At Lisgar’s 175th AnniversaryReunion in 2018, one of themost popular activities was

the tour of the school led by DavidJeanes (1965), then President ofHeritage Ottawa. With all spots on thetours quickly selling out even afterDavid agreed to add a fifth offering—one wonders how much time andenergy he had left to connect with hisown former classmates—we promisedalumni who missed their chance thatwe would produce a video versionafter the reunion was over. Filmingwas done in the fall of 2018 and edit-ing was undertaken during the winter.The 77-minute production, dividedinto eleven parts, was launched atDoors Open Ottawa in June 2019, a lit-tle more than a year after the reunion. The video covers much of the sameground that David expertly covered forfascinated alumni and their familes atthe 175th—the building’s exterior fea-tures, Memorial Hall, the office, thelibrary, the auditorium, a number ofclassrooms, the gymnasium, andmore—but also includes extensivecoverage of the attic and roof, whichfor safety reasons weren’t possible tovisit with large groups during thereunion weekend. Alumni who havenever had the opportunity to see thesespaces may be quite surprised bythem, and by the history and original

construction that is still so readily evi-dent in these less trafficked areas. Thevideo tour also includes close-ups ofthe same eye-opening archival photosDavid used on the tour, many of whichwere retrieved and digitized from theextensive collections of Library andArchives Canada. The Alumni Association engagedfor the project local videographerHingman Leung, who is behind the613TV channel of the popular localApt613 blog. We were able to cover theexpenses out of the revenues of thereunion—thanks to those of you whodrank all that beer from StalwartBrewing, co-owned by alumnus AdamNewland (2004), ensuring the reunionwould stay in the black! Our sincerethanks as well to Principal Patsy Agard,without whom it would have beenimpossible for David and the crew toaccess the building for the full Sundayof shooting necessary to create such athorough product—one that weexpect will become an important partof the the Lisgar archives and over timeexpose many thousands of students,alumni, and interested residents ofOttawa to the school’s rich history. The video tour is freely availableonline at http://www.lisgar.net/tour.And if seeing the school throughDavid’s eyes brings back memoriesyou’d like to share, we want to hearfrom you! ■

The newsletter of the Lisgar Alumni AssociationWinter 2020

Alere FlammamDavid Jeanes Video Tour of Lisgar Released

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: David Jeanes (1965) takes viewers on a historical tour of the school.

Alere Flammam

I n s i d eMembers’ Forum 2Come From Away in Ottawa 3Joe Leggett Profile 4Gavin Lumsden Wins Award 5Auditorium Improvements 5Lisgar Archives 6

NOW AVAILABLE

Lisgar socks

Order online at lisgar.net

Members’ Forum

Alere Flammam • Winter 2020 • Page 2

Christine Armstrong (2000) is orga-nizing a 20-year reunion for theclass of 2000! She writes: Believe it ornot, this year it will be 20 years sincewe wore those fetching blue gownsand walked across a stage in the gymto get our high school diplomas. Sincethen, we've had classmates graduatefrom Ivy League schools, article at theSupreme Court, write for some ofCanada’s most notable publications,write and perform in award-winningplays, become moms and dads, makehuge differences in their communities,and watch thousands of hours ofNetflix. I’d say it's high time we recon-nect! The reunion is scheduled forFriday, June 26. Write to Christine atchristinearmstrong1@gmail.com,or watch our Facebook page formore details. �Did you know that there are actuallyat least three grads from the class of2000 who articled at the SupremeCourt? One of those alumni, EmilyMacKinnon (Tyson, 2000) writes:The Commissionaire there was also anold Lisgar grad. We used to sing theLisgar cheer to each other in themorning. It’s not often you have a rea-son to say “hullaballoo” to anotherhuman on a regular basis. Emilyrecalls his name was Fred, and we’dbe most happy to hear from anyonewho could help us track him down,or who knows of Lisgar grads from

Members’ Forumother years who articled at Canada’shighest court. A story for a futureissue of Alere Flammam, perhaps?�Anne Hicks (Wharrie, 1960) wrotein, sharing a goodbye to one ofLisgar’s celebrated graduates: In1960, she was voted Lisgar’s HeadGirl. Her stage name was Anjali, andshe enchanted audiences worldwidewith her stunning East Indian classicaldancing performances. When she diedin April 2018, a closely knit group ofLisgar friends mourned the loss of oneof their own. We call ourselves theLisgar Longlasters (LLL’s) and AnneGroves was one of us. In the year weturned 65, this group of 12 womencame together to renew our ManorPark and Lisgar friendships. In theWinter 2008 issue of Alere Flammaman article appeared on “Twelve WildWomen and One Outhouse” to cele-brate our sisterhood. Anne Groves isthe first to pass from our group, a dif-ficult reality. Anne (known as “Groves” amongus) lived a remarkable life. Duringour years at Lisgar, she was ouracknowledged leader. From GirlGuides to high school Head Girl, sheblazed the way. Although her energyseemed inexhaustible to the outsideworld, we, her girlfriends, knew bet-ter. Groves could jump, sing, dance,and play forever it seemed. Then shecollapsed to sleep days at a time. Sheneeded to recover. It was this energy and leadershipquality that led her to India. Followinggraduation from Lisgar and Queen’sUniversity, she was attracted to CUSO.She inhaled India. Passionately. Indiaproved to be the catalyst for herrebirth. As Anjali, she won accoladesand awards for her Indian classicaldancing, and was feted internationallyfor her significant contributions to thisdemanding art. Following their mar-riage, she and Tony Gaston createdexquisite dance productions, many ofwhich were performed at Ottawa’s ArtsCourt and the National Arts Centre. Groves died in April 2018 after suf-fering from multiple myeloma, a debil-

itating cancer of the blood. She livedfor years with this painful disease yetcontinued to appear in Indian classi-cal dance productions and wrotebooks on this fascinating art. At hermemorial service in Ottawa, an admir-er described her life as a shining starthat streaked across the sky, ending ina blaze of light. She was, indeed, thatbright star. Goodbye from the LisgarLonglasters: Anne Fischer (Baxter,1958), Betty Jane Mills (Bolduc,1960), Barbara O’Brien (Brennagh,1959), Lillian Buchanan (1960), LizSimms (Delaute, 1959), MarlynHorsdal (1960), Heather Rath(Ingram, 1960), Sandra Gathercole(Low, 1960), Judith Robertson(1960), Anne Hicks (Wharrie, 1960),and Jane Panet (Wilson, 1960). We have published an obituary ofAnne-Marie, provided by husbandTony Gaston, on our Facebook page.�Bettina Callary (1999), AssociateProfessor of Community Studies atCape Breton University, has recentlybeen named a Tier 2 CanadaResearch Chair in Sport Coachingand Adult Learning. These presti-gious Chairs are awarded to emerg-ing researchers, acknowledged by

EditorAvi Caplan

ContributorsElizabeth HaleJoy HeftLarry Wade

Alere Flammam is the annualnewsletter of the Lisgar AlumniAssociation.

Lisgar Alumni Association29 Lisgar St.Ottawa, ON K2P 0B9alumni@lisgar.net613 239-2696 x2040

http://www.lisgar.net

their peers as demonstrating thepotential to lead in their field. Dr.Callary’s work focuses on two pillarsof research broadly affecting thewell-being and health of agingCanadians: coaching adult athletes,and coach education and develop-ment. Her groundbreaking researchwill be vital in understandingadults’ distinct psychological andsocial coaching needs.�Ralph Gallay (1957) wrote: In the1956-57 yearbook, when I was inGrade 12B, the class photo on page 61contains an error. In the third row Iam standing between D. Kimmel andG. McIntosh, but my name is missingfrom the caption so not only am Iaffected but everyone to that side ofme is also. I left Lisgar at the end of

CLASSICAL DANCE: Anne-Marie Gaston(Groves, 1960), also known as Anjali, performsat Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, in the 1970s. ARMSTRONG, David (teacher, 1980-90)

ATCHISON, Bill (1949)BEEMAN, Mary (Whelen, 1936)COHEN, Max (1946)COUPLAND, D.C.T. (1944)DARROCH, Doreen (Davis, 1944)FLETCHER, Clifford (1950)GASTON, Anne-Marie (Groves, 1960)GOODERHAM, Graham (2008)GRAHAM, Jocelyn (Sanderson, 1950)HARRIS, Stephen (1985)HOOLIHAN, Harrison (1954)LESLIE, Paul F. (1961)LUDGATE, Mary (1944)MACDERMOT, Galt (1947)MCDOUGALL, Tom (1960)MAVOR, Joan (Toller, 1950)MOORE, Lois (Thompson, 1947)MULVIHILL, Denyse Barrette (teacher, 1969-73)O’GRADY, Helen (Alexiade, 1955)PETRIE, Edward (1949)REID, Cynthia (Kirby, 1950) SUNDERLAND, Inez (Smith, 1938)THOM, Douglas (1964)VETTER, Frank (1952, teacher 1964-71)WELLINGTON, Maxwell (2001)WILSON, John E.M. (1956)Correction: In the last edition, weindicated that Stephen Bull (1987)had passed away. We are pleased toreport that this is not the case, andapologize profusely for the error. ■

In Memoriam

Members’ Forum

Page 3

Grade 12 to McGill and so do notappear the next year as a graduate withthose people who were in my grade. Isubsequently completed Lisgar’srequirements and officially graduatedyears later. We have shared the photo,along with this correction, on ourFacebook page.�Derek Neufeld (1979) wrote toinquire as to whether the muralspainted by him and a few of his con-temporaries were still up in the cafe-teria. They are. He commented: Thelasting impression of these pictures wasnot the artwork. It was the art teacher’sencouragement and support. Theteacher was Sam Saunders. Photos ofthe murals, stylized depictions of theRideau Canal, looking north fromapproximately the vantage point ofthe school, were sent to Derek. Inaddition to his signature the worksare signed N. Smith and Lucy P.—weare guessing Noel Smith (1979) andLucy Pagnier (1979).�Wallis Giunta (2003) played Brigittain Lisgar's production of The Soundof Music (2000) and is now a suc-cessful opera singer on the worldstage. In 2018, she made her Londondebut at Cadogan Hall and wasnamed Young Singer of the Year inthe International Opera Awards. Inlate November last year, she returnedto Ottawa for a special performanceof Handel’s Messiah with the Ottawa

Choral Society. The traditional holi-day experience was transformedwith a gender-bending twist, howev-er—Wallis sang the bass arias, andthe bass sang the mezzo part. Thetenor and soprano also switchedplaces with each other for the show. �The National Arts Centre has com-missioned renowned composerPhilip Glass to compose a piece hon-ouring Lisgarite and former journal-ist Peter Jennings (1956). The work,which is also meant to address thethemes of truth in our times andfreedom of the press, will receive itsworld premiere during the orches-tra’s 2020-21 season.�Andrea Stillwell (Boucher, 1969)and George Skok (1969) are orga-nizing a “50 years plus one” reunionfor the class of 1969. They write:Through the magic of social media,two of your fellow graduates discov-ered that they live a mere three blocksfrom each other in Toronto. Werecently met over old yearbooks and,looking at the photos of our class-mates, decided that we needed toorganize a reunion! Looking ahead to

possible dates, we thought that weshould get together in Ottawa in Spring2020, and share our life stories, wrin-kles, and grey hair (if you have hair!).The reunion will likely include a partyon a Saturday and a brunch the nextday. We really hope to get feedbackfrom you, the members of our gradu-ating class, at your very earliest conve-nience, so we can get an idea of poten-tial numbers, which will help in plan-ning events, locations, costs, etc.Please spread the word and advise ofyour interest so we can plan a wonder-ful reunion! We hope to see you there.Andrea, who was co-editor of the1969 Vox Lycei, can be reached atakstillwell@gmail.com. George, whowas president of the 1969 Band, is atgskok@rogers.com.�Jain Verner (Ripley, 1961) wrote,along with her donation: I left Lisgarin 1961 after completing Grade 12,entering nursing at the Civic that fall. Itransferred to the Vancouver GeneralHospital School of Nursing in 1962. Iwas fortunate to have a wonderful 50-year career. I credit the wonderfulteachers I had at Lisgar for my founda-tional education. ■

LUNCHTIME ART: Two murals painted by students in the late 1970s still hang in Lisgar’s cafeteria.

Come From Away came to theNational Arts Centre for a three-

week run beginning in August of2019. The much-anticipated arrival ofthis highly successful Canadian showensured sold-out houses, in part sinceone of its co-authors is Ottawa nativeand Lisgar alumnus David Hein(1993). During David’s time at Lisgarhe was involved in improv and drama,and he credits Paul Griffin (teacher1990-92) for having encouraged histalent and pursuit of theatre. Davidwent on to study at Carleton and atWestern. He now lives in New York,but visits Ottawa regularly with hiswife and co-author Irene Sankoff, aswell as with their daughter.

Come From Away is a feel-goodshow about Canadian generosity in theface of adversity. Specifically, it chron-icles the aftermath of 9/11, when7,000 airline passengers found them-selves unexpectedly spending severaldays in the remote town of Gander,Newfoundland. Not surprisingly, theinhabitants of nearby communitiesopened up their homes and theirhearts to offer shelter and sustenance,as well as moral support. The showhas had spectacular success in theUnited States and England, and haseven headed to Australia.

How was the show received inOttawa? It lived up to the anticipation,with audiences jumping spontaneous-ly to their feet in uproarious applause,smiles on faces and tears flowingdown cheeks. Well done, David! Weawait the next venture. ■

Come From AwayPlays in Ottawa

MUSICAL TALENT: David Hein (1993).OPERA STAR: Wallis Giunta (2003) made her

London debut at Cadogan Hall in 2018.

Features

Alere Flammam • Winter 2020 • Page 4

One name remembered by manydecades of Lisgarites is that of

Joe Leggett (1941, teacher 1960-81).Born in 1921, the youngest of three,Joe lives today at the Perley RideauVeterans Home, in Ottawa.

Joe has had a lifelong commitmentto athletics, serving as Captain ofLisgar’s Senior Football team in 1941,and retiring from Lisgar in 1981 asHead of Physical Education. Among hisearliest recollections, in fact, is peer-ing over a fence at Landsdowne Park towatch his hero Roughriders, thenscrambling over when the coast wasclear to disappear into the crowd.

His schooling started at Percy St.Public School, and was followed byKent St. Middle School and then Lisgar.He still recalls his Lisgar teachers,including Walter Mann (teacher 1933-68), Lorne Rentner (teacher 1923-65), Lou Meng (teacher 1922-65),Dorothy Bishop (teacher 1934-66),Wallace Showman (teacher 1933-66),Andy Fitzsimmons (teacher 1934-59),John Carruthers (teacher 1947-77),Wright Neil (teacher 1939-51, Vice-Principal 1951-60, Principal 1960-72), and Eric Nichols (teacher 1932-72), as well as playing tackle footballunder senior coach Bill Mitchell(teacher 1939-46). Nearly all were stillat Lisgar when Joe returned to teach in1960, 19 years after graduating.

Joe made the most of those years,enlisting in the RCAF soon after leavingLisgar. He recalls that while he was intraining at Uplands, Winston Churchillcame to Canada and visited the base. Acall went out for pilots to get up in theair to impress him, and Joe volun-teered. He remembers the excitementof navigating among the mass of planeswithout radio direction, and on land-ing being criticized by his command-ing officer for having flown before hisofficial solo.

Shipped to Britain in 1942, Joetrained on Spitfires and joined aCanadian squadron at Red Hill, southof London. They flew over France,Belgium, and Holland, escortingbombers as well as “sweeping”—hunting Nazi fighters. He recalls chas-ing fleeting Messerschmitt 109s over

the English Channel and being disap-pointed to have had to turn back atCalais due to withering ground fire.

Shipped subsequently to Africa, Joesaw thousands of German prisonersafter General Montgomery’s successesagainst Rommel. Then in Malta he flewlargely over Sicily, where on one mis-sion his job was dive bombing anairstrip all alone in his Spitfire afterbeing slowed down by an extra gastank he had been unable to jettison.He also remembers being attackedfrom above by a diving 109, rightbelow Mount Etna. He was able toescape, having learned how to go intoa spin, but under the high stress on hisplane his cannons jammed and he wasunable to catch his opponent.

After Sicily, Joe flew from Brindisiwith RAF Squadron 1435. His missionsincluded flying from a vineyard airstripon the Croatian island of Vis, protect-ing Tito’s headquarters. He remem-bers satisfying his love for speed by fly-ing just a few feet over the ocean, at300 miles per hour. Joe also recallsneeding to see the airstrip ahead moreclearly during a landing, and inadver-tently pulling the wrong lever while try-ing to raise his seat, instead retractingthe wheels and making his Spitfire acomplete write-off. Joe was ordered towrite a letter to King George apologiz-ing for damaging royal property.

When Joe returned home he stud-ied agriculture at Guelph, where healso played football. About this time hemarried Ruth, with whom he had four

children. After attending teacher’s col-lege he taught in Tilbury, in southernOntario, before being hired first atOttawa Technical High School, then atLaurentian, and finally at Lisgar.

Under Joe’s leadership as Lisgar’sHead of Physical Education, the schoolwon numerous city and provincialchampionships, the credit for whichhe is quick to give to the coaches.These included Bill Fraser (1961,teacher 1965-99), Larry Hale (teacher1964-97), David Lamperd (teacher1970-99), Barry Laughton (1961,teacher 1968-2000), Terry Prichett(teacher 1966-98), and others.Indeed, the 1968 Vox Lycei reportedthat “despite being renowned for hisheartlessness in driving gym classesout into the cold, he nevertheless haswon much admiration for his efficienthandling of Lisgar’s major sportsteams.” It was also Joe who first gotstudent Hugh Fraser (1970) interestedin track – Hugh subsequently spent tenyears as a member of Canada’sNational Track and Field Team, com-peting at the Olympic, Commonwealth,and Pan American Games before hisdistinguished career in law.

Joe is always happy to receive visitsat the Perley from former students andcolleagues—afternoons are generallybest. We would also love to publishyour notes about memories of Joe andof athletics at Lisgar more generally inour next issue—please get in touch. ■

Where Are They Now?

Joe Leggett

VETERAN LISGARITE: Joe Leggett, approachinghis 100th birthday, lives today at the Perley.

BACK AT LISGAR: Joe Leggett (1941, teacher 1960-81) in his first year back at the school, with theBoys’ Athletic Association executive. Third from left is Bill Fraser (1961, teacher 1965-99), then stilla student. Also appearing are Bob Imrie, Paul Huot, Gord Wilson, Ken Fudemoto, and Dave Stanley.

WINNING TEAM: Joe Leggett appears bottom right in this photo of Lisgar’s 1941 Senior BasketballTeam, which went on to win that year’s Provincial Senior Boys Basketball Championship.

Almnus Gavin Lumsden (1984) wasone of three honorees at the St.

Joe’s Women’s Centre Quality of LifeAwards gala on November 7, 2019. Theaward was established in 2000 in recog-nition of individuals that display dedica-tion to improving the quality of life ofthose disadvantaged within our commu-nity. Gavin was dashing in his Scottishplaids as he was introduced by hisfriend Warren Creates, one of the co-founders of the Ottawa Dragon BoatFestival 27 years ago. At the time, Gavinwas the point man for Rogers TV, assist-ing with promotion and fundraising forthis event whose proceeds are donatedto worthy causes in the community. Thetwo have remained friends, and Warrenis currently Chair of this organizationand Gavin Vice-Chair.

Gavin plays host to his friends for thebetterment of the community severaltimes a year in a most unorthodox way.Instead of inviting them for a comfort-able dinner party at his home, he chal-lenges them to assist him in preparingand serving meals at locations such asSt. Joe’s Supper Table, CornerstoneHousing for Women, and The OttawaMission. Gavin purchases the food, withsome donations from Laura’s Your

Independent Grocer, and the groupdevotes a day to the activity. Accordingto Warren, their reward is seeing thelook of fatigue and satisfaction onGavin’s face once the meals are servedand the clean-up accomplished.

Among Gavin’s other humanitarianinvolvements is an initiative known asLittle Bags of Goodness that benefits St.Joe’s Women’s Centre and a number ofsimilar organizations throughout thecity. It has been running for nearly 20years as a one-week campaign involvingschool children, in which almost twotons of toiletries and hygiene productsare collected, sorted, and distributed toclients. Gavin is personally involved incollecting the truckloads of bags alongwith the children and delivering them tothe Centre, where they are sorted beforedistribution to the other locations.

Finally, as you catch your breath,consider that Gavin has so far run 52marathons! By his fiftieth marathon hehad raised $85,000 for Boys and GirlsClub programs to get underprivilegedchildren in our city active. He also start-ed Walk This Way, a fitness programdesigned to reverse the child obesitytrend. This involves treks to interestingplaces, followed by adventures such as a

visit to the Governor General’s or atten-dance at a football game.

In his acceptance speech, Gavinacknowledged the efforts of all who helpin these initiatives and stated that he wasmerely their representative in acceptingthe award. He shared as well that he felthumbled to be included with formerrecipients who are “giants of philan-thropy” in our city, among them alumnaand former mayor Jacquelin Holzman(Feldman, 1951).

Gavin reconnected with Lisgar inrecent years as a member of the 175thAnniversary Reunion planning commit-tee. Regarding his student experience atLisgar, he recalls: “Lisgar was blessed tohave a lot of talented teachers during mytime there. But the one who left thebiggest impression on me by far was MrPeters. No one I had met previously (orsince) brought literature to life quite theway he did. He was extremely bright, avery thoughtful, compassionate man,and an excellent listener. I was sorry tohave lost touch with him after highschool, but have thought of him and hiswisdom many times across the years.”

Congratulations, Gavin! We will bewatching your continuing contributionsto the community with interest. ■

Features

Page 5

Lisgar Grad Receives Community Award

AWARD WINNER: Gavin Lumsden (1984),recipient of the St. Joe’s Women’s Centre

Quality of Life Award, with Executive DirectorMarsha Wilson. Credit: Lindsey Gibeau.

Those who generously contributedto the Friends of Lisgar Campaign

around the 175th Anniversary Reunionthat raised $146,000 for much-neededimprovements to Lisgar’s AlumniAuditorium will be aware that we had tocancel the May 2019 donor apprecia-tion event on short notice. This was dueto the fact that during winter 2019, afterthe new equipment was purchased anddelivered but before it could beinstalled, the school board lockedaccess to the overhead rigging systemand declared the entire stage unsafe.This was done simultaneously at manyschools across the city, out of an abun-dance of caution and not due to any spe-cific incidents or deficiencies at Lisgar.

It was not until mid-fall that Lisgar’s

administration was able to reach anagreement with the school board toaccept the engagement of a professionalinspector whose recommendations, iffully implemented, would allow theschool to regain access to the stage.When carried out in November, thisinspection found no evidence of anycomponent that was in danger of imme-diate failure, but identified an estimated$41,000 in repairs that it suggestedshould be completed as soon as possi-ble. It also recommended that an opera-tional training program and regularinspections be implemented.

With the school board offering to payfor the rental and installation of the scaf-folding needed to execute the repairs—more than one third of the total cost of

the work—the school has made plansto move ahead with addressing the

deficiencies and bringing the systemup to code, with repairs tentativelyplanned for February 2020. Any sup-port alumni can offer toward theserepairs through their tax-deductibledonations to the Lisgar Fund will, ofcourse, be much appreciated, asLisgar’s administration was not antici-pating such a significant expense in thecurrent school year.

If all goes according to plan, thenew lighting equipment will beinstalled in March or April 2020, andwe hope to be able to hold the donorappreciation event in May, alongsidethe first Lisgar Music Night back in theAlumni Auditorium in over a year.Donors should watch their e-mail formore information in the spring! ■

Auditorium Improvements Back on Track

SAFETY FIRST: Among the recommendations ofthe inspection was painting this hatch a high

visibility colour, and adding signage indicatingit should remain closed. The top rung of the

ladder up to the hatch is to be removed, as it istoo close to the deck and risks catching fingers.

Features

Alere Flammam • Winter 2020 • Page 6

Diana Bacon (Middleton, 1951)Rosamond Bechtel (Blaiklock, 1977)Paul Bennett (1973)Janet Bourassa (1957)Mary-Lou Boyle (2009)William Broughton (1953)Stephanie Bryant (Smith, 1963)Bryan Burke (1974)Leleah Carscallen (1970)Janus Cihlar (1999)Siân Clark (2002)Elizabeth Cleary (Lyons, 1953)Deborah Davis (1965)Joan Doubt (Klaas, 1961)Ray Dyck (1974)Sheila Forhan (Lamke, 1947)Mary Rose Gagné (Robert, 1955)Sally Hamilton (1960)Michael A. Jeffreys (1983)Neil Johnstone (1956)Hélène Kruidenier (parent)John Lamont (1974)Rive Reine Le Lacheur (1954)John Mothersill (1950)Gretel Nieboer (Bates, 1957)Margaret Pineiro (Isnor, 1952)Carolyn Roberts (1958)Marian Robinson (Charleson, 1960)Peter Schonenbach (1955)Denis Shillington (1960)Jain Verner (Ripley, 1961)David Vinokur (1968)Judith Walden (Snider, 1973)Lawrence Wardroper (1977)Donald Whittemore (1945)Michael Wilson (1993)J. Angus Wyatt (1936)

2019 Donors

We are delighted to report that 21alumni have become Life Memberssince the last issue of Alere Flammam:Rosamond Bechtel (Blaiklock, 1977)Stephanie Bryant (Smith, 1963)Siân Clark (2002)Allan Cordner (2002)Richard Drolet (1957)David Horton (1990)Sandy MacKay-Smith (1960)Meghan MacMillan (2001)Helen Parson (1963)Marina Polonsky (1993)Marian Robinson (Charleson, 1960)Anita Sengupta (2015)Roy Sengupta (2012)Mike Shaver (1995)Denis Shillington (1960)Jain Verner (Ripley, 1961)Robert Wellwood (1950)Morgan Williams (2012)Celeste Yu (2000)Miranda Yu (1995)Ernie Zoppa (1956)

Life Members

Joy Heft

Alumni will be pleased to learn thatLisgar’s Heritage Wall, established

in 1985 following the school’s 140thanniversary reunion, has been updatedto include the logo for the recent 175th,designed by David Xia (2012). Locatedin the main office, this beautiful stainedglass work of art is framed within threeformer window openings of the originalschool that were discovered inside theinterior walls of the modern buildingduring the 1976 renovation.

Echoes of the reunion continue toreverberate in the discovery of itemsdonated or letters sent around that time.One such gem is a beautiful largeframed pencil drawing, dated 1909, of ayoung woman carrying an O.C.I. flag.With highlights of vibrant blue for thenecktie, flag, and belt of the youngwoman with riveting eyes, it is truly aperiod piece. It had been presented atChristmas 1910 to Olivia Jandrew(1914) by her mother. Miss Jandrew,according to the Vox Lycei of her gradu-ating year, received an award for her topscores in the Girls’ Rifle Club, then in its

first year, and also took the prize inSeniors Double Croquet at Lisgar’s 1914Field Day, held at Landsdowne Park.The drawing was accompanied by asmall O.C.I. Rifle Association plaquefrom 1913-1914 depicting a prone maleshooter, which belonged to CyrusBertram Jandrew (1917). We are grate-ful to Phyllis Lethbridge of Combermerefor delivering them to us. Another gift ofnote is a woodcut drawing of the schoolpresented to Wright Neil (teacher 1939-51, Vice-Principal 1951-60, Principal1960-72) at the time of Lisgar’s 140thanniversary. Wayne Lewis, nephew ofMr. Neil’s wife, Etta, was the donor ofthis charming plaque.

Finally, handwritten correspondencefrom 98-year-old Betty Edna Slade ofBrockville indicated that three of herchildren had graduated from Lisgar, andincluded a letter for Igor Cernavin(1963), whom she believed to be livingin Australia. Igor had been the friend ofher son. Upon the death of his mother,Igor left for Australia to live with rela-tives, and the family lost touch with him.She was anxious to know how he hadfared after all these decades. Happily wewere able to help the two reconnect.Another heart-warming reunion story!

Among the interesting aspects ofarchival activity is the research one issometimes asked to pursue. For exam-

ple, this year Sean Stoyles of the CanadaDeposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC)was in touch wanting informationregarding three alumni, World War Iveterans who had worked for theDepartment of Finance. Principal PatsyAgard and three students were subse-quently invited to a Remembrance Dayceremony honouring these and otherveterans who were also alumni who hadworked for the Department. Otherresearch was undertaken on behalf ofJonathan Henshaw, a doctoral candidateat UBC who is doing a history of theChinese in Canada in the 1920s and1930s. He was seeking informationregarding Suu-Chuang (Florence)Liang, who attended Lisgar in 1925-26.It is interesting that Lisgar was sendingstudents to McGill way back then, and awoman from a minority group at that!

I continue to enjoy the assistance ofIngrid Van de Walle (teacher 1998-2014), who, among other things, aidedin the mounting of a large display featur-ing many of the events and productionsthat have occurred in the auditoriumover its long history. We also preparedfor the alumni showcase this year aRemembrance Day display exhibitingmaterials regarding both World Wars.These are always well received, andhighlight Lisgar’s longstanding involve-ment in the welfare of our country. ■

From the Lisgar Archives: Notes from “Down Below”

CHRISTMAS GIFT: This framed drawing, abouta metre tall, was given to then student OliviaJandrew (1914) in 1910, by her mother.

HERITAGE WALL: Stained glass windows in Lisgar’s main office have had the 175th logo added.