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 Keeping the Connection
by Warren Mackenzie - Photo Editor
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Where have all the alumni gone? Whom have you met during these few quickly disappearing summer months? Take a look at what's been saved on your camera's memory card and send us a copy to share with everyone. Don't worry about the photo file size being too large, as we can fit anything you send into our Photo Galleries. |
| Alumni Photo of the Month |
 . "Wild basement party held in 1959 - 49 years ago"..
To view larger image with caption and names please Click here
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| Who's Who |
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In the last edition of the newsletter we played the "use it or lose it card" and it worked. We have had several nominations that were sent in by our readers. The nominees have accepted, and been approved. So we can all look forward to this section continuing this Fall.
To nominate a candidate for the WHO'S WHO directory through the 'On-line' method, simply 'click' "here".
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| Photo Galleries |
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Skyline of St. Lambert as seen from the bridge of CSL Niagara downbound in St. Lambert Lock.
"Alumni....... Where are they now?"
Please send your photos, with a short caption, via email or contact Warren Mackenzie for snail mail instructions:
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| Alumni Association News |
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The Annual General Meeting of the CCHS & CA Alumni Association will be held Tuesday evening, September 16th. at Club De Golf St-Lambert
All Members of the association are invited to attend.
This will be a dinner meeting and accordingly we have booked the St. Lambert Golf Club for the event. Dinner and bar service will start at 6:00 PM. The golf club will offer a choice of three entrees, chicken, salmon or pork priced in the $20 range. To help them plan for dinner would you please let me know, by return email, what you will be eating. If you would like to bring your spouse, a friend or significant other along for dinner they are more than welcome. Just let me know in advance and give me their dinner selection also.
There are currently 2 vacant positions on the Board of Directors.
Member at large, and Ontario Representative.
If anyone is interested in either of these positions please contact Harvey Carter |
Reunion 2010  marking the 60 years
since CCHS became a school will be held over the Victoria Day weekend in May of 2010 |
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Alumni Association Distinguished Service Awards
The Alumni Association Board of Directors has established a Distinguished Service Award program to recognize the contributions individuals have made over the years to the alumni association and the preservation of school spirit for the school, and current student body. These contribution may have been monetary, a free service or, as in most cases, the donation of voluntary time and effort.
Past Recipients:
Fergus Groundwater (1956), Anthony McGarr (1977), Beverly Maize (volunteer), John Ernst (1958), Judy Ernst (volunteer), Harvey Carter (1960), Warren Mackenzie (1957), Nick Brenner (1964), Angus Cross (1960), Jack Anderson (1971), Pamela Storr (1984), Jean McHarg (former teacher), Bernie Praw (former teacher & principal), Pat Wylie (1966), Barry Keeler (1982), Tony Salmon (1974), Brian Perron (1972), Peter Payan (1959), Dave Stagg (1971), Cynthia Montpetit (Fulton) (1972), Pat Wagner (Volunteer), Ross McConnell (1945), Lorne Perry (1949), Andy Little (1953)Bob Wrigley (1961)
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Dale C'51 & Ross Wallace C'51 and Wendy Plumb (Irvine) C'57
Dale and Ross Wallace (1951) It is with great pleasure and, perhaps, a little overdue that we honor Dale and Ross, life-long residents of St. Lambert, with Distinguished Service awards.
Both worked diligently on the 1995 reunion with Dale, as Secretary of the Committee, keeping the most accurate, detailed and up to date minutes of the many reunion meetings. We don't know if Ross helped out is this regard, but, he probably provided editorial comment or filled in the blanks if something in Dale's notes were unclear. And, in case you forgot, Ross was responsible for organizing that fabulous Saturday night Dinner Dance we all enjoyed so much. Both also provided calm but enthusiastic voices of reason during some of the more hectic sessions leading up to the 1995 event.
Dale, as many of you know, was school secretary for several years and was loved and respected by the staff and students (in fact, it is hard to imagine why anyone couldn't get along with her). And Ross, of course, has been a fixture around St. Lambert for a long, long time. If you didn't have your car repaired by him you almost certainly filled up at the Wallace Garage on more than one occasion.
Dale and Ross thank you so very much for all you have done. We look forward to seeing you at Reunion 2010.
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Wendy Irvine Plumb (1957) since first joining the Alumni Association in August 2005, has been a active supporter of the Association, it's monthly Newsletter Alumni Connection, and a contributor to various website Photo Galleries
Wendy who lives in North York, ON wrote the following Flashback and other stories which appeared in the Newsletter: October 2006 - "Return to St. Lambert". November 2006 - "BRRRRRR!!!!!". , December 2006 - "Ho Ho Ho". , February 2007 - "February - you either love it if you're a skier, or hate it if you're not". , March 2007 - "Lion or Lamb". , April 2007 - "Here we are - spring!". , May 2007 - "Do the students at CA still wear uniforms?". , June 2007 - "Summer's almost here".
Wendy's November 2006 - "BRRRRRR!!!!!" article is part of the Flashback Series and can be reviewed here
Wendy's many photo contributions can be viewed in both the St. Lambert.... through the years" Photo Gallery under "St. Lambert Churches" as well as "Pictures of Modern Day St. Lambert."
In September 2007 Wendy co-hosted a group of classmates who met to celebrate their 50-years since high school graduation. A photo of this event appeared in the October 2007 Newsletter section "Keeping The Connection."
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It was an honour to be included in Distinguished Service Award group.
During my years at CCHS, when I was taking pictures, I made a point of
carefully filing away my negatives by date and subject matter. I'm
not sure why I did this - teachers from that era will tell you I was
not that well organized as a student. So when the Alumni Website
began soliciting photos I was glad I'd been so careful with these
early images. It was great to see them find a "second life" on the
site and read the memories they evoked. If you'd asked me, back in
the late forties and early fifties, what use I was going to make of
these images in the future, I would have been stumped for an answer. I
guess in the back of my mind there was the thought that someday they
might provide a window into the past. But I would have speculated
that I'd probably be long gone by the time this happened, that someone
else might find them useful. Well, part of that speculation proved
to be true. You guys provided the platform. I'm glad it was me, and
not "someone else" who provided the pictures. It was a labour of love.
The flashbacks were something else. I'm not sure which came first.
Did the pictures prompt me to write the flashbacks or it was the other
way around? Probably a little of both.
To be honoured for something I did voluntarily, with no expectations,
is a wonderful feeling.
Andy Little C'53
I returned from vacation in the USA (collecting insects) to find your letter and the July Newsletter, and what a surprise to see that I had been given the Distinguished Service Award. I thought I had a long way to go before I even approached the contributions of the other hard-working crew members of the Association and Newsletter. I greatly appreciate the honour and promise to try to live up to the Award by sending in additional flashbacks, although I wish my memories of St.Lambert and school were as comprehensive as others like Andy.
In early August Arlene and I are off to visit my sister Mary in St. Catherines for a week, which will give me chance to go over a box of old photos which I think will stir up some ideas for stories. I am also having dinner and possibly a hike on the Niagara Escarpment with old friend and school mate Brita (Stolz) Housez, and I think I have her convinced to agree to a Who's Who submission (even if I have to interview her and write the first draft!).
It is so nice to see the notes of appreciation from members receiving the Newsletter; now how do we stimulate more people to write articles? Doing so must be very challenging for some people, others must believe that their "little anecdotes" would not be sufficiently interesting, and of course many others just don't think about it. I know from being an editor of a nature magazine for many years that it takes a personal approach to cajole an article from friends and colleagues.
Bob Wrigley C'61
I also want to thank those that saw fit to honor me with the Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award. The recognition and thought is much appreciated and will remain as a fond memory for days to come. Many, many thanks. Best regards,
Ross McConnell C'45
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Class Notes, Comments, and letters
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"Thanks for the memories of "home" Wendy Plumb (Irvine) from North York, ON, C'57 writes:
 FIRSTLY, the photos of Victoria Avenue in the 30's and 50's (June Newsletter - submitted by Ross McConnell, Class of 1945) were wonderful. Having lived there from 1949 when we arrived from Toronto until 1963 when I moved into the "city", the main street was taken for granted. But now, to see a photo taken during that time is amazing - especially after being there recently and observing the changes. In retrospect, I wish I had taken photos of "life" in those days. Thanks to those who did. I vaguely remember that my dad had an "account" at Taylor's, Ranger's, Provencher's. No plastic credit cards - just our word. What a concept! I would go in, make a purchase, and tell them to "charge it to Mr. Irvine". I guess you can do that in small towns today. The white car second from the left reminds me of one that my dad had. I think it was a Mercury - white with a dark (black?) top. I've always loved white walls and wish we still had them today. My CCM (blue and white) three-speed bike was ordered through Ranger's. I rode it every day (weather permitting) to CCHS with Judy, Pam and Jean.
Photo taken in 1955 on a trip to Ottawa and shows from left to right: Judy Green,  Pam Mockridge and Jean Trotter.
A bike gave a wonderful sense of freedom - much like driving a car in later years.
The photo from the 30's is incredible. I would love to be able to travel back in time to walk that avenue as it was then.
SECONDLY, to Andy Little, Class of 1953 (July Newsletter) and the article "You Can't Go Home Again". For months now I have been having daydreams of St. Lambert back in the 50's when I was growing up. There has been such a strong desire to go "home", but "home" as it was then, not now (when it is almost unrecognizable). Granted, it is much more attractive aesthetically now, and the places and times are only in my mind. Andy, I can so relate to your wanting to reconnect. Thanks for including Bryce's painting of the river before the Seaway. I remember going down to the riverfront to watch fireworks and being surrounded by shad flies - clouds of them! A girlfriend and I used to ride down to a large outcrop of rock at the water's edge that had a rather level area. We would take bottles of Coke and open them on the rock, which we nicknamed "Cokey Rock". We were only about 11 or 12. Innocent times! The river was so beautiful and the view was certainly destroyed by the Seaway. I have printed the article with the painting and will refer to it when I am in a nostalgic mood. There is a lump in my throat as I read your article. It is quite moving to be able to relate to someone who has the same feeling about a time and place out of the past. Unfortunately, it has to remain there. I'm not sure I want to return. My "memories" are just that. Is it time to let go? I would be extremely disappointed if I was removed from what I consider to probably be one of the finest alumni websites in North America, especially since I am supposed to be a life member. Please do not let my membership lapse ... I would not want to miss a single word of communication !!!!!!!! Dave Webster C'55
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Saint Lambert - Photo of the Month |
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Please send your photos, with a short caption, via email or contact Warren Mackenzie for snail mail instructions:
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| Welcome New Members who have recently joined the association: |
Marianne Gertman (Blake) C'65, Ann Morgan C'72, Gordon Ogilvie C'68, Donna Taylor C'65. Joan Blois (Stocks) C'57
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New Life Members
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| Jo-Anne Ward C'61, Hilly Edwards C'71, Janet Duke (Orr) C'62, Bill Duke C'60, Steve Alexander C'69 |
| ASK (Alumni Sharing Knowledge)
"ASK". This program is an online, e-mentoring service that pairs current students, or alumni seeking career advice, with other alumni. The focus of the service is to assist in learning about career options and seek advice from successful alumni working in a variety of professions and fields.
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Message from Chambly Academy's Principal, Michael Languay concerning our ASK program: As for the ASK program, I suggest we talk to the guidance counsellor, Hana Shigematsu, about including this service in her talks with the graduating students. The students can be encouraged to explore the website and see if there is someone there with experience in an area they are interested in. We also now have a career exploration course that all our Secondary 3 students have to take, the Personal Orientation Project (POP). Perhaps the teacher can integrate the ASK program there as well.
I will speak to these teachers when they return from summer vacation.
Thanks for your interest and support.
Program details are available for viewing by clicking on ASK program
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
Births, Deaths, Weddings, Anniversaries, Appointments, Retirements
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Married Sunday June 29th
Penny Hodgson-Dell C'63
DAVID WILLIAM (DOOGIE) PARSONS - St. Lambert High C'48
Passed away peacefully in his seventy-ninth year on August 15, 2008, at the Montreal General Hospital, after a brief illness. Beloved husband of the late Rosemary Law. Proud father of Pamela (Tom Rainsford) of Aurora, Ontario; Patricia (Darryl Tardy) of Kirkland, Quebec; Paula (Jonathan Light) of Sydney, Australia. Cherished grandfather of Matthew Rainsford, Alexander, Christopher and Michael Tardy and James Light. Doogie was a life-long resident of Saint Lambert, and graduate of St. Lambert High and McGill. He tirelessly volunteered his time to amateur sports in Saint Lambert for thirty-three years, while also having a successful career in the petrochemical industry at Shawinigan Chemical and Gulf Canada Resources. He held leadership positions as International Director of Association for Systems Management, and model railroading clubs. Doogie loved spending time at his winter home in North Fort Myers, where he was also an active member of the local model-railroading club.
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 LOL = Lots of laughter |
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One of the jokes in July's newsletter jogged my memory, so I dug this out of my archive.
I would title it, "Why I am reluctant to invite my peers to our pool"
Hope you're having a good summer.
Don Nyveen C'57
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