the heart of the School and a place to gather; an extraordinary new centre for the production of visual art; and a dedicated archives room to call its own. The plan initially seemed daunting. In the history of St. Andrew’s College, it would rival the most ambitious fundraising efforts to date. Says Brian Armstrong ’61, then Chair of the Board of Governors: “It was exciting — it was challenging, certainly. But we were confident we could achieve the objectives.” Armstrong was right: Phase 1 of the School’s Campus Master Plan (CMP1) was a brilliant success. As the century continues, so do the dreams. Plans are now underway for Phase 2, the Not An Ordinary Place Campaign, which will
10 Spring 2012
see major improvements in facilities for the performing arts, robotics and engineering, business and leadership, athletics, food services and assembly space. A focus on modern technology and environmental consciousness will be key. And a great school will become that much greater. Of course, all this has come about only with the support of the Andrean community. Since the School’s inception, Old Boys, parents, staff and students have banded together to create a school that is second to none. Some gifts are quite large, while others are more modest. However, all have been given in the spirit of generosity and all are greatly appreciated. Who gives to St. Andrew’s? Many people, and in many different ways. Tireless annual supporters often choose to support the School’s endowment. Perpetual in nature, the endowment provides financial aid to worthy students; it also supports co-curricular activities and sponsors awards. It’s
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Photos on previous spread & this spread: Paul Mosey
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Elizabeth and Bill ‘57 Yuill cut the ribbon at the dedication ceremony of The Yuill Family Athletic Complex
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most benefit the Pipes and Drums program: reeds, chanters, and so on. I think it’s a great thing for anyone to give if they can. I encourage others, because it really helps St. Andrew’s,” he says. In recent years, Andreans have offered not only gifts of money but also another precious commodity: time. Reta Bean, parent to Allan ’03, Sinclair ’05, and Devon ’07, worked for some 10 years as both a donor to and a volunteer
Paul Mosey
“I think it’s a great thing for anyone to give if they can. I encourage others, because it really helps St. Andrew’s.” –Alex Seto ’13
Alex Seto ‘13
been remarkably successful, growing from just over $1 million in 1985, to $24 million today. All thanks to Old Boys, parents and past parents such as David Rea ’53, David Dunlap ’56, Michael Higgins ’73, Mac ’40 and Beth Frost, Bob ’64 and Jilla Williams, and Peter and Pat Dalton. Other donors direct their support to “bricks and mortar.” Rogers Hall, which changed the very face of how Middle School education could be offered at St. Andrew’s, was made possible via a generous donation from governor Donald “Dem” Rogers ’59. It goes without saying that Rogers’ gift was extraordinary. But then, so was Alex Seto’s ’13. Currently a grade 11 student, Alex plays bagpipes in the Pipes and Drums program. The instrument symbolizes his school: “When I think of St. Andrew’s,” he says, “I always think of bagpiping.” And the demand for pipers at weddings and funerals has also provided him with the opportunity to be rewarded for his hard work. In an act of unusual generosity, however, Alex has chosen to give some of that money back. “It’ll go to whatever would 12 Spring 2012
in the Towers Library. While there, she appreciated the opportunity to see her donation at work. “I really enjoyed being in the library; it gave me the feeling of how the School worked. I met a lot of the teachers and saw what they were dealing with too.” Parents, naturally, are a helpful resource; Bean’s opinions on books for boys were sought and valued. Likewise, members of the Parents (formerly Ladies) Guild have donated selflessly — and constantly — for over 75 years. Their gifts have ranged from a simple tape recorder to an extremely generous and ongoing commitment to the Not An Ordinary Place Campaign. As the century progresses, St. Andrew’s takes care not only to look forward but also back. Former Director of Advancement Jim Herder ’64 notes that when consulting donors, he finds that many wish to preserve their best memories. The McEwen Leadership Program, which pays testament to entrepreneurship and innovation, is a wonderful example of this. Funded by Rob McEwen ’69, Chairman and CEO of McEwen Mining Inc., and modelled after his commitment to supporting leadership education, this program incorporates leadership principles into a variety of business disciplines. The SAC Advancement team is keenly aware of Andrean heritage. Looking out at the vast quadrangle, Herder remembers the words of one donor: “You can change anything, but please don’t change this.” Herder notes that the Chapel, too, has been preserved much the way it was in 1931. As the School’s archival timeline in Dunlap Hall shows, SAC is more than capable of honouring the past, while building for the future.
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Still, the changes Andreans have brought about since 2000 have been staggering; in the 10 years before that, the new Towers Library and Bedard Athletic Centre drastically altered the landscape as well. “It’s almost unrecognizable from the time when I was a student at the School,” says Armstrong. The creation of superior spaces and programs pays off. But just as important to the School’s success are the remarkable people chosen to run these programs. A prime example is the stellar accomplishment of Steve Rush, Director of IT and Varsity Squash coach. Since his appointment — and the construction of a new, six-court squash complex — the Varsity and UI6 teams have won six consecutive CISAA titles. Under William Scoular, the School’s drama program has also earned a sterling reputation. With a refurbished theatre to work in (the current one is 50 years old), that reputation could well soar beyond anyone’s imagination. With improved facilities, who knows what additional heights could be achieved by the music, McEwen Leadership, and robotics and engineering programs. Since he was a student, “The co-curricular area has broadened and deepened so much,” says Armstrong. “When I was there, football was very big. Hockey was very big. The Cadet Corps was very big. Today, there are just so many other avenues for the students to express themselves and develop their talents. Academically, it’s a place for high performers too — people who really want to learn and who have the capacity to compete at the highest level with their peers.” Irish statesman Edmund Burke once said that, “Example is the school of mankind; they will learn from no other.” The young Andreans of today can certainly learn from their elders’ example. “Among the Old Boy community,” Armstrong continues, “there have been a number of strong leaders without whose support and contributions there would not have been any Campus Master Plan Phase 1 project. Among those are Dem Rogers ’59, Bill Yuill ’57, and Alf Wirth ’59. Fundamentally, these men are absolutely and totally committed to what the School stands for and are determined to see it succeed in the future.” Donors large and small: all have a place at St. Andrew’s. There’s much work ahead, and there are even bigger things to accomplish. Above all, there’s room for everyone at St. Andrew’s: a school that never tires in its constant pursuit of excellence.
The Wirth Art Centre
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he honest truth,” laughs Alf Wirth ’59, “is that I was not good at art.” It hardly mattered: after fumbling with his pencil crayons at St. Andrew’s back in the 1950s, Wirth went on to enjoy a most distinguished career in the financial sector. But through the years, he always retained a sense that art could not only be a source of great beauty in itself, but also a critical piece of a boy’s education. This sense led him to underwrite CMP Phase 1’s elegant Wirth Art Centre, a first-class instructional hub for all forms of visual and media art. Here, students are given opportunities to explore painting, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, and art literacy. In the adjacent Media Centre, they’re able to access the leading edge of artistic technology, whether through desktop publishing, video editing or computer graphics. The space is open, bright and attractive, bathed in a wash of natural light. It’s hard to believe that this room served as the School’s gymnasium for some 60 years, though perhaps it’s a natural progression; as a direct result of Wirth’s largesse, the arts have now taken their place as a “first team sport.” “I’m impressed and supportive of what the teachers are doing there,” says Wirth. “Mostly, I like the fact that the kids using it are smiling and happy.” Those smiles have translated into work of unusually high quality. It’s work that has changed the School’s atmosphere, brightening formerly sombre hallways and making visitors stop to ponder and marvel. A philanthropist known across the country for his educational initiatives, Wirth champions the performing as well as visual arts. Right now, he’s focusing on the creation of new facilities to support St. Andrew’s well-known tradition of theatre and music. He believes that creativity is the driving force behind any interesting professional path, including his own. “You don’t have to go into the arts,” he says, “but whatever you do, you should have some understanding and appreciation for them.” And if he were at St. Andrew’s today? “I don’t know if I’d be a better artist,” he jokes. “But I’d certainly have a lot more interest in the way things are being done now!” Named in honour of the generosity of Alf Wirth ’59 (above), the bright and open Wirth Art Centre opened in 2003, replacing the Dunlap Gym. The Andrean 13
Class of 1954 Archives
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n 1989, students were mystified by the presence of a bearded man in a lab coat, sifting through mountains of school relics. The man was Douglas Worling, and he was St. Andrew’s first archivist. Thanks to his efforts and those of his successors, the School’s memorabilia could finally be sorted and displayed; history could finally come alive. All it needed was a home. Enter the class of 1954. This particularly keen group elected to begin a fund in honour of their 40th anniversary, then directed the monies on their 50th to fund a small, perfect museum tucked underneath the library in what used to be an art room. The Class of 1954 Archives is impeccably organized and a nostalgist’s delight. Here are pictures, trophies, medals and sweaters; dishes, chairs, and documents. There is a tribute to Major Frederick Tilston and even the basketball used in the final game at the old gymnasium. Some of these Andrean treasures are displayed in a beautiful oak display case, the grad gift from the Class of 2004. John Cathers ’54 and his classmates Doug Grant, Graham Dutton, Barry Wansbrough, Fred Leslie and John Vaughan are the ones behind this attractive effort. According to Cathers, they’re a group who remember their time at St. Andrew’s with particular fondness. “We all know each other fairly well,” he says. “I always feel I can pick up with
Rogers Hall
Old Boys celebrating the Class of 1954 Archives
any of them as if there hadn’t been any time lapse.” The Archives has been a huge undertaking that is ongoing and celebrates the traditions and history of the School back to 1899. The process of collecting memorabilia dates as far back as the First World War when Headmaster D. Bruce Macdonald began saving letters that his former students (turned soldiers) would send him from the front. “It’s getting a little crowded,” admits Cathers of the space where current Archivist Sue Hayter works. “More things keep coming in and it’s hard to keep up with it all.” The Class of 1954 measures its appreciation for days gone by in memories as well as precious objects. Cathers says their 50th anniversary dinner attracted Old Boys from Spain, Colombia, Mexico, the United States and Western Canada. Long past 70 now, they still get together. “That’s important, and so are the donations ... as more funds become available, we can make the Archives even better.”
This essential addition would not have been possible withany donors admirably choose to direct their out the kindness and vision of Donald “Dem” Rogers ’59, a support to universities. An increasing body of true leader in Phase 1 of the Campus Master Plan. Like many, research, however, shows that strong education Dem shares a sentimental attachment to his alma mater; his in the early years is actually the most accurate predictor of closest friends date back to his school days. But he regards later success. That’s why St. Andrew’s takes care to tailor its his decision to support the School as purely practical. teaching to each specific stage of a boy’s development. “I’ve been on the Board for 20 years,” he says. “So I came The Middle School years, comprising grades 6, 7 and 8, at this project from the perspective of a Governor, not just an are an especially sensitive time. Here is where boys start the Old Boy. And what we had to do with this campaign was addifficult transition to manhood; here is where solid ambitions dress what the School needed in terms of infrastructure.” take the place of childish dreams. The opening In Rogers’ view, St. Andrew’s is excitingly of Rogers Hall in 2003 enabled St. Andrew’s to close to fulfilling its facilities mandate. Once concentrate resources on students in this age that happens, it can direct attention toward group, with excellent results. As of September the endowment, which he regards as “ab2012, the School will offer grade 5 as well. solutely necessary — not only to maintain Rogers Hall contains seven classrooms and infrastructure, but to attract top candidates to the late Bradley Rowell ’23 Resource Centre, the School.” offering a warm, private study environment for Not to mention helping younger men step early adolescents. But it’s also home to some into the world at large. “Boys used to be 18 of the School’s most cherished new spaces that when they went off to university, and now are enjoyed by all students: the Yuill Family they’re 17. More and more, St. Andrew’s is Gymnasium, the Staunton Gallery, and the doing an excellent job preparing these young Reception area in Rogers Hall Campus Shop. men for life.”
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Yuill Family Gymnasium
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ill Yuill ’57 isn’t sure why his grandfather, a prominent Alberta businessman, sent his sons all the way to St. Andrew’s at the time of the First World War. “We never could figure that out,” he muses. “Why Ontario? And why that school and not another?” One thing Yuill does know: his grandfather made the right choice. Not only for his sons (the late John ’16 and Harlan ’17, Bill’s father), but for four other Yuills who were to follow: Bill’s uncle, the late Willard ’19; Bill’s brother, the late Harry ’53; Bill ’57; and his nephew, John ’82. The generosity, leadership and athletic interests of this family were first reflected in the impressive Middle School double gymnasium that bears the Yuill name. The tradition continues this year, as St. Andrew’s recently opened the magnificent Yuill Family Athletic Complex on its Upper Fields. The $6.5 million complex boasts a synthetic turf field for football, soccer, and lacrosse, an 800-seat grandstand with full press box, complete collegiate-level track and field facilities, a baseball diamond with spectator seating, triple batting cages for baseball and cricket, two outdoor multi-sport courts, and new parking lots. The field’s synthetic turf is first in its class. As SAC’s Director of Athletics Greg Reid points out, “this is, without question, the best high school turf field in Canada. The only other field like it in the country is in Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium.” Yuill recalls that the existing facilities at St. Andrew’s were “pretty adequate for the time.” Now, they’re superb. Because of the redevelopment he helped fund, teams will no longer deal with the threat of flooding from the Shad Creek running through the Lower Fields, which in the past has forced them to seek alternative space. It’s fitting that his family name adorns this project; like his father before him, Yuill was captain of the First Hockey team. For these Andreans, sport was more than a hobby — it was a crucial life lesson. “I believe that sport and teamwork contribute to making the complete man,” says Yuill. “I’ve been involved in business for many years; teamwork is very important there too. Athletes learn to understand discipline, and they take that with them the rest of their lives, on whatever path they choose.”
Paul Mosey
Bill ‘57 and Elizabeth Yuill
Towers Library
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roadcasting executive Richard Costley-White ’85 is well-acquainted with the power of talk. Yet as a member of the family that owned the London Free Press in Ontario, his roots are in the written word. Back in the ’80s, as a student of English, history and economics, he admits to having spent many hours in the School’s library. “I remember writing essays, either in the study hall or on the corner desk there,” he says. “It was always an important space for me. And I did use it as a retreat from my room, just to sit and read.”
Clearly a bibliophile, Costley-White felt a strong desire to improve the School’s academic efforts. And what better place to start than the library? The Towers Library was named after Graham Towers, an Old Boy from the Class of 1913 and the first governor of the Bank of Canada, in recognition of his very generous bequest to the School in 1993. The upgrades and refurbishments to the library were added in honour of the School’s Centennial Year (1998–1999) with Old Boy and parent support to the “Building Towers” project. Today, Towers Library boasts a rich collection of reference materials and is, as Costley-White puts it, “in many ways the core of the School.” But by the late 1980s the space was unwelcoming. “There were a number of cubicle offices at the entrance, which intruded on the floor plan,” he explains. Jim Herder is much more blunt in his assessment of the former layout: he deems it “the ugliest thing you’ve ever seen. We called it the bus stop!” It’s a bus stop no more, thanks to donors such as Geza ’74 and Lilo von Diergardt, Costley-White, Jeff and Mary Ellen Chisholm and others. One’s eye is drawn to the maroon and cream honour boards and the beautiful Centennial Clock. In one corner is a display of Sir Joseph Flavelle’s papers and artifacts recognizing his Baronetcy from King George V; in another, a cosy fireplace. It’s a timeless oasis of calm and a thoroughly modern information commons. And it serves the twin causes of literature and learning to perfection. “Architecture is so powerful,” says Costley-White. “It gives pretty strong messages. When people have beautiful spaces to work in, their work becomes that much more inspired.” The Andrean 15
The Pool
What’s in a Name?
ens sano in corpore sano: a healthy mind in a healthy body. The swimming pool at St. Andrew’s has always symbolized this important saying and has played a central part in school life for almost 100 years. The School’s first pool was given to St. Andrew’s in 1926 by Lady Eaton in memory of her husband, Sir John Craig Eaton, who served as a governor of St. Andrew’s from 1913 until his death in 1922 at the age of 46. The Eaton Pool was situated beside where the Wirth Art Centre is today, and St. Andrew’s strong swimming tradition is partly attributable to this magnificent gift. After many years of wear, tear and repair to the Eaton pool, St. Andrew’s was ready for a change in 1987. Enter donors such as Ross Reucassel ’56, Tony Fell ’59, and the late John Ellis ’32. As Ross Reucassel says, “Sports make the individual much better-rounded, capable of moving on to the next stage of life.” The swimming pool he helped bring into being offers much more than swimming. It also supports water polo, kayaking, lifesaving and scuba training. Though Reucassel enjoyed his student days in the old pool, the new pool, opened in 1990, is a tremendous improvement. “There is no comparison,” he says, calling the difference “night and day. This is a 25-metre, six-lane pool with a viewing gallery, dressing rooms, and many other amenities.” Now temperature-controlled and blessed with the finest filtration system, the pool is remarkable for its use of natural lighting. Illumined by huge, east-facing windows, it’s a space that both inspires peace and stimulates competition. In true SAC tradition, its honour wall, with an ever-increasing set of names, pays tribute to the generations of boys who chose to make swimming integral to their time here. A longtime donor, Reucassel calls his St. Andrew’s experience “six of the best years of my life.” Because of his gift, future generations of Andreans will continue to benefit.
n a cold February day, Jim Herder walks through the St. Andrew’s Chapel. Passing plaques adorned with the names of over 100 war dead, he points out a lone cap badge affixed to the rear wall. He explains that the badge was retrieved from the Somme in 1916. It belonged to an Andrean killed in action, one who to this day remains nameless. “That’s our unknown soldier,” he says. It’s a poignant moment — and, in a school known for remembering the names of all who pass through it, an unusual one. For names are everywhere at St. Andrew’s. Some adorn large spaces and structures, such as Dunlap Hall and Sifton
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After the ribbon was cut in 1990, the pool was turned over to the students as the large crowd assembled cheered them on.
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“It is also important for the School to pay tribute to great Andreans who have passed away and to recognize outstanding service.” House; others are smaller, found at the bases of trees, on paintings, and engraved into chairs. Naming at St. Andrew’s occurs for different reasons, says Executive Director of Advancement, Scott Hayter. “It may be because of a donation, but not always. It is also important for the School to pay tribute to great Andreans who have passed away and to recognize outstanding service.” Named objects, buildings, scholarships and programs all have one thing in common: they recognize people who’ve come to St. Andrew’s and embodied its ideals. What’s in a name? Quite simply, everything. When American sculptor Maya Lin first revealed her plans for Washington’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial, people were shocked. They couldn’t believe that a simple black wall of names would pay sufficient tribute to the thousands who died in that conflict. Wouldn’t a statue better serve the purpose? But 30 years later, Lin’s sculpture is widely considered one of the most starkly powerful memorials on earth. Each year, countless visitors to Washington stand and touch the names carved in shining granite. Some take pencil rubbings to carry home with them. “War is not just a victory or a loss,” the sculptor said at the time. “It’s really about individual lives.” The eternal presence of names at St. Andrew’s carries similar power. A boy can find his grandfather’s name carved
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on a chair; sitting in it, he feels proud to carry on a tradition. On the swimming pool’s honour wall, the names of three generations sit on adjacent tiles. A painting or plaque dedicated to someone who was especially brave, athletic or artistic provides inspiration to others. Some named objects are especially striking. One of St. Andrew’s more remarkable features is its Foucault’s Pendulum, a device which demonstrates the earth’s rotation. One of only five in Ontario, it was donated by Cam ’45 and Dolly Dobbin, the parents of Gordon Dobbin ’71 in memory of his brother, the late Peter ’73. Naming also reflects the School’s international character: passing by one classroom, one notes the presence of a simple sign in Cantonese. It tells of a donation from Barton ’79 and Wai Wai Wong, who are from Hong Kong. “They did it to recognize Barton’s parents,” says Scott Hayter, “for being supportive and for giving him the opportunity to attend the School.” At St. Andrew’s, names honour both the living and the dead. Either the Board of Governors or a group of people will band together in order to honour the service of a single, notable individual. Smith House (a day boy house), named after a favourite retired member of the faculty, Geoff Smith, is an example of this. On the other hand, some larger spaces within the School aren’t named. Examples include the swimming pool and the Great Hall — although, of course, the generosity of many donors has made these possible. Donors to the School’s endowment fund can also take advantage of naming opportunities. This cornerstone of school aid and sponsorship has been tremendously successful and continues to keep pace with donations from supporters committed to improving School facilities. It’s worth noting that a few donors do wish to remain anonymous — after all, they intend their gifts to benefit the School, not bring glory to themselves. But Hayter strongly encourages school supporters to take the option of naming where they can. “You sometimes have to talk people into it, especially at the beginning of a campaign when you’re trying to get momentum going. But you need leadership donors to get you there. Their names set an example for others to follow.” Hayter also says his colleagues take special care to keep a record of these names, lest future visitors to the School
have questions about their meaning. “We’re not always going to be here, so you’ve got to have their generosity properly documented. When people see something, they want to know the history of it. Why has this particular recognition been given?” These named entities reflect the deeply-held values of the people whose names adorn them. It is true that The Yuill Family Athletic Complex honours a series of fine athletes — but it also celebrates the idea that sports foster teamwork and discipline. The Wirth Art Centre recognizes the importance of creativity and the need to stop and appreciate life’s finer things. And Rogers Hall has provided a new entrance to the School as well as an exceptional Middle School program for students in grades 5–8. With each passing year, there will be new people to commemorate, new values to uphold. Every name in this School tells an incredible story. What’s yours? CYNTHIA MACDONALD The Andrean 17
The Ultimate Boys’ Experience Robotics and Lego are a winning combination
Members of the Middle School Robotics Club (l-r) Tristan Tsvetanov ‘16, Eric Asgari ‘17, Dylan Van Eeden ‘16 and Quinton Cochran ‘17
Kim Sillcox
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t’s hard to imagine a more enticing draw for boys than robots and Lego, so the success of SAC’s new Middle School Robotics Club, which combines both, is hardly surprising. The club was formed last September by Michael Hanson, Director of the Middle School, who has essentially opened a whole new door to learning for students in grades 6–8. “This is really the ultimate boys’ experience; it’s so tied to the way boys learn,” says Mr. Hanson. “They get so excited to see the robot move that they forget they are learning. It’s not work for them, it’s fun.” Along with the fun factor, the boys are learning important lessons about teamwork, engineering, math, science, and computer programming. The bonus is that it inspires young people to consider participation in science and technology as study and career paths. The popularity of SAC’s Robotics club continues to grow, with membership tripling to 24 in six months, necessitating Mr. Hanson to hold a 10-week training program this spring for newbies. He also plans to cultivate some “in-house experts” for the club by incorporating a science and technology unit into the grade 6 curriculum this fall. The Middle School Robotics Team entered a FIRST Lego League (FLL) qualifying tournament this past December. The
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results were outstanding, with the SAC team finishing first in the Robot Design category and second overall, advancing to a provincial tournament in January. FLL is part of the notfor-profit, worldwide organization FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). “We learned a lot in that initial competition,” admits Mr. Hanson, who guides the team every Tuesday evening with volunteer assistance from George Tsvetanov, father of Tristan ’16, and John Harrison, a retiree with an avid interest in Lego. “St. Andrew’s competed against many wellestablished clubs, so the fact that the SAC team advanced to the provincial level on their first time out is not only encouraging, but also a huge accomplishment,” he notes. With an office stacked high with bins of Lego, robot parts and pieces, training mats and a 4’x8’ competition table, Mr. Hanson’s enthusiasm is apparent. “I’m interested because the boys are interested. I love seeing the sparkle in their eyes and their excitement when they make the robots move. This is really what education is all about.” Strategies to promote interest in this area among youth were buoyed by a recent investment announcement by the Government of Canada of up to $1.5 million in Ontario’s future scientists and engineers through support of FIRST Robotics Canada. CINDY VEITCH
Middle School boys brought or purchased books for Mr. Carrier to sign (l-r) Will McHenry ‘18, Liam Ennis ‘17, John Jr. Hopkinson ‘18, Mark Polemidiotis ‘18, and Wells Karabin ‘18
Literary Legend Graces SAC
An Interview with Roch Carrier, author of The Hockey Sweater
Stephen Kimmerer
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och Carrier, celebrated author of The Hockey Sweater, spent the day at SAC on February 6. Saad Siddiqui, a grade 9 student and member of SAC’s Writing and Publication Council, chatted with him during his visit. The following is an excerpt from their delightful conversation. SS: You’ve often described your book The Hockey Sweater as a summary of Canadian culture. If that’s the case, do you think you’ve done an effective job of portraying Canada to the rest of the world? RC: (chuckles) I don’t know. I never tried to portray Canada to anyone. I’m just a storyteller. I’m interested by the experience people have. I’m not trying to save the planet or save the world; I’m not trying to promote a country, a province or whatever. As a writer I’m just a free guy; I’m telling stories — sometimes lies — it’s part of being a writer. I think what I could do the best was to try to tell funny stories. SS: It’s a very simple story about being a boy. Why do you think it’s regarded as one of the best pieces of Canadian literature?
RC: I could spend the rest of my life asking the question about how that story became popular. It’s a gift that I received. I would like very often for people to talk about some of the other books that I wrote. I would like people to talk to me about The Lament of Charlie Longsong or something else. But people talk to me about that little story. It’s a gift; it’s an immense gift, an immense privilege. There is no recipe to write that type of story. You cannot plan that. ‘Oh I will write a story about a hockey sweater, because people like hockey and the story will be read by everybody who likes hockey.’ It doesn’t work like that. I just tried to tell in that case the true little story that happened to a little boy in his limited world, dreaming of being in a bigger world than he knew at the time. And hockey was the vehicle to be bigger than it was. SS: You’re still a Habs fan, right? RC: Sometimes it’s difficult (laughs). They say sometimes love is difficult. Yes, it is difficult. But next year, next year! See the full interview on SAC’s The Independent Online at www.sac.on.ca/blog/the-independent/. The Andrean 19
Reflections of an Old Boy SAC Bids Farewell to John Walden ’71
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efore departing on his last March Break from St. Andrew’s, I asked John Walden ’71 if he would answer a few questions for a piece in the spring Andrean. I gave him the option of being interviewed by a peer, an Old Boy, or me. As someone who enjoys the process of reflection, accompanied by a quality single malt, he opted to take time over his holidays to mull over his answers and really ponder his 36 years at St. Andrew’s, both as a student and a Master. Do you recall your first impressions of SAC as a new student?
I remember the first time that I visited SAC as a prospective student. It was spring and the boys were in Cadets after school. I had an interview with Lloyd MacPherson. He had a small office at the end of the hall in Dunlap Hall. Today that space is part of Towers Library. I was accepted as a day boy and started in grade 11 in September 1968. In those days, SAC was really a boarding school. There were only about 26 or 27 boys who were day students and there were no day houses such as we have today. As day boys we were divided into three groups, each affiliated with one of the boarding houses. I was a Memorial House day boy and Geoff Smith was my Housemaster. In my grade 13 year, in an effort to improve my marks for 20 Spring 2012
university, I stayed and did study each night with the boarders. Andrew Ballard ’71 had a double room in Memorial, but did not have a roommate. I moved in and used the other desk in the room. So in essence, I became his roommate, leaving books, clothes and other personal stuff “in my room” in Memorial. At 9:30 or 10:00 p.m., I went home to sleep and came back to school for Chapel the next morning. Which Masters made the greatest impressions on you?
This is an interesting question on two fronts. Firstly the term “Master,” although no longer used, was still in use in 1979 when I came back to teach here. I think it was sometime in the late ’80s that it stopped being used. Although I don’t recall exactly why it fell out of favour, I suspect that as more women were hired to teach, it was no longer a term that was appropriate. As for the Masters who made a great impression on me, Dick Gibb and Stan MacFarlane were two of the most charismatic characters one could ever meet. But there were a great many teachers who made a lasting impression on me when I was a student: Gaspar Guggino, Gary West, Ron Kinney, David Timms, Courtney Stoate, Geoff Smith, and Lewis Pitman come to mind as major influences. When I returned to SAC as a teacher, I was very fortunate to continue my mentorship with many of these great teachers who were still at the School and who then became my colleagues.
Paul Mosey
The Andrean 21
Tell me about Dick Gibb.
I was hired to replace Rupert Ray who had taken a sabbatical and gone to Indiana to complete his master’s degree. During my first year, whenever I ran into Dick Gibb in the hallway he just looked at me and started to snicker. I think it was because he remembered what a rogue I had been when I had been in his class eight years earlier. In a strange twist of fate, when Rupert came back, there was no room for me in the English Department and so for a number of years I found myself teaching geography under Dick Gibb who was the Head of the Department. Dick and I became good friends and I frequently crewed for him on his sailboat the Carver-McKay. Later, Dick hired me to work with him on his tour to the Bahamas known as Shipwreck. I recall that it was shortly after we returned from one such trip to the Exumas that I received the call that Dick had passed away. At that time his colleague and side kick of many, many years, Stan MacFarlane, was in Kuala Lumpur where he was working
John worked for five Headmasters: Coulter as a student, Hockin hired him, then Bedard, Staunton and now McHenry. at Taylor College. I think one of the worst days of my life was the day I had to call Stan and break the news of Dick’s death to him. Stan frequently came back to Canada from Kuala Lumpur. He was always trying to get me to leave St. Andrew’s and move to Kuala Lumpur and work for him at Taylor College. The only problem was that Stan wanted me to take a $25,000 pay cut for the privilege of joining him in Malaysia. Needless to say, I preferred to stay at SAC. Stan, as did many former faculty, maintained a great interest in the changes and developments that took place at St. Andrew’s. We would get together for lunch or dinner several times a year and inevitably, the conversation would swing around to what was happening at SAC. Stan and I remained fast friends until his death at 93 a couple of years ago. What prompted you to go into teaching yourself?
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in the classroom was just part of what a young man needs to learn as part of his education. Often the digressions in Dick’s class were as interesting and informative as the study of geography. For the first two years at university, I studied geography and was convinced that I would be a geographer by profession, but the influence of Timms and Pitman won out and I became an English major. While I was at the University of Toronto, I dropped in to the School one day to say hello to Geoff Smith. When he asked what I was doing, I explained that I was at the Faculty of Education. He told me about a job that was available in September and introduced me to Headmaster Tom Hockin. And, as they say, the rest is history. You’ve spent more than half your life on this campus, what does this place mean to you?
There are so many memories attached to a place where I started as a student 44 years ago and then returned to as a faculty member. One of the most amazing things is to witness the many changes and improvements to the physical plant that have taken place over the years to keep SAC competitive and to attract mission-appropriate students. Our facilities are certainly the envy of a great many other independent schools across the country. In many ways the School is so much more than just a place of employment. It is also my home. For 23 of the 33 years that I have worked here, I have lived on campus in Campbell House. The people I work with are not only my colleagues during the day, but they are also my friends and neighbours when I leave work and go home. In June, I shall leave the campus for the last time as a resident and move to my new home in Muskoka. I am certain that it will feel very strange to realize that any future visits will be as a “visitor” who no longer has a place to live or work on campus. You initially served as Director of Student Life and then as Assistant Headmaster, charged with handling discipline among other things. What was your greatest challenge in this role? How did being a student here help you perfect this role?
I was Director of Student Life my first year that I moved into administration and then I became Assistant Headmaster. I think that the most important thing to remember when dealing with discipline issues is that it is important to separate the choice that the boy made from the boy himself. What I mean by this, of course, is that good people sometimes make bad choices. My job is to deal with the choice that was made, not to sit in judgment over the boy. As a student at St. Andrew’s that was one of the lessons that I learned. I know that when I was punished for something that I had done, as long as the consequence was reasonable and fair, I could live with it. I have tried to follow the same guidelines, and to a
large extent, I think that I have succeeded. I have often built the closest relationships with students that I have suspended, because I always treated them with respect and as individuals.
Stephen Kimmerer
What do you believe to be St. Andrew’s greatest strength?
I think that there are two things that I would rate as the School’s greatest strengths. The first is the phenomenal people who work at this great institution. And by that I mean everyone: the people who make our grounds look beautiful; the people who keep the John Walden coached swimming at SAC for 33 years. He is pictured above with Coach Christine residences and academic buildMcCue and members of this year’s Senior Swim team. ings spick and span; the staff in the Great Hall; the office suphad worked with Boys Clubs of Canada in Toronto, and before port staff; the nursing staff; the faculty and the Leadership that I had worked as a lifeguard and swim instructor. I have Team; the Governors who give so freely of their time; and worked with young people for most of my life. the Parents Guild. Everyone who works or is associated with St. Andrew’s takes pride in the job they do to contribute to You’ve taught for 33 years, mostly as an English teacher. Who the well-being of the entire school. When you stop and think is your favourite author and what is your favourite book? Did about how each spoke on a wheel contributes to the strength you use these in the classroom? of the wheel itself, that is really what we have here. It is an It is no secret to many of my former students that I am a great amazing place to be a part of. fan of Geoffrey Chaucer. Parts of The Canterbury Tales have The second strength is the myriad of opportunities that been a staple in my English courses for years. The Knight’s are available to each and every student who attends this Tale, The Wife of Bath’s Tale and The Miller’s Tale in my mind school. There is always room in a school for the boy who are some of the greatest pieces of English literature. is the academic or the jock. There is a place for the musician, the artist, the actor, but more importantly, perhaps, are What lies ahead in retirement? What are the things you hope the opportunities for the boy who finds it a little harder to to achieve? fit into the “mainstream.” That is a very special thing about I look forward to moving to my place in Muskoka and to St. Andrew’s. It gives that boy a chance to find his place, to spending more time with my wife, Sandra, who has been livreceive a top-flight education, and to excel in his own way. ing there for the past five years and patiently waiting for me I have seen it time and again here and it is one of the most to retire and join her. She will be thrilled to have me around special and important things about this School. on a regular basis rather than just on weekends. What will you miss most about no longer living and working The house has been a bit of a summer project as well as at St. Andrew’s? during other holiday breaks. It is nearing completion, so I That is an easy one: the people that I was just talking about in will probably now need to look for a “new career.” I am not the previous question. The dedication and love that so many certain what that will be. I will play a lot of golf and do some have for this School and who give so selflessly on a daily basis. boating in the summer, plow snow and do some ice fishIf you ask someone who has never been here previously, what ing in the winter. Who knows, I may write a book about my they find interesting or remarkable about SAC, one of the experiences at St. Andrew’s, thinly disguised of course, in things that they will always identify is the dedication and comorder to protect the guilty! There are a great many characmitment of the people they met here. And obviously I will miss ters that I have met over my career who lend themselves to a working with the students. Prior to coming to St. Andrew’s I marvellous tale! Kim Sillcox The Andrean 23
Thanks for the Memories Mr. & Mrs. P. retire after 22 years
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ob and Ann Perrier, the beloved Housemasters of Memorial House, are set to retire this summer after 22 years at St. Andrew’s College. As the second longest serving house parents in St. Andrew’s history, their departure marks the end of an era. For Ann, the physical education teacher in Middle School, and Bob, Upper School’s Head of Math, their tenure is only surpassed by Jack Wright, who served as Housemaster in Macdonald House from 1941–64. “We’ll let Jack keep that honour,” laughs Ann, in keeping with the humble, unassuming nature that is characteristic of both her and her husband. Ann is officially Assistant to Bob’s Housemaster; however, the titles are on paper only. The couple has taken a team approach since arriving here from Bishop’s College School in Lennoxville, Que., where they had been house parents for 14 years. They were finally convinced to come to St. Andrew’s after three years of urging by former Headmaster Bob Bedard. They were happy at Bishop’s so it was a huge decision for the family — which included three grade-school children and a dog — to move to a new province, for new jobs, and a new home to be shared with 60 live-in teenage boys. “It’s not the lifestyle for everyone,” says Bob, “but it has certainly worked for us.” Ann recalls coming to SAC ahead of her family in August 1990 to orchestrate the move. “It was the end of summer and there wasn’t a soul around, and the House wasn’t quite ready. I came outside and yelled ârret to the movers then proceeded to
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have a bit of a meltdown. I went to lunch to calm down, hit the paint store, and came back ready for the challenge.” Bob remembers the first few years at SAC as being a “bit on the wild side” as they introduced their residential charges, about one-third of them new each year, to their “firm but fair” philosophy. “There was lots of give and take in those early years. Our style is to stay visible and have an open door policy,” says Bob, who believes each House takes on the personality of its occupants. “The only difference between a regular home and ours is that the numbers are higher,” says Ann. “Sometimes you had to be tough — but it was done in love,” purporting that it is always easier to raise someone else’s children, especially given the cooperation and support they’ve received from some “amazing parents” over the years. The Perrier children — Tara, Jason ’98 and Paul ’01 — grew up sharing their parents. Tara, who unlike her brothers attended local schools in Aurora, describes growing up on campus as “an incredible experience that provided a unique view into the true devotion and selflessness” her parents brought to all aspects of their profession. Late night knocks on the door; emergency trips to take boys to the hospital that would bring their mom home at 3 a.m. and up again at 6 a.m. for hockey or another school function — always without complaint; her dad at Math Den from 9:30 p.m. until whatever was required; the kitchen and late night snacks; morning breakfasts prepared in the den; barbecues in the backyard; and special House outings are just a few of the things Tara says made “Memorial House and home one and the same.”
Paul Mosey
The Andrean 25
A quote on a magnet that hangs on her own fridge serves to remind Tara of the example her mom and dad set each day as she was growing up: Parents, you do not teach your children, you are the lesson. Jason adds that he was always amazed by his parents’ “level of commitment to the students, to the School and to us.” The impartiality their parents showed to all students is something that Paul particularly admired. “Regardless of whether a student was in Upper School or Middle School, a new boy or part of the seven-year club, a Varsity athlete or a house league participant, an honour role student or an active member of the early run club, my parents provided them with the same patience, guidance and compassion. This approach really illustrates their sincere investment in the development of each student they work with,” he says. It’s this attitude that is at the core of who they are, and explains why they are held in such high esteem by legions
“I imagine it will be a bit of an adjustment. Like going 100 miles an hour then suddenly putting the brakes on.” of Andreans. “We always treated the boys as we would our children,” Ann says simply. “They’ve touched our lives too, and we’ve learned something from everyone we’ve met. It really is a two-way street.” It would be impossible to count the number of students who have been taught by Mr. and Mrs. P. or resided with them in Memorial House, but it’s probably no stretch to put it in the thousands. The Perriers agree that one of the most gratifying aspects in their role as Housemasters is to watch the progression from wet-behind-the-ears students as they learn, grow and mature into confident young men. They have stayed in touch with many former students and are always delighted when someone visits the campus or drops them an email. They’ve lost track of the number of wedding invitations they’ve received. Hearing from Old Boys also helps evoke long-forgotten memories for the couple. At a reunion dinner this past September, Bob and Ann reconnected with many former students, each with their own stories to share. One student from the ’90s recounted how the Perrier’s family dog, Jessie, was posted outside his dormitory door to keep him from leaving his room after curfew. “I’d completely forgotten about that, but it obviously left an impression on him,” chuckles Bob, who admits to 26 Spring 2012
sometimes peeking at class photos to refresh his memory — though of course some look nothing like their younger selves. “I love my dad’s dry sense of humour,” says Jason. “Sometimes it is a few years after kids graduate that they comment to me that he is hilarious.” He’s pretty sure most students will remember his dad with a clipboard and pencil tucked into his shirt no matter where he’s going. Having his sons attend school on campus added a new dynamic and blurred the lines between school friends and residential boarders under their roof, Bob says. And having the ability to follow Paul and Jason in sports was a bonus they both appreciated. “My mother was more in touch with what was going on at the School than I usually was,” recalls Jason. “She would ask if I was going to ‘the party’ on a given weekend, and I would look at her and ask, ‘what party?’ Not because I was trying to be secretive, but because I had no idea there was one!” The Perriers officially finish up their duties at St. Andrew’s at the end of July, once summer school concludes. Bob has been running this program for many years with Ann supplying daily snacks for the staff in the Resource Room in Rogers Hall. The thought of packing up all their belongings is a task neither one of them looks forward to. “Have you ever seen the show Hoarders?” jokes Bob. “That’s not far from Ann.” “Well, a Housemaster has to be prepared,” shoots back Ann, smiling at her husband. “There is always someone knocking on our door looking for something—and I can usually find it for them!” Their first order of business for retirement will be getting settled in and making some renovations to the hobby farm they own in Vankleek Hill, Ont. The move will bring them within an hour’s drive of daughter Tara and son-in-law Terry, both teachers near Ottawa, and parents of their grandchild, Emily, 2. As for other plans, nothing is set in stone yet except a desire to do some travelling and spend more time with their family. “I imagine it will be a bit of an adjustment for us. Like going 100 miles an hour then suddenly putting the brakes on,” says Bob. Stepping in to fill the void when they leave Memorial House is Michael Carroll, who takes over as Housemaster in September. Mike has been teaching science and economics in the Upper School since 2008 and is a Varsity Football coach. He and his wife Sarah have lived in Sifton House, where Mike is Assistant Housemaster. for the past three years Asked if there is any advice they wish to impart before they leave, the Perriers grow thoughtful. Since Housemasters meet regularly to resolve issues and set polices, Bob says he’s confident Michael is well-versed on Memorial House. When pressed, he says “the only advice I’d offer is to be his own person and bring his own style.” Adds Ann, “and take time to enjoy life because it can get very busy.” CINDY VEITCH
S A C O L D B O Y S A S S O C I AT I O N
GOLF T
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SAC OLD BOYS, FATHERS OF CURRENT AND PAST STUDENTS
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REGISTRATION
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Price includes golf, cart, lunch and dinner at Silver Lakes Golf & Country Club
Early Bird $180 before June 1st
For sponsorship opportunities and to reserve your foursome for golf, please contact: Nicholas Weedon ’02, Old Boy Officer 905-727-3178 ext. 321 / nicholas.weedon@sac.on.ca The Andrean Online registration available at events.sac.on.ca
27
Shaping Our Future St. Andrew’s Strategic Plan 2011-2016 Report Card
1
The Best Learning Promoting Educational Excellence
2
Keeping the Balance
Maintaining Traditions and Innovative Edge
Goal: The Academic program will be recognized for its breadth, depth and quality
Goal: Traditions will be sustained and celebrated
✔ St. Andrew’s continues to maintain its small class sizes.
✔ School traditions continue to be celebrated on an
We have further developed the Advanced Placement (AP) program by offering micro AP economics in grade 11 and macro AP economics in grade 12, thereby requiring grade 11 students to work at a higher level and allowing more students to take advantage of both courses. ✔ The success of our graduating students is promoted regularly through the media and School website. ✔ Launch of grade 5 for September 2012 has been wellreceived and is full. Overall, Middle School enrolment has increased by 30%.
annual basis, with an ever-increasing number of events being live-streamed for Old Boys and boarding students’ families to enjoy around the world, including CISAA and OFSAA level championships, Carol Service, Cadets in Concert, the Cadet Inspection and Prize Day. ✔ The School recently posted the position of ‘Andrean Traditions Coordinator’ to support the development and coordination of student activities while simultaneously promoting character education with an eye toward sustaining our rich Andrean heritage.
Goal: A SAC Diploma will be offered complementary to the Ontario Secondary School Diploma ✔T he anticipated launch of a SAC Diploma is 2013, and grade 10 students will work toward earning it in June 2015. This diploma will compel boys to undertake a wellrounded program of academics, athletics, arts, leadership and global citizenship.
Goal: The School will employ the best faculty and staff ✔T he School has taken a proactive approach to hiring, receiving more than 200 applications for each teaching position. ✔ S AC faculty earn places on the IBSC Action Research Team at the International Boys’ Schools Coalition (IBSC) annual conference for 2012–14. ✔ S AC is partnered with the Critical Thinking Consortium, and engages in professional development opportunities with high-level educators such as Barrie Bennett, a professor at the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education (OISE).
28 Spring 2012
Goal: SAC will continue to be recognized as a leader in the implementation of technology in the classroom ✔ The first St. Andrew’s Institute of Technology held in October 2011 was a great success. Plans are already in place for the second annual institute in the fall. ✔ Technology at St. Andrew’s was the cover story of the fall 2011 Andrean, and SAC continues to serve as an example for integrating technology into the classroom. ✔ A highly successful and popular Upper School Robotics/ Engineering program has been implemented in the Middle School.
Goal: Showcase examples of Andreans who exemplify creativity and innovation ✔ Headmaster’s Art Award pieces from 2001-2011 are now on display in McLaughlin Hall. A portion of St. Andrew’s art collection will be on display at the Aurora Cultural Centre in September 2012. ✔ Examples of innovative and creative Andreans are showcased as profiles or stories on the website and in every issue of The Andrean.
“In early 2011, the Board of Governors approved a five-year Strategic Plan for St. Andrew’s College. This Strategic Plan serves as a roadmap to keep us focused on our priorities. Each spring we will include a report card in The Andrean on the progress to date. It is an aggressive plan, but by 2016, we hope to report that we accomplished our mission.” Kevin McHenry, Headmaster
3
Beyond the Gates
Developing Global Citizens and Leaders
4
Being Strong
Ensuring Strength and Sustainability
Goal: Increased diversity of students, faculty and staff
Goal: Increase the number of alumni enjoying lifetime connections with the College
✔ Recent hirings have increased the diversity on staff. ✔ SAC hired a guest teacher from Beijing this year to intro-
✔ St. Andrew’s hosted its first Toronto Old Boys’ Dinner in
duce Middle School students to the Mandarin language and Chinese culture and folklore, and to instruct grade 11 and 12 boarding students in beginner Mandarin as part of a full-credit evening course.
Goal: Increased engagement with international alumni ✔H eadmaster Kevin McHenry, Executive Director of Advancement Scott Hayter, and members of the Admission team have visited this year with Old Boys and current and prospective families in Mexico, China, the U.K., New York City, and the Caribbean.
Goal: Increased local and global recognition of our School ✔ S AC has increased its participation in Aurora Chamber of
more than 20 years in April 2011 and plans to host another in fall 2012. A mentoring program has been developed to help connect Old Boys with recent SAC graduates who are either heading to university, new to the workforce, or firmly established in their careers. The first phase will be launched in June 2012.
Goal: Maintain a beautiful campus and add to high-quality sustainable facilities ✔ The launch of the $28 million Not An Ordinary Place Campaign will ensure that in the future we offer even better facilities for our students in drama, music, business and leadership studies, engineering and robotics, food services, and athletics. The updated and new facilities will also enhance the beauty of the School and the efficacy of the learning environment.
Commerce events and continues to invite the community onto campus for use of school facilities, and special events, e.g., author Roch Carrier and National Geographic’s Giant Traveling Maps program. St. Andrew’s is featured regularly in the local media throughout the GTA. ✔O ur collection of YouTube videos and our involvement in social media help to showcase the School at a global level. According to a Parent Media Habits Survey taken in January 2012, 42% of our parents use Facebook, 39% use YouTube, and 12% use Twitter.
Goal: Reduce SAC’s ecological footprint
Goal: Boys prepared for leadership in life
To view the Strategic Plan 2011–2016 in full, visit the website at www.sac.on.ca/discover
✔ SAC launched the Transition University Preparation (UP) Program in 2010-2011 as an incentive for grade 11 students to board during their final year to ease the transition from high school to university. Four students transitioned the first year, and seven participated this year.
✔ SAC continues to show progress in the Environmental Plan (2009–2014) — “Taking Pride in Ecological Citizenship” — and is on target for meeting its goals by 2014 as documented in that plan’s update on p. 30-31.
Goal: Increase annual giving ✔ In 2011–12, the Parent Fund raised twice as much as last year, and Old Boy annual giving and participation is up over this time last year.
The Andrean 29
St. Andrew’s Green Initiatives Significant strides have already been made
In
spring 2009, St. Andrew’s rolled out a five-year Environmental Plan that set some lofty goals for 2014, including 25% reduction in energy consumption; 45% increased recycling rate; 30% reduction of school-wide paper consumption; and a 15% reduction of SAC’s carbon footprint/greenhouse gas emissions. Based on a five-year period from 2005-2010, water usage is down 43.8%; natural gas is down 13.23%; and electricity is down 12.48% — putting us on target to meet the energy consumption goal. As you will read below, recycling and school-wide paper consumption are also on track. An Environmental Plan Review Committee has been established to monitor progress and report to the Board’s Property and Facilities Committee on an annual basis. The following are examples of some of the strides made so far:
Education & Curriculum
• Sessions on how to integrate sustainability issues into courses are included in internal professional development, and faculty have incorporated recommendations of Ontario’s new Environmental Education Resource Guide into the curriculum. • Three-ring binder paper has been reduced by 90% since 2009 by the move to tablets and OneNote software. Copy paper has been reduced by 10%, of which the vast majority is recycled. 30 Spring 2012
• Middle School teacher, Whitney Elliott has incorporated an outdoor education component into teaching and presented on this at the International Boys’ Schools Coalition Conference in 2011. School Community
• The Middle School Green Team ran community service activities for groups of 15 students and established Little Acts of Green to reinforce that change can happen incrementally: 1. Please respect the fact that SAC is an idle-free school. While waiting to pick up your son, please turn off your vehicle. 2. Bring your own water bottle to school and to sports instead of buying a plastic bottle. Twenty-two billion water bottles are thrown away each year! 3. Turn off the lights when leaving the room. This small act can reduce your home’s energy use by 15%! • Student assemblies are held regularly throughout the year in the Upper School to continue to educate the students about recycling and taking pride in ecological citizenship. • The boarding houses held an Eco-Challenge in April to assess and monitor the average waste out-put in three categories: garbage, recycling, and contaminated recycling (what happens when nonrecycling is mixed with recycling). Over the course of three weeks, the boarders became much more
SAC’s Enviro nme ntal Creed
We believe that all Andreans should cultivate ecological citizenship and thereby inspire positive environmental change for sustainable living within our school community and beyond. aware of the volume of waste generated and created a baseline to help set higher expectations and goal setting for the future. Utilities
• SAC is now using energy-efficient bulbs on all replacements. The Dunlap Hall corridor, boarding house washrooms and shower rooms all have new light sensors. • Seven new high-efficiency furnaces have been installed since 2009. • Residence and swimming pool change room showerheads have been replaced with low-flow showerheads. • Waterless urinals have been installed in the Great Hall and cost benefits are being evaluated.
Cindy Veitch
150 Seedlings Planted for Earth Week
Grade 7 students Dylan Cowell and Connor Sleeth plant trees with Whitney Elliott
Landscape & Grounds Management
• The Grounds Crew has tested different organic fertilizers and the natural treatment has been very successful. This treatment will be extended to all the grounds this year. We have cut use of synthetic fertilizer by 75% with a target of 100% within the next three years. • Trial of a low-mow program has been successful. Areas around the Shad Creek in the lower fields are now allowed natural ground cover (no grass cutting). Mow length has been raised to 3” during the summer months. • More perennial flowers have been integrated into the gardens to keep maintenance relatively low. Food Services & Cleaning
• The Dining Hall has sourced juices, meats, produce and milk locally (Sunrise Juices is a Newmarket company, Tara Foods is a local butcher
that works with local producers, and milk is pasteurized and packaged in Ontario by Sealtest). • An almost zero-waste catering program is in place for all dining and catering events, with the exception of when plastic containers are used. • The School’s Property Committee has approved the purchase of a macerator for the Dining Hall to de-water our food waste for composting. Installation of this on-site composter is expected before the end of the year. Waste Management
• Miller Waste conducted a waste audit in September 2011 that indicated a 67.5% diversion rate (provincial target is 60%). SAC will undergo another annual waste audit this September. • Reduction in the amount of waste in renovation and construction waste bin. •H and dryers installed in staff washrooms to save on paper towel waste.
As part of Earth Week in April, the Middle School students planted 150 seedlings on the perimeter of The Yuill Family Athletic Centre, formerly the Upper Fields. The tree-planting initiative was a partnership between the Regional Municipality of York and St. Andrew’s. Prior to the planting, the land was assessed for the best location to plant the seedlings to ensure the greatest success rate. Each pair of students was given a seedling and a potted tree. The seedlings were white and red pines, and white spruces; the potted trees were white spruce and white pines. Green Team facilitator and Middle School teacher, Whitney Elliott, kicked off the event with a presentation to the student body about the changes to the Upper Fields over the past year, and the importance of giving back to our environment what we have taken away. The students discussed the importance of environmental rejuvenation and protecting our natural habitat. This motivated them to begin planting, and they were surprised with how much fun planting a tree could be! Owen Luo, grade 8, said, “It will be a great memory to see how much they have grown when we come back as Old Boys.” Other Earth Week events on campus included meatless Monday; a litter-less lunch, including reusable water bottles; and Community Service activities involving poster making and learning what goes into a landfill. The Middle School Green Team continues to promote “Little Acts of Green” to their classmates to remind them that one small act does make a difference. They proved it with the tree planting — each person planting one small tree created a forest of 150 trees! WHITNEY ELLIOTT The Andrean 31
Where in the World are Fred and Doreen Hiltz
If
retirement is supposed to mean slowing down, someone forgot to tell Fred and Doreen Hiltz. After long and successful careers as educators at St. Andrew’s College, the couple is arguably busier now than when Fred was head of physics and Doreen taught ESL. Today they are heavily involved with volunteer commitments, travel, grandchildren, and gardening, and they enjoy spending time at the hand-hewn log cottage they designed and built themselves. The pair met as students while attending the University of Toronto in the late 1950s. Doreen came from British Columbia to study music, and Fred left his home in New Brunswick to study aeronautical engineering. “We were a bit like east meets west, or the fisherman meets the farmer’s daughter,” chuckles Fred, displaying his trademark humour. Ontario proved to be the great middle ground where they married, raised a family and enjoyed careers at St. Andrew’s College. Last July, the Hiltzes celebrated their 50th wedding
32 Spring 2012
Cindy Veitch
Years at SAC Fred: 1960-1961; 1964-1998 Position: Head of Physics Doreen: 1973-1999 Position: ESL Coordinator
anniversary at a party in the Great Hall attended by friends, family, their children Greg ’81, Doug ’86 and Kristy, and their five grandchildren who range in age from 8-17. All this may not have come to pass, however, had it not been for the “depressing state of the aeronautics industry” when Fred graduated in 1959 (good-bye Avro Arrow), prompting him to switch career trajectories and accept an offer at SAC from former Headmaster Bob Coulter, a friend of one of his professors. He taught here for one year, liked it, left to get his master’s degree at the University of Waterloo, and returned for good in 1964. Doreen, meanwhile, stayed home with the children, maintaining her interest in music by teaching voice and piano lessons from their home on Masters’ Row. Eventually she began tutoring SAC students in ESL and, as the numbers increased, the School opened up ESL classes, offering her a faculty position in 1973. The following year, the Hiltzes purchased a small island on a lake near Parry Sound, Ont. For 15 years, the family spent school breaks at the lake, handling every aspect
your former teachers?
The entire Hiltz family takes great pride and pleasure in Moosehead Lodge, a logcabin style cottage they built from the ground up.
of construction themselves, from the pine logs Fred felled on the mainland and floated to the island, to the flat rocks Doreen collected by canoe for the floor-to-ceiling fireplace. They started summering in the log cottage in 1988, and to this day it remains a cherished gathering place full of memories that is enjoyed by family and friends.
“Much of the couple’s time nowadays is spent giving back to the community.” Much of the couple’s time nowadays is spent giving back to the community. Fred’s lifelong interest in flying and the university summers spent in the Air Force reserves led him to the veterans’ wing at Sunnybrook Hospital where he’s been a “wheelchair pusher” for 13 years. It’s his way, he says, of showing his appreciation for what the veterans have done for us. Doreen is
involved in numerous activities, including membership in her church choir, a women’s group that raises funds for mission charities, and the Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW). “We are really on the go all the time,” she says. The couple has travelled extensively since retiring, enjoying every chance to see the world, explore new cultures and investigate their ancestry. They have visited several countries in Europe, been on safari in Africa, taken a road trip across Canada, and cruised the Caribbean. As busy as they are, they still make a point to stop by St. Andrew’s to say hello to friends and to attend various events such as Homecoming. With her interest in gardening, Doreen always marvels at the School’s beautiful landscaping, noting how much taller the trees and shrubs seem each time she visits. And Fred, always the physics teacher, likes to check on the Foucault’s Pendulum in McLaughlin Hall “to make sure it’s still working.” Last September the entire Hiltz clan was back on campus to attend the Reunion Dinner for their sons; Fred and Doreen were delighted to connect with many of their former SAC colleagues and students. CINDY VEITCH The Andrean 33
Lucy Maud Montgomery Renowned Canadian Author and SAC Parent
L.M. Montgomery Collection, Archival and Special Collections, University of Guelph Library.
M
any Andreans know that numerous iconic Canadians are connected to St. Andrew’s College, including Group of Seven artist Lawren Harris ’06; the first Canadian-born governor of the Bank of Canada, Graham Towers ’13; author Timothy Findley ’50; and LieutenantGovernor of Newfoundland and Labrador John Crosbie ’49. But did you know that Lucy Maud Montgomery, one of Canada’s literary legends and author of Anne Chester of Green Gables, and her husband, Rev. Macdonald ’30 Ewan Macdonald, sent both their sons, Chester ’30 and [Ewan] Stuart Macdonald ’33, here? Chester, the older son, attended St. Andrew’s College from 1925 to 1930. He played rugby, was a member of The Review staff, and a corporal in Cadets. After graduating from St. Andrew’s, he studied law at the University of Toronto, eventually becoming a lawyer in Aurora. In the interim, however, he was a source of worry for his parents, particularly his mother. He had failed a few courses at university and most distressing for her, in November 1932 he had secretly married Luella Reid, (Ewan) Stuart a local girl. Lucy Maud reflected on where Macdonald ’33 she had gone wrong and turned to Headmaster Dr. Macdonald’s character reference for her son: “Macdonald is a boy of excellent character and exceptional ability.” But she found no solace there, and of the secret marriage stated dramatically: “It is their keeping it a secret that hurts the most.” The author apparently abandoned her diaries for three years because of this perceived “intolerable anguish and worry.” Chester and Luella settled down and had two children, Luella and Cameron. Chester went on to become, from all accounts, an upstanding citizen — he was secretary of the Aurora Board of Trade and treasurer of the Aurora
34 Spring 2012
Conservative Association. Chester Macdonald died at the age of 51. L. M. Montgomery’s other son, Stuart, was three years younger and also attended SAC for five years. Like many mothers today, Lucy Maud was distraught at the idea of his leaving home for St. Andrew’s: “This week will happen that which I have been dreading all summer. Stuart is leaving home for St. Andrew’s – leaving home forever except for holiday visits. It is such a terrible thought.” Stuart was more academic and less temperamental than his older brother, and he made his mother very proud: “Word came tonight [June 1931] that Stuart has won the Isabelle Cockshutt prize in history – $25 – as well as the General Proficiency Prize for his class. I wonder if I dare rejoice a little over this” (Rubio & Waterston, 1992, 136). Stuart continued to excel, winning several medals in his graduating year; he was also a librarian, a member of the Literary Society, and an editor of The Review. A notable athlete, Stuart played not only rugby and cricket, but also captained the gym team. In The Review from summer 1933, the writer notes, “Stewie … is the brightest lad in the Upper Sixth … also Junior Gymnastic Champ of Ontario.” Stuart graduated from SAC in June 1933 to study medicine at the University of Toronto. In 1938, while still there, he captained the Varsity Gymnastics team. During the war years, he joined the Royal Canadian Navy and was posted to Europe. Stuart became an obstetrician, married and had three children, twins, Alan and Roderick, and Kate. He died of a brain hemorrhage in 1982, at the age of 66. As a school, St. Andrew’s has contributed considerably to the arts, the culture, the sciences, and the government of Canada; this fascinating link to our literary past is no SUE HAYTER exception.
Inventive Excuses for Being Late Day Boy Lates Book 1987–89
Graham Roumieu
I
’ve had something called the Day Boy Lates Book from 1987-89 in the Archives office since I started at SAC three years ago, but I took a really close look at it only recently. What I discovered actually made me laugh out loud, shake my head in disbelief, and marvel at the boys’ ingenuity. The excuses range from the banal, “I slept in” and “doctor’s appointment” and “traffic” to the ludicrous, “had to bail mom out of jail” and “my cat had babies” and “dog swallowed keys to the car. Had to perform intensive surgery to get keys back.” The Canadian winter weather also provided many excuses: “Power failure; freezing rain,” followed by the next comment: “You sussed it: I was in the ditch.” One student simply wrote “… didn’t much like the weather”; yet another provided the imaginative: “The next ice age began on my car.” Family members were often held responsible: “My sister hogged the bathroom.” One student, Keith, wrote: “Jed woke up late.” Jed followed that with: “My brother is a liar.” Often, parents were at fault: “Parental transportation unit didn’t wake up on time.” But typically it was mom who got the blame: “Mother doesn’t know how to use an alarm clock”,
“Mom failed” and “Mom had to hang out laundry.” Occasionally other women were culpable: “had to drive behind a woman driver the whole way.” Some were cryptic: “You don’t want to know” (I probably don’t!). Others provided too much information: “hot and heavy date last night.” And here are my favourites: “Unexpected passenger” — what exactly could that mean? “Had to look real nice for grad pics. These things take time” — but, of course! “My alarm didn’t go off. Actually it went off but only once” — well at least he was honest. “Trying to make father a wanted criminal” — I would just love to know what this boy did to provoke his father to that point! Were any of these your excuses:
“My goldfish had babies” “I am dying” “Had a cup of coffee with Elvis” “I helped Santa Claus wrap presents” SUE HAYTER “Entered a time warp”? The Andrean 35
Bob Bedard
At 80, tennis still a passion for SAC’s sixth Headmaster
“For 11 years from 1955 to 1965, Bob Bedard dominated Canadian tennis as no one had before, or has since. In each of those years, he ranked No. 1 in the country and, except for a loss in early 1964, his mastery of Canadian opponents was absolute: an incredible 216 matches without a defeat.” Racquets Canada, April 1983
Paul Mosey
T
his paragraph perfectly encapsulates former Headmaster Bob Bedard’s success as a tennis player in his prime. It’s hard to believe he achieved much of this success as an amateur, but indeed, he was never officially a ‘professional’ tennis player. He continued his competitive career during 14 years teaching at Bishop’s College School up until 1972, and thereafter as a French teacher at St. Andrew’s College. As late as 1976, he led Canada to its first and only major world victory in the 45-and-over category. More than 30 years after being named SAC’s sixth Headmaster in 1981, and months after his 80th birthday, Bob and his wife, Anne, continue to enjoy retired life split between the Atlantic coast of Florida and home in Aurora. Bob remembers his first two years of retirement in 1997 as a trying time. “I felt guilty about all the free time,” he recalls. “I had been very busy at school and I liked the routine it provided. To suddenly lose that was difficult even though I did my best to be busy.” He took some art lessons, began oil painting (“I’m no artist, but I enjoy it!”), and involved himself in volunteer work. As time went on, golf, bridge, and reading played increasing roles for him and for Anne as well. Tennis continued. “I have never stopped playing tennis, either singles or doubles,” he says. “I belong to two clubs in Bob and Florida and play as much as my body will allow. Anne Bedard I still play three Canadian tournaments a year.” The tournaments are organized by age, though Bob has always done well against opponents in younger groups. He won the Canadian over-55 championship 10 years ago at the age of 70. He and sons Peter ’83 and Paul ’79 were involved in father-son tournaments over the years as well, with success that has included four U.S. championships in senior tennis in the early 2000s. “We haven’t competed in recent years,” he 36 Spring 2012
says. “Peter got hurt last tournament and we haven’t played since. I guess the boys were getting too old for it!” Tennis has always been a family activity for the Bedards. Bob and Anne met in 1950 when Bob played in a Halifax tournament at age 19. Anne was one of the leading female players in the country, and was helping out as a ball girl for one of Bob’s matches. “I was discussing with the referee what I thought was a poor call on one shot,” he recalls, “and this young ball girl says, ‘Here in Nova Scotia we don’t argue with the referees.’ We were married seven years later.” There is nothing Bob enjoys more than playing with his sons. “Tennis is a family thing now,” says Paul. “It means a lot to us and it means a lot to him. I think he prefers that to anything he does individually.” Bob thinks back on his 25 years at St. Andrew’s frequently and with fondness, and notes how the role of the Headmaster has changed since his time. “What I enjoyed was the everday life of the School, particularly being part of the boys’ activities,” he says. “I felt that my main official role was to support the teachers and make sure they enjoyed what they did and were motivated. I don’t believe that I would have been a good marketing man. Fortunately I didn’t need to be because our enrolment was always strong. “I was much more hands-on with the life of the School. But things have changed and you need to be much more than that to be a Headmaster now. Marketing and fundraising are very big components.” The Bedards’ four sons all went to St. Andrew’s. Son Paul ’79 and his wife Jane live in Newmarket, and Peter ’83 and his wife Jane (Kravchenko) live in Toronto, while both Mark ’77 and his wife Debbie, and Michael ’81 live in California. Anne and Bob have nine grandchildren. JIM MCGILLIVRAY
The Andrean 37
Rob Alary, era-banner 1996
OldBoys’News 1942
1951
Philip Alspach is president of Intercon Inc. in Newport Beach, Calif., and wrote to tell us that his brother Bruce ‘40 passed away in April 2009 (his obituary appears on p. 54). He and Bruce enjoyed and cherished their nine years at St. Andrew’s (1931–40). Philip lives in Irvine, Calif., with his wife, Loretta. Together they authored a travel guide entitled Swiss Bernese Oberland, which is now in its fourth edition and reflects the many visits and experiences they have enjoyed in that most wonderful part of the world.
Chris Smith broke a Canadian record in February for 200m Freestyle for the 80–85 age group with a time of 3:27.59 at a Masters Swimming meet in Burlington, Ont. He competes regularly with Masters Swimming Canada and lives with his wife, Alison, in Don Mills, Ont.
McMurtry photo by Chris Young
Donald Fraser
professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, was recently appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada for his contributions to the advancement of statistical sciences in Canada. According to a posting on the U of T website, Don has schooled several generations of leaders in the statistical and actuarial sciences, has made deep and original contributions to the theory of statistics, and has been the foremost intellectual leader of the discipline in Canada for the past 60 years. 38 Spring 2012
1956 1950
John Swinden
Roy McMurtry
was featured on the front page of The Globe and Mail sports section in January for his role taking on “excessive violence” in professional hockey in the ’70s. The year was 1975 and Roy was the newly appointed attorney general of Ontario. His late brother, William, also a lawyer, had just written his famous report for the government of Ontario entitled Investigation and Inquiry into Violence in Amateur Hockey. In this report, also known as the McMurtry Report, William concluded that “Fighting is not a safety valve, but on the contrary, it becomes an approach to the game whereby a desirable end, victory, can be achieved by illegal and violent means. ... Very little attempt is made to prevent provocation, and only nominal equal penalties are assessed for fighting, a player has no reason or justification for turning his back and refusing to fight. ... With rules and enforcement such as this, is it any wonder that we have seen the emergence of the ‘Broad Street Bullies’ of Philadelphia as Stanley Cup Champions.” This report created outrage among many who wondered how anyone could claim that professional hockey was incapable of policing itself. However, William prevailed, concluding “The evidence was clear and overwhelming that the conduct and standards applied in the NHL were having a profound effect on virtually every boy playing amateur hockey in every league regardless of age or standard of competition.” In his role as attorney general, Roy warned the NHL and the World Hockey Association that “inappropriate violence would not be tolerated.” Subsequently, a number of charges were laid against NHL players for violations of the Criminal Code in 1975 and 1976. Today it is becoming more widely understood that the outcome of such violence can result in career-ending concussions for both professional athletes as well as our younger athletes. Nowadays Roy provides strategic counsel to leading Canadian law firm Gowlings’ clients and is advocating for more awareness and an increase in player safety from the top down. Also a former Ontario Chief Justice and High Commissioner to Great Britain, Roy is an architect of Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in April. He lives in Toronto with his wife Ria.
visited Drew Thorburn ‘57 (left) last July at Drew’s home on Salt Spring Island, B.C., 55 years after they were roommates at SAC. John lives with his wife, Helen, in Loretto, Ont.
1957
Ricky Mulanovich is working for the Pacifico Grupo Asegurador as a Corporate Consultant. Ricardo and his wife, Carmen, live in Lima, Peru.
1966
Bob Richards a former Bermuda government senator and minister of telecom-
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ry R munications, has been Class o eunion f Sept. 21 1967 a member of the house , 2012 assembly and shadow minister of finance for four years. In recent months he has been very vocal about the state of the Bermuda economy. He and his wife, Pauline, are happy to have their son, Victor ‘97, and his wife, Adria, living back on the island, while their son, Kevin ‘00, has recently settled in London, England. Trade Dinner in February. Chairman and CEO of McEwen Mining Inc., Rob and his wife Cheryl’s philanthropic efforts are designed John Housser to encourage excellence and innovation in health care and education. St. Andrew’s McEwen Leadership Program is modelled after Rob’s vision and funded through his generosity.
1977 Myles Pritchard
resigned from his position at Merrill Lynch in March after 14 years and has partnered with CONCERT Wealth Management, a registered investment advisory firm, to provide resources through their role as an SEC registered investment advisor. Myles’ new firm is MAP Advisors. He was recently appointed the new (and first) president of the Los Angeles SAC Old Boys Association Chapter and is planning an event in LA for sometime this fall. In February, Myles attended a CASE/NAIS awards luncheon in San Francisco to accept the 2011 CASE Circle of Excellence Grand Gold Award for William Scoular’s promotional videos on behalf of St. Andrew’s College. Myles lives in LA with his wife Jody and sons, Dylan and Tyler.
1968
1970
McEwen photo by Gary Beechey; Myles Pritchard by Scott Chernis
Jeff Hayes ran the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 9, 2011 and the United States Marine Corps. Marathon in Washington, D.C., three weeks later on Oct. 30, 2011. He lives in Indian Hill, OH.
recently retired from his career as a stockbroker at Brant Securities in Toronto and moved to Collingwood, Ont., with his wife Linda. John and Linda have two sons, John ‘03 (left) and Richard ‘07 (middle), who are fourth generation Andreans. John and Annivers ary R Linda are enjoying their Class o eunion f Sept. 21 1972 travels visiting with their Michael Higgins , 2012 boys in B.C. and friends and his brother Paul ‘71, far and wide. co-chief executive officers of Mother Parkers Tea and Coffee, will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of their family Rob McEwen business by touring Canada this was the featured entrepreneur, summer in their private rail car to innovator and philanthropist who raise money for the Alzheimer’s presented the keynote at the Society. In 1929 their father, 124th Annual Toronto Board of Paul Higgins Sr., joined his father
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1969
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Sept. 21 1977 , 2012
(l-r) John Lippencott, President of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), Myles ’77, Paul Sheff, Chair of the CASE Board of Trustees
Cliff Sifton’s
son, C.J. ‘13, alongside his classmate Andrew Begg ‘13, represented their Toronto Polo Club team in February at the U.S. Polo Association Northeastern Regional Interscholastic tournament at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. The two Andreans dominated, winning the finals decisively and both were voted tournament All Stars. In early March, C.J. and Andrew competed in the North American Interscholastic Championship Polo tournament at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Cliff, who captained the St. Andrew’s team with his brother Michael ‘79, Dave Calverley ‘79, and Dave Offen ‘79, won this tournament in 1977. The SAC team won again in 1979 with Michael, Dave Offen and Gonzalo Santa Maria, and again in 1984 with Cliff and Michael’s youngest brother, Derek ‘85 captaining the team. Derek’s son, Luke ‘14, also competed in this year’s Northeastern Regional Interscholastic tournament on a second Toronto team with King Ward’s ’83 boys Kingsley and Mich. They played C.J. and Andrew in the semifinals. (l-r) Derek Sifton ’85, Luke Sifton ’14, Mitch Ward, Kingsley Ward, Coach Scott Weir, C.J. Sifton ’13, Andrew Begg ’13, Jack Vanhuizen, and Cliff ’77.
Profile Paul Kitchen ’70
25 years as a Headmaster
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There was a time when Paul Kitchen ’70 may have seemed headmasters. “My role has changed dramatically since I like a St. Andrew’s lifer. He attended the School from 1965came here 25 years ago,” he continues. “That’s probably one 70 as a Macdonald and Memorial House boarder. Three of of the reasons I’m still here and still enthusiastic. his brothers are Old Boys as well: George ’65, David ’67 “Fundraising is a much bigger part of the headmaster’s and John ’74. After serving from 1975-81 at Ridley College job. Public relations and making sure the institution is well as head of physical education and later as athletic direcregarded by the community is another. These aren’t things tor, he came back to SAC as a faculty member. He was new you’re taught. And teaching itself has changed. In my early Headmaster Bob Bedard’s first hire. Paul days, so much was about just learning taught math and science and served as facts. But today you can get all the facts Housemaster of Sifton House. He is well you want off your iPhone in seconds.” remembered by many current faculty. Paul notes how much campus atmoBut in 1987, Rothesay Netherwood spheres have also changed, noting that School in the small town of Rothesay, student discipline is a much smaller N.B. needed a new headmaster. Paul part of his job than it was 35 years ago. applied, and the rest is independent “There is a certain spirit on campuses school history. Twenty-five years later, he now that we didn’t have back then,” still holds the position, making him the he explains. “At that time, there was longest-serving independent school heada culture of students and a culture of Paul played for SAC’s Senior Rugby team master in Canada. faculty, and they didn’t really overlap for four years and won provincial champi“I had a belief that a well-run indevery much. Today they are much closer onships in three of those years: 1967, 1968 and 1969. Above is the 1969 Senior Provinpendent school in Canada could make together. There is a sense that everycial Rugby Championship team. Back row a difference in young people’s lives and one is hard-working, everyone is learn(l–r) the late Charlie Edwards ’70, Robin could be successful,” he says, recalling ing, that we’re all in this together. It’s a Campbell ’69, Mr. Courtney Stoate, Duncan when he was hired. The operative phrase Pickard ’70, David Martin ’69; Front row much more cohesive approach. Teachers (l–r) Paul Higgins ’71, Paul ‘70 and the late is “well run,” since Paul took over an are facilitators, encouragers, and cheerBrian Wilson ‘70 institution that was in dire straits finanleaders rather than disseminators of cially at the time. Within five years he information.” had started to turn it around. “It’s not always easy As he approaches the age where most educato take a group of people and get them all going tors are thinking of retiring, Paul is prepared to in the same direction and with the same set of soldier on. “When I first came here I presumed principles,” he says. “Even though independent this job would get easier over time,” he says. schools are small, in the grand scheme of things, “About year 18 or so I realized that it doesn’t running one is complicated, and doing this has get easier, it just changes and you continue to raised my admiration for the Bob Coulters and be absorbed. Bob Bedards in our world. “That’s life when you live on campus with “You need help from a lot of different constitu275 kids and 40 faculty and you’re the landlord ents. You need support from the alumni, from the students, for the teachers and the caretaker for the boarders. I’m the parents, the faculty, the board members. If you are lackprobably not a great example for young faculty of how to ing one or more of these, your tenure is likely not going to be lead a balanced life, but it has suited me and still does. smooth or long.” I’m very fortunate.” Paul is quick to point out that life in an independent Paul and his wife, Elizabeth, have been married for 20 school is now vastly different for students, faculty and years and together they have five children. JIM MCGILLIVRAY 40 Spring 2012
Old Boys’ News
Paul Higgins Sr. is pictured with his sons Paul Jr. ‘71 (back) and Michael ‘73 (front) on their private rail car, the Pacific, in 1998. Built in 1924, the Pacific was used by King George VI and the Queen Mother on a visit to Canada in 1939.
Stafford in this wholesale grocery business, Higgins & Burke located on Front Street in Toronto. Shortly thereafter, their father launched Mother Parkers Tea, and by 1940, he had begun roasting coffee to add to his tea sales. The company name was officially changed to Mother Parkers Tea and Coffee Limited, with their father as general manager. On October 25, 2012 Michael and Paul’s father would have been 100 years old. Paul Sr. passed away in 2004 from Alzheimer’s, and his sons hope to raise $1 million for Alzheimer’s research in his memory. Both Michael and Paul live and work in Mississauga, Ont.
1977
David Lefebvre spoke to the Class of 2013 as part of the February Career Days held at the School. He has worked in television for over 30 years in both Canada and the U.S. and received an Emmy in 1980 for the rock video BLOTTO. David lives in Toronto.
1979
1987
Robert Fawcett retired from the funeral industry and joined Sunlife Financial as an advisor last April. He is enjoying life with his six children and two grandchildren. Robert says that his son, Jack, is a future Andrean. Robert and his family live in Flesherton, Ont.
Rob Dube
1980
Wolf Wagner has been working for the last 21 years for Kurt Salmon, a global management consultancy firm. He is a senior partner in the retail and consumer goods division and is responsible for the German region. Wolf tells us that Kurt Salmon´s service focus is as much strategical as it is operational. He lives with his family in Mettmann, Germany.
1981
and his three sons embarked on an amazing journey together that has seen them raise over $140,000 dollars for people in need all over the world. Rob lost his wife and his boys lost (l-r) Jan, 13, Liam, 14, Rob, and Quinn, 11 their mother in 2008 to breast cancer. At the ages of 9, 11, and 13 the boys started a rock band where they wrote and performed their own music to raise money for kids who, like themselves, had lost a parent. The idea came about after performing in music videos as a means of keeping their mother’s spirits up during her illness. After her passing, they took their newfound talent to the streets to perform and have since played hundreds of shows, including some of the largest festivals in North America. They released an album in 2011 and have played with Arcade Fire, who now match their donations as a corporate sponsor. They were recently honoured with United Way’s Community Builder of the Year award and will have their names etched into Ottawa’s city hall walls. Rob, aside from being roadie, manager, and mentor, says his role is mostly as a father who wants his kids to grow up as responsible and contributing men in light of a tragedy. His boys are using rock and roll to do it. In April the boys went to Haiti to visit the orphanages they have been fundraising for, and to film a day in the life of a Haitian child. The idea is to share this with Canadian school kids via a workshop featuring a mini documentary and musical performance to educate, inspire, and empower them with actionable initiatives to get involved and change the world. Rob said that after posting a blog for their fundraising activities, he got a note from fellow Andrean Adam Neal ‘88 who sponsored their much needed airfare and put them in touch with some key Haiti advocates for filming.
Chris Ball has been keeping busy working as a cinematographer for several TV series, including Haven and Call Me Fitz. David Tredgett He shot two feature films recently, organized a reunion for his winCharlie Zone, which won four awards ning OFSAA 1982 Varsity Hockey including best cinematography at the team over MacPherson weekend Atlantic Film Festival, and in January. Thirteen of the Corridor, which did very 19 members of this well in the pre-release team returned to St. Annivers ary Reu n festival circuit. Chris has Andrew’s from as far io n Class o f 1982 S e p t also been shooting in away as Vancouver and . 21, 201 2 the Eastern Arctic and in Denver. Thank you David! Europe. He continues to be See the story on p. 3. a hang glider pilot and ultralight instructor and welcomes any Andreans to introductory flights over the scenic “south shore.” Chris lives in Mahone Ian Thomson Bay, N.S., with his family. has been a firefighter for 15 years,
1982
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10 of them with the City of Ottawa. Ian is also a natural builder, constructing structures out of timberframe, strawbale, earthblock, light clay/straw, and mud brick construction. He and his wife, Ainslie, and his seven-year-old son, Isaac, live in a strawbale home on the Mississippi River in Ottawa. Over the past year, Ian visited Haiti where he built a light clay/straw earthquake and hurricane resistant composting toilet facility for a primary school. He and his family have recently returned from Chiang Mai, Thailand, where they visited Ian’s brother, Darrick ‘81, and his wife, Lek Chailert, at the Elephant Nature Park they own and operate. The Andrean 41
Old Boys’ News Ont., where they enjoy their apple orchard, long hikes, and snow shoeing.
1988 Corey Anquetil
received his MBA in October 2011 from the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University and has recently accepted a position at the Canadianowned pharmaceutical company, Apotex Inc. Corey would like to pass along his thanks to Dave Tredgett ‘82, Scott Sillcox ‘77, Nick Weedon ‘02, and Steve Kimmerer for their help in organizing the OFSAA reunion at this year’s MacPherson Tournament, and remarks how great it was to see his teammates from the ‘87 Ontario provincial championship team.
(l-r) Warren Wilkes ‘88, Corey, and Jeff Laceby ‘88 at the MacPherson Reunion
1986
the Canadian Polo team and during a charity match in February 2011 featuring Prince Harry. Jonathan lives with his family in St. George, Barbados.
Jonathan Simpson manages the Brighton Bloodstock Stud Farm in Barbados and is a horse racing trainer. He finished fourth in the Barbados trainer ranks in 2010 and 2011. He also Jim Plouffe had three horses in the internais living in Adelaide, Australia, and tional Sandy Lane Gold Cup in working as head of magazines at March 2012, capping off Advertiser Newsmedia. He a wonderful two years is considering returning with a small stable. for his 25-year reunion Annivers ary Reu n io n Jonathan says that he this September. Class o f Sept. 21 1987 would love to hear from , 2012 any Andreans interChris Roberts ested in horses. He was the married Shanan Kurtz in international polo commentator, February 2010 and on March 2, based in Barbados, while Old Boys 2011 they welcomed their Derek Sifton ‘85 and Kingsley first child, Theodora Wren, into Ward ‘83 were in Barbados with their family. They live in Nottawa,
1987
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1988
Mike Brewer organized a reunion for his winning OFSAA 1987 Varsity Hockey team over MacPherson weekend in January. Twelve of the 19 members of this team returned to St. Andrew’s for the 25th anniversary celebration. Thank you Mike! See the story on p. 3. Adam Neal was recently named Canadian head of sales and relationship management for Manulife Asset Management. He is responsible for expanding the company’s foothold in the Canadian institutional marketplace and nurturing strong relationships with Manulife’s institutional and affiliated clients. Adam has more than 20 years of sales and relationship management experience in the Canadian market. Prior to this, he was responsible for Pyramis Global Advisors’ institutional investment management sales. He has also held senior positions at Fidelity Investments Canada, Open Access, and Thomson Reuters. Adam lives in Toronto.
1990
Medicine Woman, Jane Seymour and Canadian rock legend, Andy Kim for feature interviews. A former CNN international correspondent and ABC News Middle East correspondent, Wilf is now founding editor and CEO of OpenFile, a community-powered news organization operating in seven Canadian cities. He lives in Toronto with his wife and two children.
1992
Doug Andrews and his wife, Kirsten Almon, welcomed their first child, Evelyn Maureen Macdonald on July 20, 2011. Evelyn was baptized in the SAC Memorial Chapel on Feb. 5, 2012. Doug and his family live in Aurora, Ont. Jim Dennis
was on campus Dec. 4, 2011, to have Rev. Bruce Roffey baptize his son and daughter in the Memorial Chapel. James Alexander Stephen Dennis, known as Alex, was born on June 11, 2009 in Oakville. Evelynn Jane Alicia Dennis, known as Eve, was born on July 8, 2011 in Toronto. Jim and his wife, Megan Kennedy, live in Toronto with their young family.
Wilf Dinnick has been back-filling for talkshow host John Tory on Newstalk 1010 AM Radio, Canada’s biggest talk radio station. Among many of the Annivers ary R news stories he anClass o eunion f Sept. 21 1992 chored, he was joined , 2012 by both Dr. Quinn
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Jon Ginou and his wife, Athena, welcomed their second
Profile Trevor Tejada-Berges ’86
At the cutting-edge of robotic surgery
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It took nearly 15 years of schooling after St. Andrew’s College, but Trevor Tejada-Berges ’86 has found his home in Providence, R.I., and his calling as a gynecologic oncologist specializing in robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery. Originally from the Dominican Republic, Trevor follows a long family line of SAC Old Boys: his late uncle Miguel ’55, father George ’56, brother Marco ’83, and another uncle, Tony Guzman ’54. Trevor was accepted to McGill University after grade 12, but stayed for grade 13, serving as a Prefect. His career path has been a long and winding road of schooling, residencies and fellowships. Like his father, he stayed in Canada, attending McGill where he spent most of 15 years pursuing undergrad and graduate degrees, then attending medical school and a residency. During a science research master’s degree in neurology at Montreal Neurological Institute, he figured this would be his chosen field. But on the advice of a roommate, he explored obstetrics and decided this might be more rewarding than the world of neurology. “Neurology wasn’t inspiring me,” he recalls. “There is lots of room for diagnosis in neurology, but at the time I felt there were not many options for treatment. Plus, plain and simple, it was just a lot more fun to deliver babies!” Trevor would refine his field even more during his obstetrics and gynecology residency at McGill. During a rotation in gynecologic oncology, he realized he connected well with the patient population and was inspired by the surgery. “The technical and clinical challenge was great, and the patients energized me,” he says. “My interest in gynecologic oncology and surgery really blossomed.” In 2001, he was offered a fellowship at University of Montreal, but decided a change of scenery was in order and accepted a three-year fellowship at Brown University in Providence. He then did a second fellowship in breast surgical oncology.
Today, he works for Women & Infants Hospital and teaches at Brown University, specializing in breast and gynecological cancer surgery. “This means I do a lot of laparoscopic surgery,” he explains. “Rather than opening large incisions in a patient, laparoscopic surgery entails making several small incisions of 1 cm or less and using tools, which we pass through tubes to work through these incisions. The recovery period is much shorter than traditional surgery. “This subsequently led me into robotic surgery — still laparoscopic surgery, but rather than me working the tools directly, I sit at a console away from the patient and work a robot that operates the tools. I learned how to do this about three years ago and found the learning curve much quicker than it is with traditional laparoscopic surgery. The robot allows me to be more meticulous and the patients recover faster, which is really important in cancer treatment. I think I’m a better surgeon using the robot.” Trevor sees robotic surgery as a burgeoning discipline for surgery in general. “Certainly in cancer surgery, the robot is a boon,” he says. “The meticulousness, the three-dimensional view, the magnification, the ease of use, the therapeutic potential — it’s a tremendous tool. In the U.S., at least, most prostate cancer surgeries are done robotically now. In some ways, robotic surgery is still in its infancy.” Trevor agrees that the robotics courses now being offered at SAC are tapping into the way of the future. “There is a lot of development going on in medicine right now into how robotics can best be used,” he notes. “Cardio-thoracic surgery and pediatric surgery are areas of focus now, so the field is evolving quickly. Students will do well to stay ahead of the curve.” Trevor and José Torrealba, his partner of 17 years, live in Providence, with their dog, Archie. JIM MCGILLIVRAY The Andrean 43
Old Boys’ News now affectionately known by his father’s friends by his Latin name, Quintus. He is the grandson of the fifth Headmaster of St. Andrew’s College, Tom Hockin, and his wife, Mary, and the godson of Geoff Pennal ‘94, also present for the baptism. Tom and his young family recently relocated to San Francisco, Calif.
1993
(l-r): Jhad Friesen ‘93, Tom Hockin ‘93, Marcus Gillam ‘93, Brian McKague ‘93, Jason Lamarche-Hunderup ‘93, Jeanna Beaudry, Nathan Smeenk ‘93, Tom Brooks ‘93, Bart Sommerville ‘93, Geoff Pennal ‘94, Matt Fraser ‘93, Doug Chambers ‘93 (groomsman), Cooper ScullionSmeenk ‘17 and Conrad Scullion-Smeenk ‘15. In attendance, but not pictured are Will Long ‘93 and Sean McGrath ‘93.
Nathan Smeenk
married Jeanna Beaudry on February 11. The ceremony and reception were held at the London Hunt & Country Club, followed by a Honeymoon in the Exumas, Bahamas. Nathan and Jeanna live in Uxbridge, Ont.
daughter, Nicolette Jaclyn, on Dec. 14. 2011. Nicolette is a younger sister to Alexandra. The family lives in Toronto.
and his family spent a couple of weeks visiting Canada and enjoying some skiing in Collingwood, Ont. They live in Lima, Peru.
1993
Tom Hockin and wife, Rebecca, welcomed their first son, Thomas Robert, on July 12, 2011. Thomas Robert is a younger brother to sister Leah and was baptized on Feb. 18, 2012 in the Memorial Chapel by Rev. Bruce Roffey. Thomas Robert is Thomas Hockin the 5th and is
Jose Arteaga-Panizo visited the campus, along with his family, for the first time since leaving in 1990. He spent a few hours touring the campus, including stops in his old rooms in Macdonald House and Memorial House. Jose
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Tom Luxemburger and wife, Lorna, welcomed their first child, Roger Alexander, on Feb. 1, 2012 at Whitehorse General Hospital. Tom, Lorna, and Roger live in Whitehorse, Yukon.
David Brannon and his wife, Jennifer, welcomed their third child, Benson Robert Allan, on Sept. 13, 2011, a baby brother for sisters Piper, 5, and Sawyer, 3. The Brannon family live in Oakville, Ont. David Dunlap
1995
Paul Etherington was the recipient of the Community Impact Award & Young Professional of the Year at the Notable Awards this past November. Notable is an online lifestyle guide for young Canadian professionals. Paul lives with his family in Toronto.
1996
Julian Battiston and wife, Yasmine, welcomed their first child, Charles Daniel, on Dec. 9, 2010. Julian is founder and president of the Andrean Group, a real estate development firm in Toronto. Julian and his family live in Toronto.
David ‘96 with his father and long-time member of the Board of Governors, David ‘56
and his Gypsy Jazz Quartet performed for SAC parents as part of a social evening in February. David lives in Toronto with his wife, Liya, and their son, Eli. Brent Spence married Elizabeth Margaret Armstrong in the Memorial Chapel on Feb. 25, 2012. Brent’s best man was Michael Ralph ‘96; his brother Brian ‘93 was also in attendance, among other Andreans. The couple welcomed their first child, Ainsley Elizabeth, on May 10, 2011 and had her baptized in the Memorial Chapel. Brent and his family live in Toronto.
Profile Andrew Tzembelicos ’91
Writer follows serendipitous career path
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Back when I was at SAC, if anyone had told me I’d go on to write for a Prime Minister, work for an Olympic and Paralympic Games, or run my own business, I would have been completely surprised. But as I’ve learned, life takes you to interesting places — if you follow your passions and are open to experience. First stop after Prize Day? Queen’s University, where I studied political science. I’d always been interested in politics (I worked my first political campaign in grade 9 during Expansion Week). So politics was a good fit. So too was Queen’s. After Queen’s I was hungry for more, so I pursued a master’s of journalism. Carleton was my first choice because of its excellent reputation for journalism and its location in the nation’s capital. There, I was able to put my writing skills — honed at SAC under the tutelage of William Scoular, Rupert Ray, David Timms, the late Robert Meagher and others — to excellent use. Little did I know, back then, that writing would become a cornerstone of my career. In 1997, as I was finishing my degree, a federal election was called. A few days later, as a new but unemployed journalism grad, I moved back to Toronto. By day I began looking for work, while evenings and weekends found me volunteering on the political campaign of former cabinet minister and Liberal MP David Collenette. After the election I moved back to Ottawa to work for Mr. Collenette and the Liberal government. Over a seven-year period my writing skills got a great workout. I wrote for Mr. Collenette, then a broader group that included the entire Liberal caucus (Liberal MPs and Senators). I also had the honour of working at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), writing for former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. Working on Parliament Hill was an exhilarating ride. It was also the perfect fit. In my OAC year, Headmaster Bedard had called me into his office to review the results of a career-
related test. Before sharing them, he’d asked me what I was thinking. Much to his amazement, I mentioned both journalism and politics. The test suggested exactly the same. I decided to leave Ottawa and politics in 2004. Having spent a mere 10 days on the West Coast, and knowing only two people, I moved to Vancouver. It was easily one of the best decisions of my life. I eventually started my own writing, editing and communications business — WERDNA Communications (Andrew spelled backwards). Some 18 months later, I attended a workshop about business opportunities with the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Much to my surprise, I soon found myself joining the team that would stage the biggest event Canada had seen in a generation — if not ever. I was with Vancouver 2010 for nearly four years as the manager of editorial services, overseeing a small team and more than 300 Games-related publications. In the midst of everything, I also found time to get married — to Marnie, a wonderful woman who keeps me on my toes. Curiously enough, despite meeting in Vancouver, we are both from the Toronto area, both Queen’s grads from the Class of 1995, and both worked on the Games project. Since the Games ended in 2010, I’ve been working for myself again and really enjoying the mix of clients and projects, and the flexibility that being my own boss affords. I’ve also found time to do some travelling, including a bike trip to Vietnam. Looking back, if I had one piece of advice to offer those studying at SAC today it would be this: get out there and experience. Be open to opportunity. Broaden your horizons, your perspective and your mind. Travel. Be curious and open to everything. In addition to those already mentioned, I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank Alan Halstead, Bob Arril, Bruce Somerville, Stephen Kimmerer, Bob Giel and others for their guidance and support during my seven years at SAC — a place that prepared me for my career, and life. The Andrean 45
Old Boys’ News
Postcard from a
Matthew Posa ‘03
Grad
After I graduated from SAC in 2003, I aspired to become a leader in health care in order to help as many people as I could. I grew up knowing how I could do this since my father was a chiropractor. While at SAC, my focus was always in the sciences and I paid particular attention to biology. Once I graduated, I went on to study at Dalhousie University where I received my BA in biology. Soon after, I headed to Sydney, Australia, and commenced four years of chiropractic training and medical diagnosis. Jordan Ross ‘03 was also studying in Australia and we had the opportunity to meet up in Sydney. While at school I was the Macquarie University Chiropractic Student Association president, as well as the class rep for the Australia Chiropractic Association. During my final year, I was added to the teaching staff as one of the undergraduate teaching assistants in chiropractic adjusting skills. The more I learned about the human body, the more I saw how much of an influence chiropractic can have on someone’s health. I learned that a full 80% of the population is chronically ill and for the first time in history, the youth of today are not expected to outlive their parents. With this in mind I knew my desire to help could not be accomplished by prescribing medicine. I am currently working at my father’s clinic and have been blessed by his guidance and support. SAC gave me the environment to grow as a future leader, made me strong in my beliefs, and instilled the discipline to achieve my dreams. My best friends and classmates Armen Khajetoorian, Luc Zoratto, David Amadori, Daniel John, David Banwell, and Mike Tzimas, among many others, are those I see often. Without St. Andrew’s and those I have met here, I would not have the same drive to be the best.
Stephen Foster and wife, Patricia, welcomed daughter, Victoria Faith, on May 11, 2011 and had her baptized in the Memorial Chapel on Nov. 6, 2011. Victoria is a younger sister to Emma, 6. The Foster family lives in Bradford, Ont. Mike Foy and wife, Kelly, welcomed their fourth child, Ashton Jason Wylder, on Feb. 9. He joins older siblings Jaxson, 5, Olivia, 3, 46 Spring 2012
and Hudson, 1½. The family has relocated to Collingwood, Ont., from Toronto. Hugh Long is director at EMS Security Brokers in London, England.
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Victor Richards returned to Bermuda two
Andrew Weedon spoke to the Class of 2013 as part of the February Career Days held at the School. He has his doctor of chiropractic degree from Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College and currently practices at Physiomed in Newmarket, Ont. Andrew, his wife, Tanya, and son Riley live in Newmarket.
1999
1998
Joseph Farrugia received his B.F.A. from NSCAD University in Halifax. He has travelled, taught, and worked as a photographer from New York to New Zealand and from Montenegro to Mumbai. He now lives in Toronto, where he continues to teach and take photos, and where he is setting up an urban gardening business.
Chris Fusco and his wife, Tushee, welcomed twins on Boxing Day 2011. Massimo was the first to arrive,
Joe Farrugia ’99 and Ryan Bryce ‘05, SAC’s Annual Fund Officer
years ago and is working for the law firm Conyers Dill and Pearman. He and his wife, Adria, are building their first home on the island.
1997
followed by sister Meela. Chris and his family live in Toronto.
Ibou Barry is the commercial beer manager at Burrows Lightbourn in Bermuda. He married his wife, Lana, on May 27, 2010 and their daughter, Antoinette, was born on October 2, 2010.
Profile Peter McClelland ’02
Rowing toward London 2012
T
The life of a full-time athlete is not always the glamour world those watching their TV screens or the sports pages might imagine. Take for instance, Olympic hopeful Peter McClelland ’02, who is currently living in Victoria, B.C., at the training centre for Canada’s national rowing team, of which he has been a member since the summer of 2010. The team is federally funded by Sport Canada, but this provides little more than subsistence living. Some more proactive athletes, like Peter, have secured additional funding from a sponsor. A former summer employer of Peter’s, the family-owned Bäckerhaus Veit bakery, located in Woodbridge, Ont., is helping him out. “Still, it’s a pretty meagre existence,” Peter explains. “We get a modest allowance from the government, and we are responsible for where we live and for taking care of ourselves. We show up ready for training every day. There are no frills.” And what a training regimen it is: up and on the water by 8:00 a.m., rowing for up to 25 km, weight training at mid-day, on the water again or on the rowing machines in the afternoon, then a bike ride or run at the end of the day. Peter has followed this schedule since he arrived back in Canada in the summer of 2010, shortly after graduating from the University of Cambridge in the U.K. with a master’s degree in management. He had rowed there in the famous Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race, which he describes as one of the great experiences of his life so far. This had followed an exemplary rowing career at Western University, where Peter completed his bachelor and master’s degrees in kinesiology and was named Male Athlete of the Year in 2008. Last fall, he won two medals in Mexico as part of the 2011 Canadian Pan American Games team. That’s quite a feat for an athlete who hadn’t rowed a single stroke before attending university. At SAC, Peter excelled at track, twice winning the Wallace Cup cross-country race and trying nearly every other sport along the way. But, in the summer following his grade 11 year, his athletic potential nearly came to a screeching halt when he was struck by a drunk driver and suffered a broken leg. His perseverance that year won him
the grade 12 Tilston Award, and his insecurity about his future track career and the suggestion by a good friend’s father eventually edged him toward trying rowing at Western. “From the start I immediately felt I was better at rowing than track,” he recalls. “But it was similar. The strength and endurance side of it harkened back to the focus and drive Mr. Tsioros instilled in me during our track training. ” At present, Peter and the team are focused on the 2012 London Olympics. Canada has qualified; all that remains to be decided is which rowers make the boats. “My best chance is in the coxless four [man boat],” Peter says. “Right now, there are maybe six of us in contention for those four seats.” In spite of all the work and the extraordinary commitment (“It’s pretty hard to have a life outside of rowing”), all the time
away from home (Aurora/King City), and the no-frills lifestyle in Victoria, a berth on the final Olympic team is no sure thing. So what is the appeal? “It’s hard to describe. No one is in this for the money or the recognition. It’s all about the inner rewards. There are definitely dark times. You wake up in the morning and it’s February, it’s dark and snowing, and the last thing in the world you want to do is go out there and get splashed in the face with icy water. But something always seems to get me out of bed and onto the lake. You want to see how good you really are, or how good you can be. You want to see how you stack up against the best. You slowly get better, and every time you move up the ladder one rung you want to see if you can get to the next rung. It’s been an amazing experience and I wouldn’t give it up for anything.” JIM MCGILLIVRAY The Andrean 47
Old Boys’ News
Postcard from a
Grad
Tomi Jun ‘04
This past August, I began my first year of medical school in the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology program. The program has a strong emphasis on research and has been providing a great intellectual environment. After graduating from SAC in 2004, I attended Dartmouth College with my Sifton House roommate, Faisal Ratansi ’04. Faisal and I were both aspiring pre-meds; in fact, he was the one who gave me the idea of studying medicine! We took many of the same classes and in our second year, we lived together again and joined the same fraternity. After my third year, I had to return to Singapore to serve two years in the military. This gave me plenty of time to think about the future and what I wanted to do. During those years, I read Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder, which had a big impact on my ideas about what doctors could do and the difference they could make. While serving as a platoon commander in the basic training school in Tomi with his mother Singapore, I often reflected on leadership, on graduation day teamwork, and other values I was first properly exposed to at SAC. I saw many parallels between being an officer and a physician, including the responsibility to your men (or patients) and the trust that they put in you. Ultimately, my experiences in the Singapore military cemented my aspirations to be a physician. By the time I returned to Dartmouth for my last year, Faisal had already graduated. Funnily enough, he ultimately decided to go into finance! After graduating in 2008, he went to work at Morgan Stanley (where he was recognized as one of the best analysts in his cohort). He’s now back in Toronto working for a real estate private equity firm. I’d be happy to serve as a contact for SAC students interested in medicine or studying in the U.S., and if anyone’s ever in the Boston area, let me know!
2000 Ryan Brandham
spoke to members of the School’s Investment Club on Nov. 25, 2011. The Investment Club followed up with a visit to the RBC trading floor in April 2012, where Ryan hosted and toured them around. He works for RBC Capital Markets and lives in Toronto. 48 Spring 2012
Adrian Chan married Wendy Fan on Jan. 15, 2010 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong. Old Boys in attendance included Bernard Lee ‘99, Jonathan Wu ‘00, Danny Mak ‘01, Roger Chau ‘01, Dennis Wong ‘02, Matthew Law ‘02, and brother Ryan ‘02. Adrian and Wendy live in Hong Kong.
Kevin Richards completed his MBA last May at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, where he also received his undergraduate degree. He is now working at GE Capital in the Experienced Commercial Leadership Program (ECLP). This is a twoyear sales and marketing program for MBA graduates with five to seven years of experience, which consists of three eight-month rotations in different areas of business to prepare participants for management positions within the company. Kevin just finished his first rotation in equipment finance and will be working with the global insurance team in London, England, for the next few months.
He writes that he is enjoying his time both with the company and living in London with his girlfriend, Leila King, who is originally from Toronto.
2001
John Lyons has completed his MBA at the University of Toronto Rotman School of Business. After graduating, John accepted a position as the national manager of sustainability at DIALOG, an integrated design firm. At DIALOG, John is working alongside fellow Andreans Adam Brander ‘02 and Ringo Ng ‘03. John lives in Toronto.
2002
Adam Brander spoke to the Class of 2013 in February about his decision to pursue architecture as a career. He works for DIALOG, an integrated design firm comprised of architects, engineers, planners, and interior designers. Adam lives in Toronto. Richard Goldhar spoke to the Class of 2013 as part of the February Career Days held at the School about his career as a trustee in bankruptcy. He is a senior associate at BDO Canada Limited in Mississauga, Ont., and lives in Toronto.
10th
Annivers
ary Reu nion
Class o f
Sept. 21 2002 , 2012
2003 Dave Banwell married Jenny Trevelyan on July 30, 2011 at Grace Church on the Hill followed by a reception at the Granite Club in Toronto.
Groomsmen included classmates: David Amadori, Daniel John, Luc Zoratto, Armen Khajetoorian, David Nudds. Other Old Boys in attendance included: Adam Parent ‘03, Steve Thompson ‘03, David Domingues ‘03, Collin Collins ‘03, Jordan Ross ‘03, Michael Tzimas ‘03, Adam Zoratto ‘05, Ryan Hiscox ‘03, Ryan Austin ‘02, Nathan Rothwell ‘02, Paul Etherington ‘95, Mark Etherington ‘92, Sean Etherington ‘94. David and Jenny live in New York City. Jordan Ross was on campus in February speaking with the grade 11 students about pursuing opportunities in the field of law. He is corporate legal counsel for Altus Group Limited in Toronto. Jordan lives in Toronto. Nathan Rothwell is vice-president of sales and marketing at CI Investments Inc. He was on campus in February speaking with the grade 11 students about pursuing a career in business. Nathan lives in Toronto.
Postcard from a
Grad
Duncan Giel ’05
After graduating from SAC in 2005, I attended Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU) where I graduated with an honours BBA, majoring in accounting with a minor in economics. During my first year I realized how well SAC had prepared me academically for university. Some of my first and second year accounting and economics courses were a review of what I had learned at SAC. Another thing I took away from St. Andrew’s was great timemanagement skills. Academic demands, playing sports plus the Cadet requirement, and yes, Saturday classes, made me learn to manage my time effectively. This was very beneficial to me. In my third year at WLU, I worked at Manulife Financial part-time while taking a full load of courses. As a result, upon graduation, I was able to gain full-time employment and currently work in the finance department at Manulife Bank of Canada. I will be celebrating my five-year anniversary with the company in August. After graduating from WLU, I started to pursue my CMA designation and am currently in my final year and am expected to graduate this coming September. Since I left St. Andrew’s I have enjoyed travelling abroad, and over the past winter I spent a month exploring Australia’s East Coast and Outback with my older sister. I still come to Toronto regularly to see Mike Genin ‘05 and Braden King ‘05. Ryan Marek ‘05 and I both work at the same Manulife office in Waterloo. My advice for current students is to get involved in as many different aspects of SAC as you can. It’s not just what you learn in the classroom that is important, it’s the overall experience and learning how to keep all the balls in the air at the same time that counts.
2004 Ricky Reininger presented Photoshop demonstrations of his automotive design work to Steve Kimmerer’s Media Arts students this past December.
He is in his fourth year at Humber College in the Industrial Design program. Ricky’s forte is automotive design and he has become one of the top designers in Canada. He was recently invited to participate in the Ferrari Design Competition for the second year in a row as one of only two Canadians. He says it has taken him five years and thousands of hours to get as fast and proficient at drawing as he is. Ricky’s words of wisdom: “Don’t rest on your laurels: you’re only as good as your last submission, and don’t forget the 10,000 hour rule cited in Malcolm
Gladwell ‘s book Outliers.” This is the idea that it takes approximately 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to master a skill.
2005
Adam Zoratto works with Cintas Canada, a fortune 500 Company, as a business development representative. He has experienced a great amount of success with the company these past 10 months. He recently became part of their “President’s Club” this past quarter due to his sales success. Adam lives in Vaughan, Ont. The Andrean 49
Old Boys’ News
2005
2006
Sean Lee
Kevin Chai is at Columbia University, doing his graduate degree in finance engineering. Matt Cho is now back in Toronto after working at a finance consulting firm in Korea.
(l-r) Sean Han ‘06, Matt Cho ‘06, Kevin Chai ‘06, Sung Jun Yoon ‘06, Sean Lee ‘06, and Tyler Ehler ‘06 in China. is currently serving in the army as a South Korean citizen, working with the U.S. Army stationed in Korea. He has taken two years off from his college, Rhode Island School of Design, where he was studying architecture. During the summer of 2011, classmate Tyler Ehler visited Sean and other Old Boys in Korea on his way to China.
2006 Paul Jenkins
met his wife Susannah while studying at Western University. The couple dated for four years before marrying on Oct. 1, 2011 in her hometown of Forest, Ont. Susannah is an RN working in paediatrics at Victoria Hospital, London, Ont., and Paul works at London Life, an insurance/investment subsidiary of Great West Life. Paul and his wife live in London, Ont.
Sean Han is back studying at Carnegie Mellon University to finish up his undergraduate degree after serving two years in the South Korean military. Will Ohm graduated from the University of Toronto’s Victoria College in the spring of 2010 with a major in German Studies. He currently works for ICEF—a company that connects international educators with education agents in Bonn, Germany.
2007
Andrew Baer graduated from Wilfred Laurier University in 2011 with a degree in business administration, focus on accounting. He now works as an accountant for the Toronto Rock Lacrosse Club and claims “he is loving every minute of it!” Jay Card graduated from Hofstra University with a degree in linguistics. He was selected in the third round (19th overall) by the Minnesota Swarm of the National Lacrosse League in the 2011 draft. Jay is 50 Spring 2012
averaging 2 points per game this season with Minnesota. Anthony D’Antonio is chief marketing officer at iPLANcorp. He will be leading the marketing and sales efforts for the company with a primary focus on a revitalized marketing strategy for 2012 and beyond. Anthony will focus on building his career for the next few years before pursuing his MBA. He lives in Aurora, Ont. Cameron Healy graduated from Western University this spring with an honours specialization degree in studio arts. He plans to move to Australia to work in sales, marketing and technology. Richard Housser graduated from the University of British Columbia in December 2011 with a degree in forestry engineering and is currently working for Chartwell Consulting in North Vancouver. He works on contract with BC Hydro and BC Timber Sales. Tyler King has switched university majors from graphic design to criminal justice at Ryerson University. He was awarded top scholar for year two in the criminal justice program. Doug McDonald is now working as a financial service representative with CI Financial in Toronto after graduating from Western University in 2011. He says it’s a big change from university life, but a rewarding one. He lives in Newmarket, Ont.
2009 Ryan Besse was chosen as a CUFLA (Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association) All-Canadian for the second year in a row last fall, representing the East Division and the McGill University Redmen. McGill’s leading scorer in 2010 and second leading scorer in 2011, Ryan also suits up in box lacrosse with the Jr. A Orangeville (Ont.) Northmen. Ben Vangalen was chosen as a CUFLA (Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association) All-Canadian last fall, representing the West Division and the University of Guelph Gryphons where he is in his third year.
2010
Tyler Sikura is enjoying his first year at Dartmouth. He finished his freshman year tied for the team lead with 25 points playing on the school’s Varsity Hockey team. He is coached by Bob Gaudet, who was a classmate
of Mark Bedard ’77 while Mark was at Dartmouth. Tyler also captained the Team Canada Under-20 Hockey team in the 3 Nations Cup in Finland in April 2011, alongside classmate Bowman Webster. Bowman Webster finished his third season with the Newmarket Hurricanes OHA Junior A Hockey team tied for the team points lead with Morgan Bonner ’09.
2011
Eddie Meredith flew back into town on Nov. 29, 2011 to attend the Saints’ Varsity Football OFSAA Metro Bowl Championship game held at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. He had leant support from afar to his former team all season from Boston College, where he is playing Division I football for the BC Eagles. Eddie was asked by Coach Len Gurr to be an honourary captain and his former teammates loved having him back on the sidelines for their big game against the Donald A. Wilson Gators from Whitby, Ont.
2007 Jamie Walker
completed his honours degree from Queen’s University (history and politics), graduating with distinction in June 2011. During his years at Queen’s, Jamie was heavily involved in numerous clubs and organizations both on and off campus. Some of his favourite activities included being an academic advisor for the faculty of arts and science, volunteering with disabled youth, and being a ‘big brother’ to a local Kingston boy. In August 2011, Jamie began his three year JD (Juris Doctor) program at Osgoode Hall Law School, York University. Jamie is motivated, in part, by his involvement in the March of Remembrance and Hope Program in 2007. Selected as one of 50 participants from over 200 applicants across Canada, Jamie travelled to Germany and Poland to visit and commemorate sites of the Holocaust, witnessing firsthand the disregard of human rights.
2009 Mark McLean
and Clark Rabbior ‘09 gathered a group of Andreans at McGill University for a holiday photo-op this past December.
(l-r): Mark Jenkins ‘09, Bobby McDonald ‘09, Jeff O’Neill ‘08, Corey Morrisson ‘09, Sam Millette ‘09, Ryan Besse ‘09, Bucky Pelosse ‘08, Sonny Atkins ‘11, Devin Healy ‘10, Mark, Mike Goitanich ‘09, and Clark.
JOSH PHILLIPS
Paul Mosey
has committed to play NCAA Division I Hockey at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn., starting this fall. He was a defenceman last season with the Nanaimo Clippers of the British Columbia Hockey League. Josh joins fellow classmate Morgan Bonner as a freshman at Sacred Heart in September.
Eddie joined the Varsity Football team on the sidelines as honorary captain at the Rogers Centre during the OFSAA Metro Bowl. The Andrean 51
Community News Event Highlights June
5 Parents Guild Annual General Meeting St. Andrew’s College Memorial Chapel – 11:00 a.m. Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon – immediately following 8 Manhattan Open Golf Day Class of 1970, 1979 and friends of the late Charlie Edwards ’70 12:00 p.m. arrival, 1:00 p.m. tee off For an invitation to attend, please email oldboys@sac.on.ca 13 Grade 8 Graduation Dinner For the Class of 2016 and their parents St. Andrew’s College – 6:00 p.m. 14 Middle School Prize Day 1:00 p.m. 14 Grade 12 Graduation Dinner For the Class of 2012 and their parents St. Andrew’s College – 6:00 p.m. 15 Upper School Prize Day 1:00 p.m. 16 Retirement Dinner for John Walden ’71 and Bob & Ann Perrier Yuill Family Gymnasium Tickets are $50 per person and available online at www.sac.on.ca Add your testimonials about John, Bob & Ann to our blog: http://retirement-sac.blogspot.ca 19 SAC Old Boys Association Golf Tournament Silver Lakes Golf & Country Club, Newmarket Early Bird Registration by June 1 11:00 a.m. Registration and Lunch 12:30 p.m. Shotgun start To book your foursome, please email nicholas.weedon@sac.on.ca
SEPTEMBER
4 New Family Orientation Day 6 Classes Begin 21 Homecoming Old Boy Reunion Dinner Celebrating the classes of 1967, 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997 and 2002 22 Homecoming 2012 All Old Boys and friends of the School welcome! Complimentary lunch, sport events, marketplace and family activities all day.
OCTOBER
TBD SAC Old Boys’ UK/EU Chapter Dinner Contact Jason Campbell ’88, Chapter President +44 7894 787074 or email jason.campbell@freshfields.com
DECEMBER 7
Carol Service Yorkminster Park Baptist Church 1585 Yonge Street, Toronto 7:00 p.m.
Event dates subject to change. Visit www.sac.on.ca for updates.
Admission for 2012–2013 For more information concerning admission to St. Andrew’s, please contact our Admission Office at 905.727.3178 x303 or toll-free at 1.877.378.1899.
JULY AND AUGUST
July 9 Calgary Old Boys’ Stampede Event 4:00–10:00 p.m., Buzzards Restaurant & Bar 140 10 Avenue Southwest, Calgary
SAC Summer Camp www.sac.on.ca/discover/summer-camp, 905.727.6544
For sports schedules, other special events and news of the College, please visit our website at: www.sac.on.ca Old Boys – please register online on our Old Boys’ Directory and receive monthly newsletters. 52 Spring 2012
Headmaster Kevin McHenry and Executive Director of Advancement Scott Hayter attended a Parent Reception in Beijing at the Royal Tea House, Dayi Tea in April hosted by Mr. Kevin Wu and Mrs. Kate Zhang, parents of Peter Wu ‘13.
Old Boys’ Obituaries
Gord “Coach” Ackerman
(1929-2012)
G “As much as you all loved him, he loved you twice as much.” Gay Revell, the Coach’s daughter
“To call “Coach” a great coach underestimates the man. Back then, I was uncoordinated and completely un-athletic, and therefore didn’t play on any of the teams. But, I will never forget what he did best. It wasn’t just on the sports field. He respected you and taught you to respect yourself. He inspired confidence. He helped you build character. His real legacy is simply this: he turned boys into men.” Ron Mitchell ’79 “What has made St. Andrew’s great and why the Old Boy network is so strong is that it attracts truly great staff, from the janitors to the Headmaster. Gord had the resume to be in the NFL. Coming from Western Pennsylvania, I understood the quality of coaching that came out of Ohio. I don’t know how St. Andrew’s got him, but boy, we
ordon E. “Coach” Ackerman passed away on February 26, 2012 at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie at the age of 83. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Gord was involved in football for most of his life. He played for Bowling Green State University and then broke into coaching in 1952, first at the high school level and then at the college and professional level. An assistant coach with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Toronto Argonauts from 1963–1972, Gord joined St. Andrew’s the following year, already familiar with the campus as the Argos had held their training camp here for several years. He brought a level and approach to coaching that SAC had never experienced before. Coach, as he was affectionately called during his 21-year career as a teacher and Head Coach of 1st Football at St. Andrew’s from 1973-1994, leaves behind a legacy of devoted former students and players. Gord was the beloved husband of Joan for over 60 years and a loving father to Jim (Anne), Tom (Susan), and Gay (Moss); proud “Poppy” of Emily, Scott, Halle, Jackson and Connor; and dear brother of Doris. The following are excerpts of some of the condolences that appeared on the funeral home site: www.steckleygooderham.com
were the luckiest players to have had him. I now coach high school football and “talk Ackerman” at practice to teach my players the way Coach taught me. I tell them that coaches come from Ohio and wear baseball caps. I will never forget him. Neither will SAC.” Mike Edwards ’79 To read Mike’s full length reflections on Coach Ackerman, visit www.sac.on.ca/news/ “Coach was, quite simply, a remarkable man who inspired everyone he touched to a higher level of performance in both sport and life. He was a legend long before he officially left his role as teacher and coach at SAC. In fact for many of us, he wasn’t simply a major part of SAC, in large part, he was SAC. I will never stop being grateful for all that you did
for me, Coach. For me you were a game changer.” Craig Farrow ’76 “To all the Old Boys who have shared their stories of my Dad, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your tributes have brought us laughter and tears, made us proud, eased the sorrow, and brought my Dad back to
life for me and my family. I had no idea of the profound influence he had on so many of his students and players during his 21 years at St. Andrew’s. However, I can tell you, that as much as you all loved him, he loved you twice as much. Up to, and including his last visit to my home, he would always take a drive over to the SAC campus to relive his memories. Once, while delivering a speech, my father commented on his three levels of coaching: professional, college and high school. He told the audience that it was the high school coaching that he enjoyed the most because he felt that at this level he could really shape a young man into an excellent football player. It looks as though he did much more than that.” Gay Revell, the Coach’s daughter The Andrean 53
Old Boys’ Obituaries 1936 Dick Boxer
Richard John Boxer passed away on January 15, 2012 in Toronto. Dick was seven years old when he attended St. Andrew’s College in 1925-26, part of the last student body to attend the School while it was still located at the Rosedale Campus in Toronto. A profile of Dick appeared in the Fall 2011 Andrean where he recounted memories of the School’s earlier times. Dick went on to the University of Toronto Schools (UTS), leaving to join the Navy. Upon his return from war, he went into the wallpaper business where his career spanned 40 years—the last 30 with Waldec of Canada, a firm he co-founded. Dick is predeceased by his wife Nancy and survived by his children Richard (Joan), Shelagh (Christopher Taylor), and Jeffrey (Nancy Flanders); six grandchildren; brother Don (Marian); sister-in-law Gina Lamb (Bill); and caregiver Mila Villote. His memorial message proclaimed, “Tell everyone that I had a blessed life.” 1937 Warren Soper Warren Young Soper passed away 54 Spring 2012
on Jan. 22, 2012 at his home in Oakville, Ont. He attended St. Andrew’s College from 1934–36 where he established a life-long love of sports. He did not come back to SAC for 73 years, returning for a visit in 2009 with his grandson-in-law, Jim Dennis ‘92. Warren graduated with a BA from McGill University in 1942. He was a VP for Dominion Securities Pitfield Ltd. in Montreal then built up Calmont Leasing and Trucks in Alberta for 45 years, becoming chairman. He travelled extensively around the world, supported the arts and frequently exhibited his paintings at various arts shows in North America. He was a provincial curling champion in Quebec, represented Canada as a team member at the World Fly Fishing championships, played golf until he was 92, and was an avid gardener who especially loved propagating orchids. Warren is predeceased by his wife of 45 years, Lilianne (nee
Binard), first wife of 22 years and mother of his two children, Isabel (nee Bulloch), and by his son Warren Young Soper III. He is survived by his daughter Jane Soper Kennedy, step-daughter
Patricia (Ralph McDermott), four grandchildren, four great-grandchildren; and his sister Anne Fisher (nee Soper). 1940 Bruce Alspach Bruce Walter Alspach passed away on April 20, 2009 in Miami, Fla. He attended St. Andrew’s
College from 1931–40 where he captained the 1st Football and Swim teams, played 1st Hockey and Rugby, and served as Head Prefect. After graduating from St. Andrew’s, Bruce enrolled at Tulane University, New Orleans, to study medicine and graduated in 1946. He continued with his post-graduate training at Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital in New York and started his practice in psychiatry in Miami in 1952. In 1969, Bruce was appointed clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Miami. Bruce is survived by his wife, Michelle; his children, Heidi, Geoff and Adair; his two grandchildren and two great grandchildren; and his brother Philip ‘42. 1941 James Good James Reynolds Good passed
away on July 2, 2011 at University Hospital, London, Ont. Jim attended St. Andrew’s College from 1937–41. During the Second World War, he was a radar specialist in the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve and served in the North Atlantic. James was a member of The Church of St. John the Evangelist, Forest City Kiwanis Club, a past president of Victorian Order of Nurses and the London Horsemanship Club. An avid sportsman, he enjoyed football, cricket, horseback riding, boating, and car rallying. James is survived by his wife of 63 years, Catherine (Cay); children James ‘68 (Adele), William ‘70, Barbara Good-Owens (John Owens); and granddaughter Julia. He is predeceased by his sister, Norma Winifred, and daughter Catherine Anne. 1942 Donald Sabiston Commander Donald Sabiston passed away on May 3, 2011 at the Ottawa Civic Hospital. He attended St. Andrew’s from 1936–42 where he was a Prefect, member of 1st Football, Hockey, Track, and Swimming, which he captained. He went on to attend Royal Roads Naval College, University of Toronto (PHE), and University of Ottawa (MEd). Don served as an officer in a motor torpedo boat during the Second World War and had a long and distinguished career with the Royal Canadian Navy. He was a world traveller who enjoyed canoeing, skiing, and biking adventures with his wife of 60 years, Mary, always by his side. His passion and happiest place was the cottage he built himself at Crosby Lake.
Don is survived by Mary; children Peter (Barb), Paul (Cathie), Keith (Sharon), and Susan (Harry); and 11 grandchildren. 1944 Juan Aguayo Juan Edward Aguayo passed away on Nov. 11, 2011 in Colima, Mexico. He attended St. Andrew’s (l-r) the late Juan & Carmen Aguayo with friends and past SAC parents John Ball & Gillian Neville-Ball
College from 1937–1941 where he excelled at athletics. His career as an industrial consultant in the glass industry took him around the world and he lived in many different places. As well as travel, Juan enjoyed sailing, cigars, and adventure. His wife, Carmen, passed away two months after him in January 2012, and he was predeceased by his brother Jose ‘43. He is survived by his daughters, Astrid, Anna, and Lorena, and six grandchildren. 1959 Nelson Mazzei Nelson Mazzei Sosa passed away on May 13, 2007 in Margarita Island, Venezuela. He attended St. Andrew’s from 1949–55. He went on to study at Texas A&M University and graduated from Oklahoma City University. He returned to Venezuela and began his career
in banking as a trainee at Citibank in Caracas, eventually becoming president of that bank and a senior banking officer at Citicorp. He retired to Margarita Island, north east of Venezuela. He is survived by his wife and four children, and brothers Oscar ‘55, Alejandro ‘55, and Anibal ‘59. 1960 Stephen Sharpe Stephen Rodney Sharpe passed away on November 22, 2011. He attended St. Andrew’s from 1954–58 where he captained the 2nd Hockey Team. Stephen attended Ryerson University, majoring in business. He enjoyed an illustrious career in the investment business, working for a number of corporate finance firms and establishing his own merchant banking company. Stephen is survived by his sister, Sandra MacNaughton; daughters Lisa (Jim Ruscica), Samantha, Jennifer and Stephanie; four grandchildren; and his many nieces, nephews, family and friends. He is predeceased by his brother David. Malcolm Williams Malcolm Alfred Williams passed away on Oct. 19, 2011 at Douglas Memorial Hospital in Fort Erie, Ont. Malcolm attended St. Andrew’s from 1958–60. He went on to attend the University of Buffalo. Malcolm was president of Williams Gold Refining Company Ltd., founder of Hi-Rel Alloys Ltd., and an active member of St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Fort Erie. He was husband of 50 years to Sandy (Muench); father of Frankland (Corinne Draesner) and Lauretta Lynn (Stephen) Cornfield;
grandfather of two; and brother of Cameron ‘70 (Susan Merritt).
Stephanie and Elysia, and remembered by their mother, Lynda.
1970 Cliff Carr Elmore Clifton (Cliff) Carr passed away on Oct. 27, 2011 at his residence in Loree, near The Blue Mountains, Ont. Cliff attended St. Andrew’s from 1968–70. He was a graduate of the University of Guelph and the University of Waterloo, with a master’s degree in physics (astronomy). He was a retired captain with the Canadian Forces, where he served as a tactical helicopter pilot. In 1998 he started Meadow Hill Stables where he raised registered Paint and Quarter horses. He was a Toronto Centre member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, and the E.C. Carr Astronomical Observatory in The Blue Mountains is named in his honour. Cliff is survived by his daughters,
1989 Mark Glusing Mark Klaus Glusing passed away on October 17, 2011 in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos. He attended St. Andrew’s College from 1987–89 where he played 1st Football, 1st Rugby and served as a Prefect, and went on to graduate from the University of British Columbia. Born in Pointe Claire, Que., Mark grew up in Bermuda. He was an avid triathlete and completed 10 Ironman competitions, including the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. Mark had a strong background in business and was president of Infinite Holdings and CEO of biotechnology company GrowPond Organics. Mark was predeceased by his mother, Heike, and is survived by his father, Klaus, and sister, Grace.
Please Remember Us A bequest, gift of life insurance or other planned gift is a great way to leave your legacy and support St. Andrew’s. Gifts will be permanently recorded in your name for the purpose you designate, or will help grow the School’s endowment fund. For more information, please contact: Edna Collins Associate Director of Advancement SAC Foundation 905.727.3178 x239 edna.collins@sac.on.ca www.sac.on.ca/support-sac
The Andrean 55
From the Editor
What does it mean to attend St. Andrew’s?
I
I remember when I first started working in Admission seven years ago and an Old Boy’s son came in for an interview. He was a smiley blond kid with lots of spunk. Right away he started telling me about his LEGO collection. My son was only one at the time, so I wasn’t overly familiar with the powerful pull of these famous building blocks. I asked him at the end of his interview whether he really thought he might like to come to St. Andrew’s. Without hesitation he replied, “Mrs. Sillcox, I would give up all my LEGO to come to school here. And I have a lot of it.” Over the years the Director of the Middle School, Mike Hanson, has told me repeatedly that the Middle School at St. Andrew’s is where it all happens. New students become hooked instantly. Upon arrival, they are presented with their tablet computers, 20 new friends, talented and engaging teachers, shiny new classrooms, and 110-acres to call their own. I cannot tell you how many parents have told me their sons literally jump out of bed in the morning and ask to be dropped off at school early. How many young boys who you know ask to go to school early? Whether they are playing dress up in Ms. D’Angelo’s French class (the ladies’ clothing is always their favourite), building board games in Mr. Kyle’s Language Arts class, witnessing a cool explosion (very controlled) in Mr. Hanson’s science class, or playing a wildly silly game of California kickball in Mrs. Perrier’s gym class, our boys have fun learning every day. Three years ago, I gathered some grade 8 students together with Mr. Hanson to ask a few questions about how they would describe St. Andrew’s College. One boy
remarked, “It’s not a 9–3 kind of school.” What he meant by this is that many students are dropped off early, stay late, and in return for throwing themselves into embracing the mission of the School, they take away so much more than a top-level academic education. Besides being a strong student, this young man is now a new Prefect, a drummer in the Pipes & Drums Band, a star in Mr. Scoular’s dramatic productions, and plays on the 1st Squash and Baseball teams. He has embraced every opportunity presented to him, and he has excelled. Associate Director of Admission, Bruce Keyes has done an outstanding job selecting 25 students each year to become Admission ambassadors. When asked, and when classes permit, these boys serve as official tour guides and take prospective families and their sons on tours of SAC. They aren’t given a script, but they are encouraged to share their thoughts and experiences while showing off their school. The boys absolutely love this role and it suits them. One of these students, a grade 11 boarder who has been an ambassador for the past three years, recently showed three top-level marketers around the School. They marveled at his poise, his confidence and his pride in St. Andrew’s. In fact, they were still talking about him a month later. When I asked this young man what it means to attend St. Andrew’s, he replied: “It is an experience that can’t sufficiently be defined by words. It’s an experience of brotherhood that is like no other. The opportunities for involvement are endless. St. Andrew’s College is not just a school; it’s a home away from home.” KIM SILLCOX
“Over the years the Director of the Middle School, Mike Hanson, has told me repeatedly that the Middle School at St. Andrew’s is where it all happens.”
56 Spring 2012
CAN YOU SEND YOUR SON TO BOARDING SCHOOL
AND STILL KEEP HIM CLOSE? I T’ S N O T LETTIN G GO. IT ’ S L E T T IN G H IM A RRIV E . I T’ S N O T A LO N G TRIP. IT ’ S T H E J OU RN E Y OF A L IF E T IM E . I T’S TH E BE S T OF BOT H Y OU R W ORL DS . R I G H T H E RE IN A U RORA .
SAC is an all-boys school offering boarding and day, grades 5 –12. Please contact our Admission Office at 905.727.3178 to learn more.
www.sac.on.ca
ST. ANDREW’S COLLEGE 15800 YONGE STREET AURORA, ON L4G 3H7 CANADA
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15800 Yonge Street Aurora, Ontario Canada L4G 3H7 www.sac.on.ca