Nina Holden, VHS 1961 Miss Victoria 1961

Nina Holden, VHS 1961  Miss Victoria 1961

Miss Canada 1962

 

Nina Holden was crowned Miss Victoria in 1961, a month before she graduated from Vic High and just two years after Vivi Pettersen won the title in 1959.  She, like Vivi, was chosen as the runner-up to the 1962 Miss Canada. However she was later called up to replace the original winner and served for two years when a change in pageant ownership meant there was no 1963 pageant.

Nina was an active, popular student at Vic High. She had been Grade 11 Class Rep in both Grade 11 and Grade 12. She was a valued member of the Cheerleading Squad and belonged to the Future Teachers Club, the Grad Choir, and the Badminton team. She was also one of the school Prefects, students who exercised leadership in the school and often acted as mentors to other students.

Here’s her grad write-up in the 1961 Camosun yearbook:

Our sweet and sassy, pert class rep is one of those Prefects who offers her talents to cheerleaders, OOKs, Social Committee, Badminton, Future Teachers, and Grad Choir. Nina plans to be an airline stenographer.

And in a typical quirky Vic High connection, current Vic High alumna Linda Baker, VHS 1969, was volunteered by her dad, a member of the Junior Chamber of Commerce that produced the annual Jaycee Fair, to be one of the two flower girls that year. They rode with Nina to the Legislature for her official crowning, and on Victoria Day, rode on the Miss Victoria float in the Victoria Day Parade.

 

Nina was featured in a full-page spread in the Victoria Daily Times, May 19, 1962, surrounded by past Miss Victoria winners, including the 1959 winner, Vic High’s Vivi Pettersen, shown on the left, third photo from the top.

 

 

In 2017, four Miss Canada winners, including Nina, reunited in Qualicum Beach. Here’s the story.

PARKSVILLE – QUALICUM BEACH NEWS                                                             July 5, 2017

Former Miss Canada winners grace Shady Rest with their presence

Mini reunion of the four ex-beauty queens had heads turning.

Former Miss Canada winners (left to right) Julie Maloney (1969), Barbara Kelly (1967), Nina (Holden) Ritchie (1962) and Gillian Regehr (1973) held their mini reunion at the Shady Rest Pub in Qualicum Beach on Canada Day. — Michael Briones photo

Four former Miss Canada winners had heads turning at the Shady Rest Pub in Qualicum Beach on Canada Day. Miss Canada 1962 Nina Ritchie, Miss Canada ’67 Barbara Kelly, Miss Canada ’70 Julie Maloney and Miss Canada ’73 Gillian Regehr held a mini-reunion at the popular restaurant and they certainly drew a lot of attention. Of course, they were hard to miss with their original sashes draped over their shoulders.

The occasion was a simple get-together, just to have lunch. There was no grand preparation nor the usual pomp and circumstance that one would expect for a group of former Miss Canada winners. “It’s just a gathering of friends,” said Ritchie, a former Miss Victoria who now lives in Qualicum Beach. “We are a rare sisterhood.”

Although each one won in a different year, they have met each other in past Miss Canada reunions and through their involvement with the pageant. They forged a special friendship and have kept in touch throughout the years. They have always wanted to have their own small reunion, said Kelly, and decided to make it happen on July 1, on Canada’s 150th anniversary. It wasn’t easy because Maloney had to fly from Ottawa to be in Qualicum Beach. Regehr resides in Victoria while Kelly is from Vancouver.

“We are all excited to be here together,” said Kelly. “We are going to share stories and also look at photographs.” And they had a lot of stories to tell. Kelly related the time when she was to meet the Queen mother during her reign. She was handed a crash course on royal etiquette that include learning how to curtsy properly and also answer with “yes, your majesty.”

Ritchie, a former Miss Victoria ’61, revealed she did not actually win Miss Canada in 1962. She was the runner-up, but landed the crown when the winner gave up her title. She reigned for almost two years.

All four elegant ladies competed in the prestigious Miss Canada pageant for one reason only. They were enticed by the scholarship prize. The coupe de grace of the lunch was when they took out their headgears or crowns to show one another. They didn’t have the same kind of lustre and glitter when they won them, but they are sentimental treasures. Maloney was bit embarrassed by the shape of her crown. “Mine is so banged up,” Maloney quipped. “My grandchildren played with it and I had to crazy glue it back together.”

The group plans to get together again next year. They plan to get in touch with other former Miss Canada winners.

Nina lives in Qualicum Beach and recently visited the Vic High Archives & Museum, posing with her official portrait which resides permanently in the Archives.

Grad write-up

PS We can’t figure out what “OOK” in her grad write-up stands for…if you know, please email us and we’ll update this story. Thanks!

 

Archives Features Vic High Royalty

Archives Features Vic High Royalty

A highlight of Victoria’s former Jaycee Fair, held in the old Memorial Arena and adjacent area on the May long weekend, was the Miss Victoria pageant. We can only imagine the excitement around the Vic High halls when one of our own was announced at the big Saturday night show as Miss Victoria. Sunday Miss Victoria was crowned on the steps of the BC Legislature alongside her two princesses, and Monday hers was always the first float in the popular Victoria Day Parade.

Archives Club Grade 11 students Sam Lilas and Sereia Felipe-Alves were inspired by the beautiful dress worn by Miss Victoria 1959, Vivi Petersen,  while helping unpack the Vic High Archives collections when Vic High re-opened. They suggested it as the focal point of a Miss Victoria display, and helped set it up. It remains in place until February 10, when Sam and Sereia will create a Vic High Sweethearts display, also their idea!

1959:  Vivi Petersen                           1961: Nina Holden                        1962:  Synnove Pettersen

              

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Jaycee Fair was produced annually by the Victoria Junior Chamber of Commerce, a local community service group that also produced the Santa Ship event and created the Welcome to Victoria sign on the Inner Harbour Causeway. The Fair began in 1949 and ran until the 1980s, featuring amusement rides, midway attractions, big-name entertainers, and was the highlight of many a young Victoria resident’s life. It was held in the Arena, the Curling Club, and the parking lot of the old Memorial Arena over the long week-end in May. The Arena has since been replaced by the Save-On Memorial Centre and the Victoria Police Department now occupies part of that city block.

Contestants for Miss Victoria were encouraged to enter the competition, some by their friends, some who attended a local charm school, and some via UVic’s Martlet newspaper.

Jaycees Search for Ideal Girl

The Victoria Junior Chamber of Commerce is now engaged in its annual pursuit of the typical Canadian girl. This girl symbolizes the youth of our nation – their dreams, ambitions and ideals. She is a Canadian citizen and a Victoria resident. She has never been married. She has good character, and possesses poise, personality, charm, and beauty of face and figure. And she is talented.

Vic High Student Voted May Queen

Basic information found online would indicate that the Miss Victoria pageant may have replaced the annual choosing and crowning of a May Queen in the city. In 1946, Vic High student Rosemary Hurst, was chosen as May Queen, sponsored by the local Majorette Coffee Shop and elected by the local community. Here’s her 1946 Camosun write-up:

 

 

Click on each name to read more:    Vivi Petersen,    Nina Holden,    Synnove Pettersen

Vivi Petersen, Miss Victoria 1959

Vivi Petersen, VHS 1960  Miss Victoria 1959

Vivi’s family immigrated to Victoria in 1955 from Denmark. Her Grade 11 year at Vic High she was Class President and a member of the Vic High Cheerleaders. “She always said she really enjoyed being a cheerleader,” said her husband, Mike Heppell. In May 1959, still in Grade 11, she was invited by the Victoria Junior Chamber of Commerce to enter the Miss Victoria pageant. The Jaycees, as they were called, sponsored the annual BC Products Fair at the original Memorial Arena. Saturday, May 16, 1959, she was crowned Miss Victoria after performing “I Whistle A Happy Tune” from the musical The King and I as her talent. Her princesses were Patricia Pye, aged 18, and Valerie Parker, aged 20.

“She went on to win the Miss PNE pageant held annually at the Vancouver exhibition,” says Mike, “which qualified her for the Miss Canada Pageant in Toronto where she was first runner-up.” Vivi returned to Victoria with considerable fanfare, and a few weeks later was called by the Miss Canada Committee and requested to fill in for an ill Miss Canada at the Miss USA Pageant in Atlantic City. While Vivi was rehearsing in Atlantic City the reigning Miss Canada recovered and claimed her right to compete. Vivi was invited to remain for the Pageant and assisted Miss Canada in preparing for the competition. During this time a Danish seaman suffered serious burns from a fire aboard a ship near the US coast and was transported to an Atlantic City burn unit for treatment. He didn’t speak English and the hospital was unable to find anyone who spoke Danish. A public appeal was broadcast and Vivi was asked to attend and assist the injured man communicate with his caregivers.

Vivi married Vic High grad, Tom Wyatt, a star member of the 1959 BC Championship Vic High Totems basketball team, wearing her stunning Miss Victoria gown.  They had two children, Pia and Peter. Pia works in drama production in Louisiana. She and Tom divorced after 20 years together, and Vivi married Mike Heppell, Victoria Fire Chief for 17 years, who also served in the Canadian Armed Forces and with organizations like the Red Cross. Her family donated her Miss Victoria gown to the Vic High Archives and Museum and when not on display, it is preserved in a special acid-free box to protect it.

 

Vivi became a Stewardess (now called Flight Attendant) with Trans Canada Airlines (now Air Canada), when she returned from the Miss Canada pageant. She had had quite the adventure for a 19 year old girl who had only been in Canada four years at the time.

Joan Huddleston, VHS 1964, remembers Vivi very well. She and Vivi’s sister Lone were good friends. “We used to dress up in Vivi’s clothes,” said Joan. “It was great fun.” Joan didn’t love school. Actually she said she hated it!  But she had a group of friends there and they remain friends still.

Vivi passed in 2015. Tom Wyatt passed recently. Mike Heppell is alive and well and helped greatly with information and photos for this story, and for the Miss Victoria display at Vic High. It remains in place until February 10, in the southwest corner of the Main (1st) floor of Vic High.

Synnove Pettersen, VHS 1963 Miss Victoria 1962

Synnove Pettersen, VHS 1963   Miss Victoria 1962

Synnove Pettersen and her family immigrated to Canada from Norway in 1956, and she learned English here in Canada. Despite being quite shy and still in Grade 11 at Vic High, she entered the Miss Victoria pageant. “Somebody pushed me to enter,” she said. “Others saw more in me than I saw in myself.”  Many girls like Synnove went to charm school back then, learning poise and etiquette, posture, how to be present and mindful. And those girls were often approached to enter the pageant.

For her talent in the pageant, Synnove told the story of her family immigrating to Canada and sang a Norwegian song in her native language. “Becoming Miss Victoria really boosted my confidence, “ she said. “My Miss Victoria dress was beautiful, and I remember there were two crowns, a big one for photos and parades, and a smaller one.” She was living with her sister at the time  as her family had moved to Los Angeles and she’d chosen to stay in Victoria to finish her education at Vic High. “I didn’t have adults around me at the time,” she said, “so winning the pageant in those circumstances really meant a lot.”

 

Synnove’s 1963 grad write-up: Synnove is a member of the Grad and Mixed Choirs, but most of her time at school is spent in the Art Room. Most of her time outside school has been taken up by her Miss Victoria activities. After a trip to Europe Synnove plans to live in Los Angeles where she will become a Commercial Artist. 

Synnove still raves about Vic High art teacher, Mrs. Cameron. “She was terrific. She would enter our art into competitions which definitely boosted our confidence.”  After Vic High, Synnove won a scholarship to an art school in Los Angeles, where her family lived. “It was a very male environment and they wanted me to study automobile design. But I was more interested in fashion illustration.”

Synnove has created art all her life – portraiture, landscapes, nudes, wildlife. She lives in Washington on the Olympic Peninsula, and her art is sold worldwide from her website. She’s a board member at her local 800-member seniors’ centre, took up the ukulele, and recently started an ambitious portrait exhibit project. “I’ve filled one wall of our centre so far, with 30-40, 8 x 10 portraits of local people and there’s many more to go. I take a head shot photo to use as reference. I expect this is my last painting project.”

Synnove has stayed in touch since the pageant with both her princesses, Della Irvine and Muriel Bertrand. She also remains friends with some of her Vic High classmates and has attended Class of 1963 reunions.  Some years ago, her old friends in Norway found her online. “They all meet for lunch every month,” said Synnove, “and I can join them online.”

Find Synnove’s art at  https://synnove-pettersen.pixels.com

Archives Club students Sam Lilas and Sereia Felipe-Alves helped interview Synnove online from her home on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington.

 

Remembering the Vic High ‘V’

Remembering the Vic High ‘V’

Vic High sweaters used to be popular, usually a V-necked cardigan with gold bands on the arm. Students displayed their hard-earned Vic High ‘V’ patch on them, often along with team patches and school pins. October 2025 newsletter we asked for your memories:  We found some team badges in the Archives.  Who remembers these? Did you have any? Do you still have them?  Here’s the responses we received.

 

 

 

 

Derek Reimer, VHS 1965

The Tsasquatches played volleyball. They wanted to keep the “T” tradition going: Totems, Titans, Tigers, etc. I loved seeing the Block Vs. I had a Big Block 6 (for interschool sports) and a Small Block 2 or 3. I played everything except basketball. I’m not claiming to be the best athlete who ever attended Vic High (far from it), but I was told at the time that I was the first to earn a “6” to add to my Big Block. Don’t know if that’s true but that’s what I was told. As I recall, you needed 50 points to earn a big block. Thirty were awarded for being on an interschool rep team (maybe 20 for being on a “B” team?). You gained 10 additional points if your team won the city championship and a further 10 points if you were on BC Championship team. Fun days.

Ron Dworski, VHS 1969   

The Tsasquatches were the Senior Boys Volleyball team.  At least in ’68 and ’69, and previous years.  In 1969 the team made it to the BC Provincial Championships at Simon Fraser University.  On a very limited budget, the entire team fit in coach Judy Bourne’s husband’s old pickup truck for transportation to the mainland.  Tom rigged a canvas cover over the box where we sat on our duffle bags, practice balls, and uniforms.  All crammed in tight and cozy.  No seat belts back then!  Oh ….. how times have changed! I’m glad to see the (volleyball) team resurrected and certainly will contribute to the cause with a Purdy’s purchase (to support team fundraising)!   (Ron was a 1969 Tsasquatch and Totem)

Rod Edwards, VHS 1974                                            

The Tsasquatches badge was for the boys volleyball team. I played on the team in 1973 and 1974. We went to the BC championships both years. We didn’t do too well but had a great time going with the team and our teacher, coach Peter Gammon. In ’73 we went to Dawson Creek and in ’74 it was Maple Ridge.

Coral (Melder) Kaliciak , VHS 1972                                     

I love the white sleeved jacket. It would be great to make them again, ahead of so many commemorations coming soon. I had a VHS ring from a jewellery store on Douglas. It was next to Miss Friths, which was the place for grad dresses if you didn’t make your own, LOL

 

 

Dan Soberg, 1964                                

My small V was awarded for playing on the junior Teepees basketball team in grade 10 in 1962, coached by Mr. Price.  The large V represented the Totems with coach Mr. Andrews in 1963 and 1964.   He was a quiet, disciplined teacher. In 1964 we won the city and island championships. At the BC’s at UBC I think that we placed 5th. We had fabulous battles with Oak Bay in full, noisy gyms.  Not that I am competitive, but in 1964 Oak Bay never left the island.  🙂 Courtenay and Esquimalt joined us at UBC. Oak Bay won the provincials in 1965 and Vic High in 1966.

My name ‘Dan’ and my jersey #45 are on each arm. The G and triangle represented the Gamma Y club.  There is a pin that goes with that. Two other pins represent class president and golf club president.

I  would be happy to donate the sweater to the archives if you would like.  It is a little discoloured but has many stories to tell. Many sweaters walked the halls in the 1964. I loved my high school years.

Bill Williams, VHS 1958

I have 3 block “V” letters.  The 1956 and 1957 ones are the plain flannel type, plus one 1958 chenille type. I was a member of the cross-country team 1956,1957 & 1958. All are damaged from a flood I had in my basement. Is it possible to have them replaced? (we’ll look into that, Bill. Maybe current students would like to see the ‘V’ come back?)

Aristotle Azad, 1971                        

FYI Tsasquatches was the name of our boys field hockey team. (We found a boys’ field hockey team in the 1970 Camosun, just identified as Boys’ Field Hockey. Maybe the ‘T’ name was left out. 

 Leslie Van Mil, VHS 1991

I remember the Tsasquatches was a boys volleyball team when I was at Vic High… coaches were Judy Bourne and Donna Blackstock. Raymond Ng, Sean Granger, Wade Schlatter were player names I remember. I didn’t know about the Takus, but looked them up – found in the 1977 Camosun (p101-104 of digital copy on the Alumni website).

A few years ago, a volunteer made these lovely quilted banners for the Archives, to display various Vic High pins, and of course, the iconic ‘V’.

Donna Blackstock, VHS 1972 Always Giving 1000%

Donna Blackstock, VHS 1972, Always Giving 1000%

by King Lee, VHS 1958

There was a time in Victoria High School’s history when things were more black than gold. Keith McCallion, former Vic High Principal, 1989 to 1994, and current Alumni activist,  remembers that the enrolment had sunk to 407 Grade 11 and 12 students the year he started at Vic High. School District 61 had an open boundaries policy at the time, allowing students to transfer if their desired courses weren’t available in their catchment area “Mt. Douglas and Oak Bay were the benefactors of Vic High’s hemorrhaging enrolment,” says Keith. If it wasn’t for many who believed in Vic High, like Physical Education teacher and former student Donna Blackstock, who knows if Vic High would exist today. “She gave a thousand per cent to everything she did,” says Keith, “and really helped turn things around.”

Donna’s grad year at Vic High was a busy one. The Tikis (girls’ volleyball), the Tigers (girls’ basketball), and the Badminton Club (coached by 1968 alumnus Roger Skillings), all benefitted from Donna’s talent and dedication. She even made the All-Star Basketball Team at the BC Provincials in 1972.  She likely had no idea her career trajectory would include ongoing dedication to these sports she loved.

Donna was born in Victoria to John Blackstock and Phyllis Waters and attended Quadra elementary, S. J. Willis junior high and Vic High before graduating from the University of Victoria with a Bachelor of Education degree. During her UVic days, Donna was asked to coach the Vic High and S.J. Willis girls’ volleyball teams, all while continuing her studies. Despite the challenges, this proved to be excellent training as she would later coach Spectrum girls to two provincial basketball championships. It also helped prepare her for her future job in P.E. “Saying yes to these opportunities was an excellent decision,” says Donna, “but I honestly don’t know how I pulled it off.”

Donna put her UVic degree to work, and began her teaching and coaching careers at Spectrum Secondary School in 1977. On her first day at Spectrum, teacher Dennis Swonnell asked her if she was interested in helping with the volleyball program. “I was up to my ears right from Day 1,” she said. In May of 1985, two P.E. teachers had to be dropped from Spectrum. Donna was shocked to learn that she was “excess to needs” and out of a job in July. Thankfully she was recruited by Vic High Principal Dave Watkins, to join the staff there. (Dave’s grandfather, Charles Elwood Watkins, was the architect of the original 1914 Vic High building. In 1912 he’d been appointed school architect for the Victoria Board of Education and designed what some described as the ‘crown jewel of Victoria schools’ at 1349 [now 1260] Grant Street.)

 

P.E. had become an elective program at Vic High and extra-curricular sports were about to become extinct. Vic High’s student numbers didn’t warrant hiring an additional PE teacher, but Watkins had convinced the District that numbers would be up by September, partly by converting to a semester schedule for the first time. Donna was hired. She taught Social Studies as well as P.E. at a school with a shrinking student population and a sports program that was all but cancelled. But in a bold move, Principal Watkins and Donna decided to ignore the plan to step away from district league play at least temporarily. “I had walked into a school with no (sports) programs.” Donna recalls, “so we were always working to build them back up.”

Keith McCallion says Donna coached “everything that moved” and was tireless. He remembers taking his two daughters to a volleyball tournament to watch Vic High girls play. He saw the six girls playing, and an empty bench. Between games, Keith asked Donna where the rest of the team was and was shocked at the answer. “This is it,” she replied. Gus McTavish, who taught at Vic High from 1970 until he became the vice principal in 1982, agreed with Keith’s assessment of Donna. “She was a superstar,” Gus said. “She was prepared, she was ready to roll.” Gus, who went from Vic High to Cedar Hill Junior High and finally to the School District 61 administrative offices in 1990, said the open boundaries policy was  to blame for Vic High’s situation, but added, “Whatever we were given, we helped make good kids out of them.”

In Donna’s second year coaching Vic High volleyball, a student died from an aneurism during practice. The student’s parents contributed the Linda Scott Memorial Trophy for the most improved player in memory of their daughter. It was a traumatic event for both Donna and the team, but that team qualified for the BC Provincials Tournament and was rewarded with the most sportsmanlike team award. Everyone was aware of everything they had been through just a few weeks earlier.

During her 21 years as a Vic High teacher, Donna coached volleyball, basketball and track as well as supervising the school’s soccer program in the early years. Another principal, Denis Harrigan, wanted to start a career preparation program at Vic High. So Donna created one for coaching based on the model of offering elementary volleyball clinics and tournaments in the spring of each year. She also became a certified Level One Coaching Facilitator. That meant students could receive both the technical and the practical side of sport which also included being a referee. “In theory, the Career Prep in Coaching was brilliant,” she said. “In practice, it didn’t do as much as it should have.”

In the late ‘80s, Judy Bourne, a former staff member and coach who was working with Vic High and Ma’kola Housing, came back to Vic High to coach the boys’ volleyball team. Together she and Donna built the elementary volleyball program which included clinics at most Greater Victoria elementary schools in the 18 years that it ran. “We charged $30 for the clinics,” says Donna, “but they drew as many as 60 kids on some occasions.” They charged the same fee for the girls and boys’ elementary tournaments held each year at Vic High. That money went into the Vic High volleyball account to help with expenses such as travel and tournament entry fees. “The Vic High (volleyball) kids were outstanding with the elementary kids,” Donna remembers. Donna, who was by then Vic High’s Athletic Director, continued to run the volleyball program alone after Judy passed away in 1989.

Well-known Vic High teacher and athletics coach, George “Porky” Andrews, had retired from Vic High before Donna joined the staff in 1985. So they never worked together. In 1969 he’d stopped coaching Vic High teams, but had made an exception to coach the girl’s basketball team in 1971/72 that included Donna. “Somehow we qualified for the BC Championship in Terrace that year,” she says.  “I think it was the “aura” of Porky Andrews!” Donna said the legendary coach with a reputation for intensity dealt with the players on that team in a much milder manner. He grew into that role and soon after in 1975, the Vic High Tigers won the B.C. championship. It was a remarkable achievement by Porky to have coached provincial champions in both the girls’ and boys’ divisions in his illustrious career. Donna fondly remembered that Andrews had written a letter for her application for a Premier’s Athletic Award. That $500 paid her first-year UVic tuition.

In recalling her teaching career, Donna emphasized that she gave as much to her Social Studies lessons as she did to P.E. “I even did one year as Vice-Principal when someone assigned to the school went on medical leave right at the end of August,” she says.

Donna definitely remembers driving the Vic High bus for many years, particularly one trip when the engine blew up near Mt. Vernon, Washington while taking youth to a workshop in Portland, Oregon. A monumental rescue operation ensued. Washington State Troopers attended (smoke was pouring out of the bus), and assisted by connecting with the rest of the travelling convoy and arranging for the bus to be towed to a GMC dealer. Members of the convoy returned with a rental car for Donna, and Vic High students squeezed into other cars for the remainder of the trip. Principal Watkins and Vice-Principal McTavish went to Mt. Vernon the following week to drive the repaired bus home.

Donna has great memories of working with Vic High principals Dave Watkins, Denis Harrigan, Keith McCallion and Keith Forshaw. “They were always aware of the load on my plate,” says Donna,  “and always came down to the gym to welcome the elementary school volleyball players at the tournaments in the hopes that many would return one day as students and athletes.”

After Donna retired, the Vic High Female Athlete Award became the Donna Blackstock Award. It remains to this day one of the highly coveted awards given out at Vic High.

“I can’t say that my Vic High career wasn’t challenging,” says Donna, “but it certainly was rewarding.”

Donna Blackstock was a critical part of Vic High’s history, and we are all grateful for her wisdom, her persistence, and her determination in supporting Vic High students over the years.

Doing the Right Thing. Nhan PHam’s Designs for Vic High

Doing the Right Thing,  Nhan Pham’s Designs for Vic High

By Linda Baker, VHS 1969

“I knew from the very start,” says the calm, centered woman seated before me in the James Bay coffee shop, “that this was a very important job, and I needed to do the right thing.” So begins our conversation, as Nhan Pham, interior designer on the massive seismic upgrade of Vic High, shares stories about her work helping keep Vic High’s historic character.

The architectural firm hires the designer, and so it was that Jim Mann, HDR, the lead architect on the project, brought in someone he’d worked with on previous projects. “I was hired to design all sorts of things,” Nhan explains, “ceilings, lockers, flooring patterning, millwork, colour schemes. And of course, finding homes for items the Heritage Architect on the project had tagged for possible repurposing.”

The upgrade to Vic High was not formally designated as a ‘heritage restoration’. The design brief for the project, however, did define the theme as ‘historical’. So the goal was to salvage as many architectural items as possible and repurpose them into the updated school. The interior was completely stripped down to the studs. Once the seismic work was done, and recreating the interior spaces began, the second floor Grant Street entrance foyer and adjoining south hallway were re-created to match the original build, yet maintain modern conveniences. (See our earlier story on the team that recreated the original egg-and-dart moulding in this Heritage Hallway.)

Anyone who has toured Vic High since last April, or seen photos the Alumni has shared, will agree that the school has definitely retained its historical feeling while creating the contemporary, functional spaces that support today’s learning styles. Much credit for that overall feeling goes to lead architect Jim Mann, who also designed the 2011 Fairey Tech addition on the school’s north side, and to Project Architect Diana Studer.

However, it was Nhan’s work that brought the school’s history into clear focus around the school. The skillful marriage of old and new called on her 17 years as a designer and her deepening respect for the iconic school and the communities that held it so close. “The project was complicated from the start,” she continues. “Often as I started to work on designs for an area, we’d discover that specific items were simply not available, like customized ceiling trims and historical lighting. I’d often get ‘They don’t make that anymore’ when I tried to source products we wanted.”

In one instance, a local business, Water Glass Studio, stepped up to help provide the glass for 2nd floor heritage hallway lighting. “Custom glass blowers in BC had retired,” says Nhan,  “so the owner helped us commission the work in the US and ship items back here for completion.”

Nhan focussed a fair bit of time on the design and finishes for the school’s General Office. “We saved the old vault door and it now provides entry to a large supplies storage room,” says Nhan. “The old accounting window was re-used to give access to the Accounts Clerk’s office from the main hallway.” Administrative staff love their new space with its high windows and beautiful woodwork that reflects the building’s age. In some cases, doors were salvaged and re-finished, and door frames and handles were added new. In some areas, like many of the wooden rail caps on the original stairwells, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ meant the old patina was kept, scratches and all.

“We drew inspiration for the colour schemes from the Fernwood neighbourhood,” says Nhan. “There are many heritage homes in more sombre colours. But Fernwood’s  vibrant and artistic culture includes bright colours, too, on the homes, the art on the telephone poles.” Nhan proposed a range of bright accent colours in the school, one for each floor, to create intuitive wayfinding and help everyone navigate the vast school more easily, set against the backdrop of bright, warm white.

Nhan’s design for the 2nd floor Girls’ and Boys’ entry floors. Gold was the accent colour for the 2nd floor.

And just so you know, choosing a shade of white for any space, commercial or residential, is a designer’s challenge. How we see a colour on a wall is influenced by many things: exterior light from windows, interior light from fixtures, the walls and other features in the space, reflections from glazing or shiny lockers. The end result at Vic High, though, has made a big difference to the overall feel in the school. Many alumni on their tours of the school noted how bright it now feels.

Third floor collab space, once the center of the former Harry Smith Library, with its original Rhodesian Mahogany flooring and inset salvaged tiles at the outer edge.

Many other features familiar to alumni are still found in the school as well. Earlier renovations to the school almost resulted in the original Rhodesian Mahogany flooring in the 3rd floor library being ripped up and discarded. Thankfully wiser heads prevailed and the 1914 flooring brought to Victoria around South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope was refinished and retained. Many alumni asked whether it survived the latest upgrades. “Definitely,” says Nhan. “We fought to keep the center portion and designed an open collaboration space around it, adjacent to two new classrooms.” And when demolition in the area revealed a gap between the edge of the wooden flooring and the outer wall, white hexagonal tiles salvaged from the original washroom floors installed.

The new Spanish classroom, in the southeast corner of the 2nd floor Heritage Hallway, is now showcased as a heritage classroom. The wood flooring was salvaged and repurposed, the hutch was saved and is now a hand wash sink/storage unit with counter made from the marble partitions in the old washrooms. The new pendant lighting matches the era when the school was built, and the only chalkboard in the school – saved, of course – now lines the back (east) wall of the classroom.

Second floor ‘heritage classroom’, now the Spanish room in the southeast corner.

Authenticity, not perfection, is prevalent in many areas, including the tiled floor in the former cafeteria on the 1st floor. The Textiles classroom now occupies most of this space, and the large hexagonal tiles were left in place, with gaps and cracks filled in with concrete and the whole floor sealed. In fact, the majority of the original washroom floor tiles were repurposed, many in the counselling offices adjacent to the textiles room.

The list of items tagged by HDR Heritage Architect Krystal Stevenot was extensive. Nhan and Krystal worked diligently, until Krystal moved on to her current work with the City of Victoria, to find new homes for as many elements as possible. For example, the wooden bleacher seats seating from the Andrews Gym were repurposed and installed atop the tiered concrete seating in the new Multi Purpose Room.

Some features, though, were specifically designed to honour the school’s history. “I spent hours creating the design for the mosaic on the Main floor,” says Nhan, “painstakingly working out the exact placement of each small tile on my computer.”

The 1-8-7-6 seen on the new bleachers in the Andrews Gym were also Nhan’s handiwork. Even when the bleachers are opened up, the gold numbers are visible against the black background.

The renewal of Vic High presented endless challenges. But from the hundreds of alumni who have so far toured the school, there’s been nothing but gratitude and appreciation for the end result. We are grateful for the talents and experience of Nhan and Jim and Diana and so many others. It is the Vic High many alumni remember, just brighter and well organized for today’s learning, a place where students of today and tomorrow are already creating memories and setting their sights on their futures.

2024 Vic High Remembrance Day Ceremony

2024 Remembrance Day Ceremony

It was standing room only in the Lawrie Wallace Auditorium November 8 as Vic High students and staff honoured those who serve in a moving student-led ceremony. They’d filed past two Remembrance Day displays to fill the Auditorium, a colourful poppy-framed display created by Leadership students, and a collection of items from the Vic High Archives and Museum created by Archives Club members, Grade 11 students Sereia Felipe-Alves and Sam Lilas, and Alumni volunteer Linda Baker.

 

It was wonderful to see the Auditorium filled with students and staff.

 

 

Student cadets walk up the new access ramp to the Vic High stage to place and salute the commemorative wreath. Warrant Officer Max Rysiew leads Warrant Officer Sam Lilas and Sergeant Cody Huntley up the ramp.

 

 

 

Thoughtful speeches were given by Indigenous student, Sergeant Cody Huntley of the 2483 Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry, and Warrant Officer Sam Lilas of the 2136 Canadian Scottish Regiment Army Cadet Corps based at Victoria’s Bay Street Armoury, and by Vic High Principal Aaron Parker.

Warrant Officer Lilas, 2136 Canadian Scottish Regiment

Good morning Vic high students and staff. I’m Warrant Officer Lilas in uniform, but most of you know me as Samuella Lilas. As the CSM  I’m here representing 2136 Canadian Scottish Regiment, Princess Mary Army Cadet Corps. I acknowledge the Lekwungen-speaking  people of Songhees and Esquimalt Nations, on whose traditional lands we gather, with respect and gratitude.

Today, we gather to remember the sacrifices made by those who came before us—the men and women who gave everything for their country. Remembrance Day is our chance to honor the courage and selflessness of those who defended the freedoms we cherish and the peace we enjoy. At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the guns of the First World War fell silent, marking the end of a devastating conflict. This war was meant to be the one to end all wars, but, unfortunately, that didn’t happen. In the years since, other conflicts have called for more bravery, resilience, and sacrifice.

Today, we honor not just those who fell in the two World Wars, but all who served in every conflict—whether on distant battlefields or in peacekeeping missions around the world. These brave souls stood strong in the face of unimaginable challenges. But Remembrance Day isn’t only about the past. It’s a time to reflect on our present and the responsibility we share to uphold the values of peace, freedom, and justice. The legacy of those who served calls us to build a better world—one where conflict is not the answer.

For those of us who wear the uniform— whether as cadets or service members—we carry a legacy of pride and respect. Many Victoria High graduates before us wore this same uniform in times of war. Though our challenges are different, the spirit of service remains. To the veterans here with us, we offer our deepest thanks. Your bravery and dedication inspire us. To the families of the fallen, we honor your loss and promise to remember their sacrifice.

As we stand in silence today, let’s remember not only the past but the future we must protect. Let’s commit to peace, knowing that freedom has a high price—and we must never take it for granted. So, today, we say thank you to all who served and continue to serve. We honor them with our words, actions, and our commitment to a more peaceful world.

Lest we forget.

Sergeant Cody Huntley, 2483 Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry

Today I am here to pay tribute to the contributions of the Indigenous soldiers in the two World Wars. Though the actual number of Indigenous soldiers in the two wars is unknown, it is now estimated that there were more than 12,000 soldiers, including First Nations, Metis, and Inuit men and women. Even though it was not mandatory for Indigenous to enlist in the war efforts, they volunteered their services in incredible numbers. Many reserves were emptied of nearly all their young men. At this time in Canadian history, Indigenous people were not even recognized as Canadian citizens. They did not have the right to vote, their children were forced to attend residential schools, and the practising of Indigenous culture and traditions was illegal. First Nations recruits were often required to become enfranchised or to give up their Indian status, in order to be considered a citizen and thus able to enlist in the wars. This meant a loss of both cultural identity and Indigenous rights.

Why then did so many Indigenous soldiers volunteer to fight in the World Wars? Most of these soldiers fought due to a deep sense of pride and in support of the values of freedom and peace and community. Some of the soldiers were also following in the footsteps of family members who had fought. Indigenous soldiers participated in every major battle, including the Dieppe landings and the Normandy invasion. During the wars, Indigenous soldiers were treated as equals, and several rose to some of the highest ranking military positions. Indigenous soldiers often drew up on their traditional hunting and military skills, making them valuable as snipers and reconnaissance scouts. The Cree soldiers used their traditional languages to serve as “code talkers”, sending out military messages in Cree to the European battlefields. Medals of Valour were awarded to hundreds of Indigenous soldiers.

It wasn’t until November 8, 1992, that our Aboriginal veterans were allowed to place a wreath at the National Monument in Ottawa. But a small group of veterans from BC and Manitoba set things right. They fought to be recognized for their sacrifice, commitment and service to this country and the U.S. This day is set aside to honour the contributions of our First Nations, Metis and Inuit veterans, serving members, and RCMP officers. Today is National Aboriginal Veterans Day.

Sailor  First Class David Eaglestick, who works at the Dockyard in Victoria, BC, is from my community of Sagkeeng First Nation. He went through the Canadian Forces Aboriginal Entry Program and then he decided to join the navy after he finished this three week program. It’s been a great choice for him but not without difficulties. It’s tough being away far from family and friends. The homesickness becomes apparent but he’s worked through these difficulties. And 17 years later he continues to service for this country. Today and on November 8 and November 11, if you have a chance, don’t be shy and go shake a veteran’s hand and thank them for their service. These are our warriors.

It is estimated that at least 500 Indigenous soldiers lost their lives while serving in the two World Wars. We must acknowledge the sacrifices and contributions made by Indigenous men and women in the war efforts. They displayed immense intelligence, courage and honour. We should all be proud of the thousands of Indigenous soldiers who volunteered their lives to uphold the values of this country.

Emilia Clarke, VHS 2025, played a perfect performance of The Last Post, and not a sound was heard during the Two Minutes of Silence.  Eman Alkahwaji was a co-MC for the ceremony.

 

 

Sam’s friends gather after the ceremony to congratulate her on her heartfelt speech.

2024 The Great War Banner On Display Again

Grade 11 student and co-founder of the Vic High Archives Club, Sereia Alves, admires the Great War Banner. “It’s beautiful,” she said, as she saw the banner hung for the first time.

2024  The Great War Banner On Display Again

Vic High staff and students who served in World War 1 were honoured again this year as Vic High’s Great War Banner was hung on the school’s Fernwood Street side for the first time since 2019. The banner was presented to Vic High in 1920. White maple leaves denote nursing sisters, larger maple leaves near the top are for staff, and smaller maple leaves are for students.  Blue leaves denote a Vic High alumni who came home, and red leaves are for those who gave their lives.  Read more here. 

Vic High Vice-Principal Dani Mercer and Biology teacher David Young led the process to feed the banner out David’s biology class windows and secure it to cleats installed on inside window frames, with help from Vic High Archives Club members Sereia Felips-Alves, Sam Lilas, and Tallulah McLeod, and students in David’s biology class.

Once the banner was hung, VP Mercer emailed all staff with information about the banner and a slide presentation was launched on all the school’s hallway television monitors. Archives Club members made an announcement about the banner, encouraging students and staff to visit the banner.

 

 

The banner was found in Vic High’s basement in 2004 and has hung most years since then, except the years Vic High was temporarily in session at the old S.J. Willis school. It lives year-round carefully folded between layers of acid-free tissue, in the largest acid-free archival box the Vic High Alumni could buy. The Alumni funds all archival supplies for the Vic High Archives and Museum, and Alumni volunteers manage the school’s growing collections of historical artifacts and information.

PS  Vic High made the news!  Victoria Times Colonist November 8.

Rolf Gjelsten, VHS 1972 Vic High’s Doctor of Music

Rolf Gjelsten, VHS 1972, Vic High’s Doctor of Music

By King Lee, VHS 1958

 Rolf Gjelsten came from a very musical Vic High family. He started playing the accordion at age 10, became interested in the cello at age 13, and played the trumpet in the Victoria High School band in Grade 11.

“There was no orchestra (at Vic High),” Rolf recalled. “So I just practiced (my music) in a free period and played the trumpet in the band.” During his Vic High years, Rolf was a member of the Victoria Symphony Orchestra under conductor Laszlo Gati.

Rolf’s parents raised their three children, Eleanor, Freida, and Rolf in their Hollywood Crescent home across from the Ross Bay cemetery. It was so unique in its floral elegance that it became a stop on tourist bus routes.

The Gilsteins (Rolf changed the spelling to better reflect his family’s Norwegian heritage) were known for their folk dancing and were part of the establishment of the Norway House still standing on Hillside Avenue. Their dance group was also part of iconic Vic High teacher Tommy Mayne’s 1959 Song of Norway production. Eleanor was in Grade 10 at Vic High at the time.

Before beginning at age 15 to study the cello with James Hunter and Janos Starker of Victoria, Rolf had won two consecutive US northwest accordion championships. He graduated from the University of Victoria with a Bachelor of Music degree in 1976, a year before he became the youngest member of the Berlin Symphony Orchestra. He had also been awarded the silver medal at the Canadian National Music Festival at 22.

Rolf earned his Masters degree in Cincinnati under Zara Nelsova and his Doctorate of Music from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey under the tutelage of Bernard Greenhouse. He also taught cello at Sarah Lawrence College in New York.

On May 10, 1994, Rolf joined the New Zealand String Quartet, about three months after his wife, Helene Pohl, joined the Wellington-based group as a violinist. He also joined the staff of the New Zealand School of Music as an assistant professor of cello and coordinator of Chamber Music. He and Helene remained as celebrated musicians with the Quartet for thirty years. He also performed in venues around the world, and his very valuable cello has a seat of its own on flights when he travels.

Rolf and Helene

In 1977, Rolf became a New Zealand citizen and in 2014 he was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to music. He credits some of his musical grounding to two winters and many summers at the Banff School of Fine Arts where he was able to play with many fine artists.

But he fondly remembers his Victoria roots. “I loved my time at all my schools (Margaret Jenkins elementary, Central Junior, Victoria High and University of Victoria), especially at Vic High,” he said. “I had fantastic teachers and a group of great friends.”

Rolf, a straight “A” Vic High student, said he loved science, math, and numerous sports: swimming, tennis, badminton, track and field and volleyball. “I cherish all those memories!” However, music is his life’s passion, and he thanks those who influenced him at a young age. His active days at Vic High saw him recognized at graduation with a Commerce First Year Typing award, the Alex Fairbairn award in Science, and a Vic High Service Activity pin.

“I’ve been so lucky with inspirational musicians in my career, with so many mentors and colleagues guiding me to the fulfilling life I have now.”

George Cummings, VHS 1954 Always Room For the Unexpected

George Cummings, VHS 1954   Always Room For the Unexpected

By Linda Baker, VHS 1969

Age is a state of mind, and George Cummings is as creative and adventurous as ever. This past summer he went skydiving for the first time and loved it. “It was great fun!” says George, “I’d do it again.” A lifetime of hiking and mountaineering may have helped keep his physical body in good shape, but it’s his authenticity and curiosity that has inspired and motivated him, a willingness to try new things and as George says, ‘always leave room for the unexpected.”

George attended Vic High from Grade 9 – 12. His classmates named him ‘Most Likely To Blow Up the World’ in the 1954 Camosun yearbook, back when chemistry was his passion and his life goal. He even had a small chemistry lab at home, the source of a very small corked vial containing a little yellow ammonium sulphide that he brought to school one day. At lunchtime he chose a seat in the cafeteria with his friends, with his back to the entry to take advantage of the draft when the doors opened. After eating, he surreptitiously uncorked his vial under the table just long enough for the sulphide’s stench to waft to nearby downwind students, who grumbled ‘Who blew?’ as they moved from the area. His friend, Doug, was so delighted with the prank that he bought the vial from George for 25 cents. Then unbeknownst to George who was out on a walk, Doug uncorked the vial for far too long in Math teacher, Bob Hunter’s classroom in the school’s west wing. When George returned from his walk, he immediately knew what had happened. The windows of all three classrooms in the area were open and most students had not returned to  them. He went into Mr. Hunter’s room and found him pressing Doug to tell him where he got the chemical. But Doug wouldn’t tell. So George did. The vial was not returned.

Another Vic High memory that comes up for George is about rugby. “[Teacher and coach] Porky Anderson’s brother, Joe, taught science,” says George. “He would keep the boys after school until enough of us joined his Bantam Rugby team, which I did in Grade 10 before I took on after-school jobs. At 125 pounds I was the heaviest team member and so played tail in the scrum. No one ever tossed the ball my way, though, because they knew I couldn’t catch it. I just ran around the field and pushed in the scrum.”

George’s grad write-up also listed ‘Art, Grad Choir, and Y’s Club’ [current affairs discussions], and ‘our Capulet’ to describe him. George had been active in art classes throughout school, even taking weekend classes while still in elementary school, and speaks highly of Vic High art teacher Frances Cameron. “My time at Vic High was quite pleasant,” says George, “but I didn’t participate much. I had two jobs. I delivered the Vancouver Sun and worked after school at different jobs.” One of his after-school activities, though, was joining fellow students to act out a scene from Romeo and Juliet playing Capulet, Juliet’s father, as he discovered her love for Romeo.

After his 1954 graduation, he did two years of sciences at Victoria College,* but switched to the arts and graduated from UBC with a degree in Philosophy. A random trip to Portland with UBC friends landed him in love, so he stayed, and has lived there ever since. “I never wanted to come out in Victoria,” he says. “I’m sure students at school suspected I was gay but nobody every bothered me or bullied me.”

Honan Type Vase, c. 1970 George Cummings

In Portland he worked in the University of Oregon’s Medical School, and one year took an evening class in ceramics. He ended up quitting his lab job and working at Pacific Stoneware for his ceramics instructor, subsequently travelling in Europe and worked in two different ceramics studios there. Eventually he returned to Portland and taught ceramics for many years while also becoming a very prolific potter himself. During that time, he was one of the first three ceramics artists to have his work exhibited at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, and several of his pieces are in the Gallery’s collections.

His Artist Statement on the AGGV website reads: “Victoria is my home town, and I have a long connection with the AGGV going back to about 1950 when it was on Broughton Street next to the Royal Theatre. I was in a show of works by John Lidstone’s Saturday Morning Art Class. My piece was a painting of dinosaur on large sheet of construction paper. As I recall, Colin Graham was the Gallery’s founding director. In 1967, Colin curated the Gallery’s first exhibition of contemporary ceramics featuring work by the Groves and myself, and it was he who suggested that Mrs. Pollard purchase the pieces you have. And then there was the Back to the Land exhibition, which I had the pleasure of attending.”

 

Without the means to set up his own studio, he eventually left his pottery work behind and did IT work in the life insurance industry for 15 years. Not long before COVID changed everyone’s life, he unpacked some bowls and vases he’d made years earlier and decided it was time to get back into his art. His style evolved, and his knowledge of chemistry led him to develop his own palette of glazes. His colour preferences had evolved too, from earlier muted tones to vibrant, clear colours which suited his new whimsical designs as his handbuilding skills improved using pinch, coil and slab techniques.

George calls what he does ‘Playing with Clay’. He often starts handling some clay — pinching, coiling or rolling out a slab — without a clear idea of where he’s going to go with it. “Soon a direction develops,” he says, “but I might not stick to it, because I’ve noticed another possibility, and then perhaps another and another, so that I end up with something completely unexpected.” George’s thoughts perfectly describe the creative process, and perhaps an approach to life we all might embrace. “Every moment has an opportunity to be creative.” He believes this is really significant in his life and work, even though there’s times when he forgets it or doesn’t feel that it’s true. “It may be just another way of saying that there is always room for the unexpected,” he goes on, “but I think it goes deeper. The unexpected provides the opportunity, and when it occurs I have a choice. I can say ‘Oh, that’s interesting. What can I make of it?’ or I can say ‘Damn!’ or ignore it.”  How wonderful might it be if we all approached life like George.

Monkey Face rappel

George had always loved hiking, and it was two co-workers at his medical school job that introduced him back then to the Mazamas, a 130-year old mountaineering organization in the Pacific Northwest, Canada and Europe. His years of climbing mountains in the area with Mazamas made him the perfect participant in a 2023 rappel down 473 feet of Portland’s 536 foot skyscraper, the Bancorp Tower, known locally as ‘the Big Pink’ because of its copper-coloured glass. He and 50 other thrillseekers raised funds in the ‘Rappel for Purpose’, with his proceeds going to the Mazamas to support their ongoing work in climbing education, outdoor leadership, and conservation. But his most impressive feat was climbing Monkey Face at age 80. The 350′ tower is an icon of Smith Rock State Park in Oregon, a challenging climb and descent which few will tackle.

George’s brother John, VHS 1955, graduated from UBC with a degree in Forestry, Yale University with a Masters in Forestry, and from the University of California at Berkeley with a PhD in Genetics. He died in 2009. George donated to the Alumni so he and John each have a plaque in the Vic High Auditorium.

2023 article in Mazama bulletin.

Climbing Monkey Face article

*Victoria College was founded at Vic High in 1903. Vic High’s Principal, Samuel J. Willis, ran the school and the college, which occupied the fourth floor of the 1914 building.  When it outgrew that space it moved to Craigdarroch Castle. From there it moved to Richmond and Lansdowne where Camosun College  Lansdowne Campus is located, and eventually relocated and became the University of Victoria.

Peter McKinnon, VHS 1968 Vic High Is Home

Peter McKinnon, VHS 1968   Vic High Is Home

By Linda Baker, VHS 1969

The Vic High auditorium was the only place I really felt at home.

How fitting it is, then, that Peter McKinnon would go on to spend his life in the theatre world in one way or another, and come home to help shape the new Vic High Auditorium we see today.

Stage Crew. Peter, standing 2nd from left

Peter was a busy guy at Vic High. Future Teachers Club, Stage Crew, Reach For the Top team, Calamity Players, Drama teacher Bert Farr’s plays. He was Captain Fisby in the school’s production of Teahouse of the August Moon, which ran at both Vic High and McPherson Playhouse. Encouraging school spirit was a natural for Peter, too.

Peter as Captain Fisby in Teahouse of the August Moon

“My parents weren’t keen on me continuing in theater,” says Peter. “ ‘You need a vocation!’, they said, so I went to UVic and got a BA in English.” But the theatre was in his blood, so he enrolled at the University of Texas in Austin and earned a Master of Fine Arts in Directing, History and Design, with a particular interest in Lighting Design. He would come home to Victoria during the summers, working at a well-paid job in the Naval Reserve. “I finished my degree and came back to Victoria,” says Peter, “and soon realized I’d exhausted all lighting design possibilities in BC in about half an hour!” So he moved to Toronto.

Peter 3rd from right, raising school spirit at the stadium

He had no specific plans or goal, only wondering if it would be possible to make a living for a season in live theatre.  But he did it. In spades. He ended up over the years designing lighting for some 450 productions, mainly in dance and opera across Canada and around the world. Every summer he taught at the Banff School of Fine Arts, and created the Stagecraft Program there. In 1985 he started at York University in Toronto teaching lighting design and stagecraft, then took over the Theatre Management program. With two friends he launched a production company that performed on Broadway in New York, then launched another one on his own and premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Reach for the Top was a TV show where high school teams competed by answering tough questions. So you know these four were top students!

Writing and editing books was also a natural fit for Professor McKinnon: New Theatre Words, a dictionary of theatre terminology is translated into over 28 languages, Designer Shorts, A Brief Look at Contemporary Canadian Scenographers and Their Work, and the 2007 publication One Show, One Audience, One Single Space by Jean-Guy Lecat that he edited. In 2007 he helped organize a huge Canadian exhibit at the Prague Quadrennial. “At the time,” says Peter, “there was no international catalogue of stage design.” So Peter ended up co-editing two volumes of World Scenography, 1975 – 1990 and 1990 – 2005, working with over 165 contributors around the world to create what became a key resource in every serious theatre school in the world. His last book, Sailors and Stagehands, was the culmination of eight years of research into when, where, and under what circumstances backstage terminology became so nautical. These books now all reside in the Vic High Library Alumni collection and can be borrowed by alumni. Over the years, he also stepped up to support various organizations related to his work, sitting on or leading executive boards.

When planning of the massive Vic High upgrade was underway, he lent his expertise to help School District 61 and Vic High Principal Aaron Parker assess the auditorium and where the opportunities lie to make improvements. During the last stages of the upgrade he was often called upon by SD 61 Capital Projects Manager Mora Cunningham for information or advice.

The day we met, in March 2024, he’d just toured the auditorium work in progress, and he was very impressed by what he saw.  “I’ve been in a lot of theatres and public buildings around the world,” he said, “and I have to say, the woodworking craftsmanship I saw on my tour of Vic High today is the finest I’ve seen in Canada outside the parliamentary precinct in Ottawa.” He still lives in Toronto but comes home frequently, to attend Black and Gold Dinners hosted by the Alumni, to see friends and family. His brother, Ian McKinnon, VHS 1966, is a Director of the Vic High Alumni.

New stage drapes and Vic High logo’d panel in the proscenium arch. (Excuse the scaffolding. Speakers and sound levels were being set as photo was taken.)

“Vic High really shaped me,” he said. “Most lunchtimes you’d find me in the auditorium, about a third of the way down the center aisle, sitting quietly and eating my lunch. Sometimes Cedric Zala or Gunnar Cordsen would be in there playing the grand piano beside the stage. It was magical. Yes, I really enjoyed my time at Vic High.”

PS And yes, Peter assured me, there is a smile behind that famous moustache and beard. LOL

Frank Crocker, Chemistry, and Mr. Blasner

Frank Crocker, Chemistry, and Mr. Blasner

by Linda Baker, VHS 1969

Part 1  (June 2020 – Vic High Archives, preparing to close)

Practical Chemistry. Fundamental Facts and Applications to Modern Life. Seemingly just another in the pile of old textbooks and novels awaiting examination, numbering, and adding to the Archives and Museum of our extraordinary Vic High. A yellowing sheet of paper tucked inside its pages. A name, a division, a school’s initials stamped inside its cover. And curious things written in pencil beside them. I turn a few pages. Published in 1930 in Toronto. Penned by two Harvard Associate Professors, it was ‘Adapted for Use in the High Schools of British Columbia’. Well that’s impressive.

The yellowing sheet is precious, scribbled calculations on the outside undecipherable, at least by me. Careful, the edges are brittle with small tears in places. One more unfolding and a hand-written poem reveals itself.

Five years have passed, five summers with the length

Of five long winters! and again I hear

Those waters, rolling from their mountain springs

With a soft inland murmur.  Once again

Do I behold those steep and lofty cliffs.

There’s more lines to read. This is good! But for the moment, I am distracted by that name and those curious pencilled notes. And what other secrets this greyish linen-bound book might reveal.

Who is this Frank Crocker, Division 6, V H S?  He’s stamped those words into this book.  Permanent.  Non-transferrable to another student.  Did they own their school books back then? Or was this textbook returned and the next student that used it got to add their name, got to read Frank’s poems, too. In my day textbooks were borrowed by a new student each year, returned, stored, and lent out again until the life ran out of them.  Each year a new student received them in anticipation (or dread!), read what was required, gleaned what they could from their pages, and returned them at year’s end. (Do students even use textbooks nowadays?)

Apparently this first little stanza is just the beginning in a series of clues, a scavenger hunt of sorts, inside a chemistry textbook. (Was Frank bored in chemistry class? Was he yearning to be in English class penning more rhymes?) It starts…

If this Book Should

Happen to Rome

Box its Ears

And send it home.

And on the adjacent page, under a number – H30 – and a price – 1.50 –

If my name you wish to see

Turn to page 103

More pencilled lines, right above “HOW TO WRITE EQUATIONS”

Now you’ve come so far to look

Turn again to the back of the book.

Someone’s got a sense of humour, leading us on a merry chase.  And there inside the back cover:

Oh you fool you couldn’t find it

So close the book and never mind it. 

And pencilled in underneath:  Frank Crocker

Well, I have to find this chap. A few steps away, pale yellow acid-free boxes march down the shelves. Old Class Registers, organized by year and division. But wait.  65+ years worth. And I have no idea where to start looking. The task looms large. And there’s so many more items to be accessioned into the Vic High Collections before Vic High closes for its upgrade. I can’t take the time to search now.

I number the book, document it and its condition, take a photo of the cover, and set it aside for now. With so much to do, I musn’t be distracted. This magnificent school, built in 1914 and standing today as proud and strong as ever, is being torn apart on the inside, about to be brought into current times. And all the old treasures in these Archives must be sorted and listed and protected, and in a few months, packed in cartage boxes for careful storage during the upheaval.

I set Frank’s book aside for another day.

Part 2  (June 2024 – Vic High Archives is now open again)

I find the story I’d started four years ago about Frank Crocker and his chemistry book, and I go searching for the book. So many questions. Who is Frank Crocker, Division 6, VHS?  Was this his book, or did he just add his thoughts to one loaned to him that he failed to return?  Do you think he’s still alive?  How long ago did he donate these books to the Vic High Archives?  I’d noticed his name in other books as we first sorted the big pile of old books in the , choosing which ones to keep and which ones to pass along to the school district’s archives. Of course we kept Frank’s books, clearly identified with Frank’s stamp as ‘V.H.S’.

Or maybe it was his descendants who brought them in, a daughter or son going through their dad’s things and finding all these books stamped with his name, stopping and wondering if they might be valuable somewhere? And taking the time to bring these precious memories here.

Ah, Chemistry. I remember that Grade 12 science requirement well. Ron Blasner, teacher extraordinaire. Paul Wyle. Smartest kid in the class. Thankfully he and I were partnered up or who knows what kind of a mark I’d have gotten. (Chemistry was not my choice. I couldn’t imagine cutting up frogs or who-knows-what in Biology. And Physics just seemed too hard. So there you go. Chemistry.) I’m glad Practical Chemistry hadn’t been my textbook. Way too many words! And such small type. Oh my.

But Chemistry class was the source of one of my most vivid high school memories: Chemistry class without a second spent on Chemistry! Ron was one of the most positive, engaging people you could ever meet. The fact that he landed in teaching was a huge gift to so many of us over the years. One day, as we all settled onto our stools, he greeted us with ‘Did you hear about……’  And the next thing you know, we were busy feeding him questions about the current affair he found fascinating that day, anything to keep him talking and us not doing chemistry. No, I don’t recall what that current affair was, but clearly some students knew a lot about it, and the rest of us paid attention and learned a lot, right up until the bell went to end the class. I didn’t learn any chemistry that day, but Ron Blasner’s respect for students, his approach to engaging us, and our clear ability to understand and debate the issues of the day, has stuck with me all these years.

But I digress. Frank Crocker. I found him! (Remember those handwritten cards we had to fill out every September, with contact information on the front and our class schedule on the back? The Archives has them all – from 1916 through to the mid-1980s. They’re an invaluable resource.) So Frank Herbert Crocker started at Vic High in 1929, grade 9. He lived on Clare Street, and registered for Grade 11 on September 14, 1931, Div. 6. So Practical Chemistry was his textbook in Grade 11. There’s a note on the card that says he left Vic High in April 1932. Maybe the muse was just too strong and he left for a life writing poetry. Or more likely, he got a decent paying job and left school to make his fortune. Thanks, Frank. I hope you had a great life!

PS I wonder what Mr. Blasner would have thought of Frank Crocker in his Chemistry class? In Frank’s day, I’m sure his sense of humour would have been brought strictly into line! But Mr. Blasner? He’d have found Frank’s quirky humour engaging.

Lynda Shioya, VHS 1958 Vic High Experiences Shaped Her Life

My Vic High Experiences Shaped My Life

By Linda (Chan) Shioya, VHS 1958

Victoria High School was my home away from home. Mum worked long days in her gift shop on View Street and my stepdad ran a sawmill in Lytton, BC, so home life was negligible. I found my family in friends and teachers at school, and joined all kinds of clubs so my social circle was wide.

The school environment encouraged learning and participation in a plethora of extracurricular activities within a structure of high expectations. This could be attributed to the excellent teachers, to name a few:

Colin Glover, who encouraged me to earn a big V by joining inter-house sports and to audition for cheerleading,

Beatrice Sutton, whose stern demeanour demanded a “secretarial/professional” attitude from us, yet on one of my last days at school, she snuck three of us out of class for ice cream. Many years later, I ran into her at a Business Educator conference and she greeted me with, “You’re one of us, aren’t you?”,

Cary Goulson, who let you retake a test if you thought you could get a better mark, and who always addressed us as “people”,

Courageous Miss Cox, a former member of the French Resistance, who imbued in me the love of speaking French as she supervised the library. She came into our gift shop a few years later and told me she had married a commercial fisherman,

Doug Smith, who let us put our heads down after lunch during English Lit while he read Chaucer and other heavy tomes, but somehow got analytical essays out of us,

Charlie Trotter, who handed me a leaflet from Victoria College and encouraged me to become a Business Education teacher like him. He got me a summer job at General Business School on Broughton Street and every day I would phone him saying: “I can’t do this.” But somehow he convinced me to persevere.

I remember shivering in the early morning Physical Education (PE) class as Roberta West and I (always the first), jogged around the 1/4-mile cinder track, sometimes waving to the “Tech boys” who loitered across the way. Few of us had spike track shoes so it was difficult to gain traction as we huffed and puffed along with the effort and cold, blowing puffs of breath clouds. My one triumphant remembrance was running in the girls’ relay with Carol Cranston, our school track star, as the last runner, making us first in the Inter-house track meet.

Every lunch hour, I ate with my Chinese girl friends, stopping at the washroom to refresh our lipsticks. The mirrors were so high, I could never use them and to this day, I can apply lipstick without looking. Just before the bell rang for afternoon class, we would walk by the smokers (usually boys) lined up in the main hallway. They had been “captured” smoking at the nearby convenience store by the Vice Principal, Victor Thompson, whose commanding voice could be heard saying “Pay attention!”. He later became Superintendent of Schools and hired me to teach alongside my former Grade Five teacher, Alan Jones, in the Business Department of Mount Douglas Secondary in 1968.

I joined Y-Teens and took my first trip away from home on my own to New Westminster with my sidekick, Jean Barker, and other members. Under the guidance of Mr. Hunter, my inspiring Math teacher, and my Shorthand teacher, Mr. Glover, we ran the Students’ Council. During our graduation year of 1957/58, an intellectual student, Howard Lim, was voted in as president, (a successful campaign launched by his cohorts, Gordon Eekman, Winston Roberts and Martin Bergbusch), winning over the athlete, David Skillings. I became Secretary by acclamation and Walter Creed was treasurer, which foretold his future as an Accountant. Later, one of my secretarial students did her work experience in his company in 1969. Wendy Love, Ed Pomeroy, Harold Ridgeway, Skip McBratney, Gudrun Marquardt and Bruce Atkinson were also on Council.

As a cheerleader, in Grade 12, I attended all the Totem basketball games. Larry Ballard would lift me up high and I’d land in the splits. The half-time entertainment were the majorettes in their black sweaters and white pleated skirts. Were we ever proud the next year, when the Totems, coached by “Porky” Andrews, won the 1959 BC High School Basketball Championship. I rode my bike from my Vancouver Street home down to the wharf on Government Street to welcome them home from Vancouver.

The only gang activity I recollect is when five of us who belonged to the Girls’ Auxiliary to Christ Church Cathedral, decided we needed a ride home in Gerald Quan’s light blue Studebaker. There were no seatbelt laws in those days and we all bundled in. I was dropped off at my Mum’s gift shop and asked that “everyone come in and buy something,” which was just wishful thinking. Most of the others lived in the Rockland area and it was many miles and hours before Gerald got back to his home in Lansdowne.

I had taken dance classes since I was five, and Norma Douglas, the Vic High music teacher, acknowledged my talent by giving me opportunities to perform at school functions. I danced a tap number to an Irish Jig on St. Patrick’s Day, and performed a toe tap on stairs at the School Fair many, many times. My accompanist, Peter Wilkinson, told me he was VERY tired of playing “Louise” so many of those times.

Those who could afford it, dressed in the latest styles: zoot suit pants, white poplin jackets, white suede shoes known as “Boone boots” (after Pat Boone), saddle oxfords, and the chemise (a loose-fitting dress). Off-the-rack clothes were too large for me and children’s clothes did not replicate adult styles, so I was out of luck. However, chemises I could easily whip up, mainly just two seams on the sewing machine.

Graduation followed tradition and Grade 11 students decorated the gym. One could join the Grad choir and sing the Joe & Noel Sherman song popularized by the Four Freshman, “Graduation Day”. One could join the Grad Dance team, which twice as many girls as boys joined. Henry Pluym and Bea Sutton planned two dances and one group of girls would sit on upholstered stools in a circle waiting their turn.

Names were drawn by the Commercial girls on the third floor for escort and banquet seating in the cafeteria on the hard wooden benches. Someone thought it would be amusing to pair the shortest boy, King Lee, with the tallest girl, Barbara Keung. They were good sports. On grad day, I attended a breakfast party at Bev Fletcher’s. We all got dropped off at school afterwards and had excitedly streamed across the front lawn. Once inside, we were beckoned into the office by Mr. Dee, the principal, and chastised for “inappropriate, rowdy” behaviour. After the grad dance, (having fallen off my first spike heels twirling in a jive, flat on my tush), I attended a party by the beach hosted by Pat Horne. I was not welcome in any Chinese households as my Grandfather had passed away in May and there was a cultural belief that I would bring his “ghost” into their homes.

During those formative high school years, I learned to take leadership roles, pursue anything that interested me and “rose to my potential” as educators are prone to say. It was a protective environment and at that time, I was oblivious of any kind of discrimination – my race, my size, my gender or economic background. It was only when I went into “real” society did these discriminations become apparent, which motivated me to work for the Program Against Racism for the BC Teachers Federation (BCTF) and to represent Surrey teachers on the District Multicultural Committee.

From these humble beginnings, I became a Business Educator modelling after my former teachers, served on the Program Against Racism for the BCTF, and pursuing my passion. I spent a year in Japan as a ballerina, and volunteered on the Board of the Auxiliary to Children’s Hospital. In my retirement, I live in Greater Vancouver, run a dance school in my home, perform in community musical theatre, (learning to sing at 62), and occasionally work as a commercial actor.

Gloria Cranmer Webster, VHS 1949 Celebrated First Nations Activist

Gloria Cranmer Webster, VHS 1949,

Celebrated First Nations Activist

By King Lee, VHS 1958

From her Alert Bay village on Vancouver Island’s east coast, to Rideau Hall in Ottawa where she received the Order of Canada from Governor General Julie Payette in 2017, Gloria Cranmer Webster lived a life full of advocacy, dedication, and action.

She was born July 4, 1933, in Alert Bay, one of nine children born to Kwakwaka’wakw chief Dan Cranmer and his wife Agnes. She attended what was then called the Indian Day School and at age 11, lied about her age to get a job at the local cannery.

Chief Dan and his wife realized early in Gloria’s life that she was destined for greatness and allowed her to move away to attend high school. That meant they had to surrender her custody to the state.

At 14, she travelled by steamship to Victoria and enrolled in Grade 9 at Vic High. She described her initial impression of Vic High: “Going to the school for the first time was truly scary, as the social worker and I arrived when classes were changing. There were 1,100 students, and I was coming from a dinky little school where I was in one of two classrooms with maybe, 30 kids. I was the only native student at Vic High and became best friends with the only black girl. Her name was Bernice and we became known as “Bern and Glow.”

She described her first Vic High year as “pretty rough” and looked forward to Christmases and summers back home in Alert Bay each year. Gloria’s parents celebrated her graduation from Vic High in 1949 with a huge feast in Alert Bay.

Gloria became the first Indigenous person to enroll at the University of British Columbia and the first to graduate in 1956 with a degree in anthropology. She earned her way through university by working as a deckhand and at a hospital, but it was working at the UBC Museum, later renamed the Museum of Anthropology, that inspired Gloria’s path in life. She also worked at the Oakalla Penitentiary in New Westminster for two years and at the John Howard Society for two years. It was at the JHS that she met her future husband, John Webster.

Gloria and John moved back to Vancouver from Regina, where John had been posted for 18 months by the JHS, and she worked as a counsellor at the YMCA at what was then known as the Vancouver Indian Centre.

In 1971, she joined UBC’s Department of Anthropology to teach, and to support the development of museum studies and the museum’s assistant curator.

In 1921 at an Alert Bay potlatch ceremony hosted by her father, the federal government had confiscated masks, regalia and other treasures. Gloria was asked to help in efforts to repatriate what became known as the Potlatch Collection.

Gloria returned to her Alert Bay roots in 1975 and continued her commitment to her Kwakwaka’wakw people and the repatriation of the Potlatch Collection. Her efforts drew worldwide attention and she was credited with inspiring an international movement.

Gloria’s battle for the return of treasured pieces came to a successful end in 1979 when the federal government began to return items on the condition that a proper museum facility was available to house the artifacts. She is a founding curator of the U’mista Cultural Society in Alert Bay, which was incorporated under the B.C. Societies Act, on March 22, 1974. In November of 1980, the U’mista Cultural Society Museum was opened in Alert Bay with artifacts from the 1921 Potlatch Collection on display.

Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada, invested 10 Officers and 34 Members into the Order of Canada during a ceremony at Rideau Hall, on November 17, 2017. Above is Gloria Cranmer Webster, O.C.
Credit: Sgt Johanie Maheu, Rideau Hall, OSGG

Pieces of that collection are still being sought and brought home. Some have gone as far as the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of the American Indian.

Myrna Cranmer, who has been collecting information about Gloria, called her aunt an “amazing person.” Not only did Gloria repatriate her people’s history, but she also collaborated with Jay Powell to reclaim the Kwakwaka’wakw alphabet, language and audio recordings.

Her fierce advocacy was said to be so bright that it lit up Alert Bay.

Gloria died on April 19, 2023, at Port Hardy Hospital.

Read more about Gloria here.

YouTube video The Potlatch Ceremony and Traditions.  Video clips, interviews with Gloria.

After-Grad 1964 in James Bay

After-Grad 1964 in James Bay

by Corol (Smith) Pallan, VHS 1964

It has been 60 years since my graduation from Victoria High School in 1964. A recent Alumni tour of the new school triggered many fond memories. I’d like to share a graduation and an ‘after-grad’ memory, and a story of the one time I visited the Principal’s office.

The graduation ceremony for our large class of about 375 students took place in the school’s auditorium, followed by a light dinner in the New (Andrews) Gym and a dance in the Old (Roper) Gym, which was festooned with paper streamers. I think the grade 11 class was responsible for the decorations. The only photo I have from the occasion shows me and friends looking up at someone with a camera on the balcony that surrounded the Old Gym: Corol Smith, Dale Ingram, Phil Humber and Carol Bishop.

I recall the dance at the school ended before midnight, but the party was not yet over; there was an After-Grad party to attend. The A.G. Dance was organized by myself, Dale Ingram and a couple others (wish I could remember who) helped organize the after party. It was held at the White Eagles Hall, 90 Dock Street, in James Bay from 1:00am to 5:ooam. My parents, John and Darline Smith, graciously volunteered to stay up all night to act as chaperones. The hall management required at least two adult chaperones. Imagine the risk renting the facility to a small group of teenaged girls for the purpose of celebrating the end of school in the wee hours of the morning.

We charged $2.50 per ticket and entry was restricted to ticket holders. At some time during the dance a group of party goers from the Oak Bay High School after-grad festivities attempted, unsuccessfully, to crash our party. I remember my parents were so impressed with the responsible behaviour of all our guests.

My parents managed the small concession we set up to sell snacks and non-alcoholic drinks. No doubt there were ‘under the table’ beverages brought to the party by some of the guests. I wonder if anyone recalls the music to which we danced in the first hours of escape from the school years. I believe we had someone playing records. At our ticket prices, it is doubtful we hired a band, but the faded memory eludes.

The After Grad Dance was a great success. We, the organizers, had enough money left from the ticket and concession sales to buy a thank you gift for my parents’ generous contribution of their support and time. They were thrilled with their first barbeque, a bright green bowl shaped vessel with a rack propped on three spindly legs. We did not have enough money to purchase coals to go with it, but the barbeque gift was most appreciated. Dad went out immediately to buy coals and we had hot dogs for dinner that night. I still have a small exercise book used as a guest book and I plan to contact the Vic High Archives to donate the guest book, ticket and photo of the grads in the Old Gym.

I was never called the principal’s office during my time at Vic High. Mr. Gav Thompson was at the helm in those years. However, some 5 years later, in early 1969, I did visit the principal’s office. There was a significant snowfall in Victoria just after Christmas Day 1968. The snow remained for quite some time. It was early January and the  snow continued to clog the streets when school re-opened after the December vacation. I lived nearby on Balmoral Avenue at the time, and worked in my first teaching job at Prospect Lake School. The commute home that day went very smoothly until I made a brief stop at the small store on Camosun Street, which happened to be closed. My small Anglia car got stuck in the very deep snow bank.

I decided to walk to the school to use the telephone for help, and walked up the front steps at the Grant Street entrance. I did so with some trepidation as students in my time at the school were never permitted to the main entrances. It was always Girls at the Fernwood Entrance and Boys at the entrance adjacent to the track. The principal, Mr. Lorimer, was still at the school. He remembered me from my time years earlier at Lansdowne Junior High when he was the vice-principal. He chuckled when I told him of my problem and then called for help from the custodian and a couple of students who were shooting hoops at the gym. The four heroes followed me to my car, lifted the wee thing off the snowbank and positioned the wheels in the rutted tracks on the uncleared road. I cautiously drove two blocks to my apartment and called the school, at Mr. Lorimer’s request, to let him know I had made it safely home. I am grateful to this day for help from the principal.

Sweethearts After Vic High

by Linda Baker, VHS 1969

Corol married Rupee Pallan, VHS 1961, but it wasn’t until their overlapping years at UVic that they met. He’d left Vic High the June before Corol started at Vic High. Both were teachers in the Sooke School District, with Rupee spending most of his time as a school Vice-Principal or Principal and Corol teaching at the elementary level before and after their sons were born. They now have five grandchildren, all living in Victoria, who keep them very busy.

Corol continues:  I have many hobbies, which keep me very busy. One is genealogy. Once retired, I started to research our family history. My great grandparents and / or grandparents were all pioneers of one sort or another. Rupee’s grandfather was among the first East Indian immigrants to come to Victoria in 1906, so also of pioneering ilk. I spent 10 years documenting our family history into a book named “Footsteps To Dreams”. I self-published it to share with my children, grandchildren, siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews. On the suggestion from my publisher, First Choice Books of Victoria, I submitted a copy to the BC Genealogical Society. Much to my surprise, it was awarded the society’s “Family History Book Award” in 2015. I have attached a picture taken at the by book launch event and another taken on a recent Mediterranean cruise.

 

 

 

Vic High 1980 Tomahawks Tour Great Britain

Vic High Tomahawks, 1980 Girls Field Hockey,

Tours Great Britain

13 Games, Sightseeing Galore, Disco Nights, and The Who

By King Lee, VHS 1958 and Linda Baker, VHS 1969

When one of the highlights of your 1980 Vic High field hockey trip to Great Britain is the flight home, it might not auger well for the tour itself. But 13 Vic High students on that three-week adventure emphatically state that the Air Canada flight home from London was simply the icing on the cake. The genesis of the tour was PE teacher and field hockey coach Barrie Hanslip’s idea, and once player Carol Jones’ mother Donna agreed to join as manager and chaperone, the trip was on.

The genesis of the trip was PE teacher and field hockey coach Barrie Hanslip’s idea. Fundraising began in earnest, player Carol Jones’ mother Donna agreed to help chaperone the team, and games were arranged with UK teams. Vic High players Alana Armstrong (now Martin), Sharon Cumberbatch, Teresa Fanning, Brigid Flynn, Gina Henley, Jey Hills, Kerry Hodgkinson, Carol Jones, Rose Maguire, Violet McDougall, Linda Shiplack, Jane Underwood, and Marilyn Wilson all signed up to go, and Janet Ruest from Parkland Secondary in Saanich was persuaded to join the trip in case of injuries.

“Our team was very competitive on the Island at the time,” says Marilyn, “and this epic 3 week playing tour in the U.K. was a highlight of our school years for sure.” The team played games in England and Scotland, and spent a beautiful Easter weekend playing in a tournament in Penzance, Cornwall. “Miss Hanslip was our tour leader and van driver,” continues Marilyn, “learning left-side drive and right-side steering wheel quickly, with navigator Donna Jones on her left.”  Donna, herself a Vic High 1957 grad, also kept a daily log of the tour. (See below.)

They played thirteen games, with four wins, eight losses, and a tie. And of course no tour of young girls happens without a little shopping and maybe a little disco time. Sights were seen, side trips were taken, one memorable one by boat to St. Michael’s Mount in Cornwall to visit a historical chapel. See Donna Jones trip log summary below. April 12, 15 Victoria-bound travellers headed home, little realizing those three weeks might inspire some serious field hockey over the years, some very supportive friendships, and some laughter-filled group chats via the ‘Classy Ladies of the ‘80s’.

Note: A few years after their epic trip, two members of the team, Linda (Shiplack) Zilkie and Alanna (Armstrong) Martin, went on to play on the UVIC team that won the Canadian Nationals. Alanna is still playing with the Canadian National Women’s ‘over 60’ team, representing Field Hockey Canada Masters at the International level. She is one of the team’s goalkeepers and will play New Zealand in November.

 

       

Some members of the team got together recently and joined one of the Alumni Tours of Vic High. Alanna wore the 1980 Vic High field hockey jacket she sported on the British tour (it fits!), and brought along her field hockey sweater.

But back to that teaser in the headline: The Who.  Yes, the one and only ‘Who’ of rock band fame.

When the Vic High team boarded their flight home, they quickly learned, (the grapevine is lightening-fast on a plane!), that the famous rock band was on board and had the first-class section to themselves and their entourage.

(In case you have been asleep for the last sixty years, (LOL), the British band was a powerhouse from 1964 – 1978 with Roger Daltrey on lead vocals, Pete Townshend on guitar, John Entwistle on bass, and Keith Moon on drums. They’re considered one of the most influential rock bands of the 20th century, with hits like My Generation, I Can See for Miles, and Pinball Wizard.)

 Apparently the band was headed for a Pacific Coliseum concert in Vancouver on April 14. “We chatted up the nice flight attendant of the entrance to First Class,” Marilyn recalls, “and peeked through the curtain to spy Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend.” The girls then sweet-talked the male flight attendant to take in some of their books and got autographs from Roger and Pete.

“Later in the Vancouver airport,” Marily continues,  “they were next to us in the immigration hall line-up, so we were pretty excited teenagers. I think Roger was nice enough to allow a quick picture with some of us girls.”

Pages from the 1980 Camosun

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donna Jones’ Diary

 A condensed version of Donna Jones’ log of the Victoria High School Tomahawks girls field hockey tour of Great Britain from March 22 to April 12, 1980.

March 22/23 – Victoria to London, stayed at International Hall, affiliated with University of London. No sleep for 30 hours.

March 24 – Tour of London. B.C. House for lunch, Westminster Abbey (passed Houses of Parliament).

March 25 – Free day, National Art Gallery, pub lunch, walked past Buckingham Palace.

March 26 – Ormskirk (Liverpool area), Cricket Club to meet billets.

March 27 – Ormskirk. Lost two games, both by 3-0 scores.

March 28 – Liverpool. Open market, shopping, Disappointing Beatles monument. Tied 1-1. Back to Ormskirk.

March 29 – Went to Southport. Won 8-0. Back to Ormskirk.

March 30 – To Edinburgh. Castle tour, National Art Gallery.

April 1 – To Penicuik for game. Won 8-0.

April 2 – To Stratford.

April 3 – To Penzance.

April 4 – To Camford. Lost 3-1, then won 1-0. Disco dance.

April 5 – Lost two games, both by 3-0 scores.

April 6 – Easter Sunday, to St. Michael’s Mount, lost 3-1. Off to disco again.

April 7 – Won 3-2, lost 2-0.

April 8 – Penzance to Wiltshire (Swindon). Met hosts. Girls distributed around countryside.

April 9 – Grittleton. Lost 3-2. Off to Longleat, home of Marquis of Bath, wildlife preserve with camel rides.

April 10 – Tour of Castle Coomb (where Dr. Doolittle was filmed), Grittleton school for “Disco Supper.”

April 11 – Prep Day for trip home.

April 12 – Trip home, autographs from The Who’s Peter Townshend and Roger Daltrey.

2024 Grads Present Capstone Projects

2024 Grads Present Capstone Projects

by Linda Baker, VHS 1969

As a part of Career Life Connections 12, which is a graduation requirement, students develop Capstone Projects to showcase how they have demonstrated engagement and growth in the three core competencies: communication, critical thinking, personal and social development. They do done this in one of two ways: developing and executing apassion project, or presenting artifacts that represent experiences/achievements/ interests.

Vic High’s new Multi-Purpose Room was the hub of this year’s Capstone Project presentations, with student displays spreading into the adjacent Community Center and the Vining Street Entrance. Each student’s project was assessed by staff as family, alumni, friends visited displays and chatted with students.

Annika (shown above) began riding almost nine years ago and loves it. She developed empathy with her horse, and ended up nursing Quinn through rehabilitation therapy as she herself was recovering from stomach surgery. She also learned to surrender to events, and developed understanding and patience. She’s also an accomplished artist, expressing her experiences through her art which garnered her an exhibit at Saanich Recreation Centre.

Anhuan ended up missing almost his entire Grade 10 year. His family travelled to Mexico when his grandfather became ill, and ended up staying when his grandfather died and the global pandemic kept them there. He continued studies online, learned to play the guitar, wrote lyrics, and now uses music software to express his connections with others. Anhuan was an active member of the Vic High Leadership Team and credits the Leadership teachers with invaluable mentoring as he learned self-discipline, teamwork, and the joy of helping others.

Arlo follows in his dad’s footsteps as an avid drummer and percussionist. But then, when your dad has performed at Rifflandia, your brothers play drums and guitar, and your dad soundproofed a room in your house, expressing feelings and releasing physical energy through drumming is pretty much second nature.

Aviva has danced for 10 years, four of them at Vic High as part of Platform 61. She loves the movement, the expression of herself, the creativity, and the friendships she’s developed. She’s also an active sportswoman, playing volleyball, basketball and soccer at Vic High. All these experiences increased her confidence, and she says that while Vic High isn’t the most athletic school, its culture of inclusivity is invaluable. She values her friendships with many international students and looks forward to attending McGill in the fall. Its unique Bachelor of Arts and Sciences program will provide the flexibility to narrow her path as she develops critical thinking and writing skills. (She’s also signed up to volunteer with the Vic High Alumni whenever she’s back in Victoria.)

Rayan has been in Canada just two years and loves Vic High. Her family arrived here from Syria not long after she learned about her diabetes, a condition she says makes her special. She wants to become a doctor, and help others manage their diabetes. Right now, as she completes Vic High’s Hairdressing Program, she also works as a cashier at Thrifty’s Broadmead, and at a hair salon. We know Rayan will achieve whatever goals she sets for herself. She has already adapted to live in five different cultures – and languages. Her native language is Arabic and she spoke it and Kurdish in her youth. When she was nine, her family moved to Turkey and she learned Turkish.  Their next home was in Germany – a stop en route to Canada – where she learned German. And she began learning the perfect English she speaks only on arriving in Canada. A most extraordinary young woman.

2024 Grads Celebrate With Vic High Song

2024 Grads Celebrate With Vic High Song

by Linda Baker, VHS 1969

Lucinda Booth and Principal Parker share a moment at grad.

It was a privilege to capture these moments as 151 Vic High Grads, of the 168 Class of 2024, were presented and honoured June 4 at UVic’s Farquhar Auditorium. Students entered the stage two at a time, one from each side, and took their places on either side of the Vic High logo. After opening remarks, each walked across the stage to shake Principal Parker’s hand and in some cases, add a unique ‘greeting’ to mark the occasion.  Teachers took turns reading what each had written about their time at Vic High as they met Principal Parker and returned to their seats.

Local dignitaries brought congratulations: Victoria – Beacon Hill MLA Grace Lore and Victoria Councillor Matt Dell.  Keynote speaker, Vic High 2020-24 Renewal project architect Diana Studer, shared a little of the ingenuity and resiliency that it took, as in life, to complete the recent upgrades. Principal Parker’s speech was heartfelt and at times hilarious, as he shared that no matter where he goes next, he’ll always be Vic High. (We know he’s ours for at least one more year.) The ceremony ends, as it does each year,with the grads – and audience – singing a rousing version of Come Give A Cheer.

Be sure to read Principal Parker’s address to the grads…(and keep your tissues handy).  But first –

Diana Studer, Vic High Renewal Architect, Grace Lore, Victoria-Beacon Hill MLA, Aaron Parker, Vic High Principal

 

Principal Aaron Parker’s Address

Seeing this remarkable group of young people behind me and contemplating the last four years I think to myself…What the hell was that? Honestly. What just happened?  

Tobin’s first performance at our school took place in a cage? That’s correct. Our first musical theatre performance at Topaz was performed and broadcast from the fenced utility lock-up at the back of the parking lot. Prison style.  I had no idea what any of these kids even looked like for two years. In fact, seeing someone’s nose in 2020 was our most common office referral. We painstakingly reorganized everyone’s schedules into isolated cohorts just to watch 800 students passing their vapes around in the parking lot. And I haven’t even started on our 2… I mean 3.. 3 and a half… 3 and 3/4 year renovation. This was not a typical high school experience.  And I’m still making sense of it. For eight years I have had the honour of sharing a part of the story for the graduating class at Victoria High School.  This year more than any other I have struggled to identify a unifying story of our 147th graduating class.  For me it started in February of 2020. 

This is one of our smallest grad classes. There was considerable hesitancy as we prepared for our temporary relocation to the Topaz campus. In fact, one third of the students that would normally come to Vic High requested transfer to other schools in the spring of 2020.  With schools full across the district most of those requests were denied. As we know now, the worry about an inconvenient commute or learning in a dated facility was quickly overshadowed by a worldwide shut down followed by two years of health protocols that changed every aspect of these students’ high school experience. So maybe this is a story of resilience? We have 168 grads and there are 168 very different stories of resilience and strength.

If you know graduating students Raiker, Charlotte, Micheal and Sierra and consider what they have faced and how they have shown up for their families and the courage in which they live their lives, then resilience as a theme would make a lot of sense. I would also consider students like Sawyer, Reyona or Logan who go out of their way everyday to support others.  Positivity and generosity would be a fitting theme. I could also argue that it is a story of justice and voice. Elizabeth Rose is our second consecutive Loran finalist – a passionate advocate for Indigenous rights and social justice. Charlize’s campaign for youth health and Aviva’s organization of the environmental club will be legacies that will positively impact students in our school for years to come.

I think of our students who inspire through creativity. Hazel’s brilliance in creating works of art in our shops, or our rock stars Shane and Marlowe who make up 2/3rds of the popular alt rock band Sharon. These are artists that create with intent, their work has something to say, something poignant, something important. Fair play has also been a story for our grads. Our athletes have left a legacy that transcends their success on the field. Fred, Lucinda, Aliyah, Andre, Mustafa, Van and Devar are examples of students who have excelled in their sports and have set a new standard for fairness and integrity. Not only did our male volleyball team have the single most successful season for a Vic High team in 25 years, our program, including all our volleyball athletes, was awarded the prestigious Fair Play award by BC School Sports for their unrelenting positivity and virtue.

For me one of the big storylines has been fun. The annual pancake breakfast picture with Rory and Aviva that got increasingly ridiculous each year. Lucinda’s list of her favourite bald staff members. Thomas’s daily report of the school deficiencies. Or my many chats with Musa and Tamer in the parking lot. At one point I started to wonder if they skipped class for my benefit. What else was going to drag me out of the office for some daily banter and sunshine. “ Mr. Parker, you look stressed.  Relax.”  No wonder I have so much grey hair.

It was shared with me that Naomi Gladman recently said that the renovated Fernwood building in which this group has only spent 2 months, feels like this grad class’s real high school.  A testament to the passion and dedication of Ms Studer and her team.  Thank you again for your remarks today.  As the first graduating class from the renovated Grant St. building I believe this group will most likely be associated with the new building and represent a transition into a new chapter for Vic High.  I believe the next chapter in the 148 year story of Vic High will be one of renewal and significantly increased public interest and attention. This graduating class will always be connected to that chapter.  But that is not the story for me.  

When people find out what I do, they almost always want to share their connection to the school.  Everyone is related to, or knows someone who attended Victoria High School. Of late, more and more I also get another response. People ask, “Did you apply for that job?”  Like many of the students in the 2024 grad class, I did not apply for Vic High.  I only knew Vic High from its reputation as a bit of a misfit school. A rundown Hogwarts full of artsy Fernwood youth.  I too had my hesitations about joining the school. Eight years later I am giving what will likely be one of my last addresses to a graduating class at Victoria High School.  Maybe it is because I see so much of my daughter in this group, she also graduates this year. Or maybe it is because of the threat that has loomed over them through their high school years that I feel protective of them. I feel like the back-up dad for 168 17 to 18 year olds.

While this group will undoubtedly be linked to the school’s homecoming and to our beautifully renovated building, my time at Vic High, and maybe my career, will be tied to this group. Each and every one of us had to make sense of a situation that no one had faced before.

 To the grad class:  Each of you created your own unique, personal, genuine stories. The small role I played keeping you safe when your story went off the script is something I am proud and thankful for. I am thankful for every irreverent A-A-Ron you have greeted me with. For every teary conversation we have had behind closed doors.  For every chance I got to sit in your audience. Including when it was in a dingy cage at the back parking lot. I am proud to have been a part of your story.  Mostly I am proud of you.  Congratulations grads of 2024.

Vic High Renewal Architect Diana Studer’s Address

 

The ’60s are Back!

The ’60s are Back!

Vic High Archives and Museum created its first display at Vic High recently, a Back To the 60s display of grad and prom dresses. Grade 9 student Frida Jack and Grad 11 student Tallulah McLean contributed design ideas, Textiles teacher Darlene Adamschek loaned dress forms and ideas, and Archives volunteers Lori Ann Locken, VHS 1974, Adele Fraser, VHS 1978, and Linda Baker, VHS 1969, put it all together.

Longtime Alumni activist Jill Wallace, VHS 1966, was gorgeous in a later-in-life photo of her in her cream brocade grad dress. Anne Boldt, VHS 1967, hand-threaded the gathered bodice trim on the gown she made for the 1966 Y-Teen Prom at the Empress Hotel. And  Linda Baker’s Textiles 12 Dress Designing project – her simple white grad dress with surprise lined floating back panel – was also featured in the display.

                      

Anne Boldt and date Brian Dance on the right.                        Jill Wallace                           Jill Wallace                                  Linda Baker

                       

Apparently fashions from the 1960s and ’70s are all quite in vogue these days. Guess we all should have kept those ruffled bell bottoms and A-line dresses from our long-ago days!

An Attic For Vic High’s Future: The Tradition Continues

An Attic For Vic High’s Future: The Tradition Continues

by Linda Baker, VHS 1969

They came, they drew, they signed, as Vic High’s recent and future grads continue the legacy of leaving their mark in the Vic High attic. The recent seismic upgrade may have reduced the number of signatures once found in the attic, but all is not lost. Class of 1968 alumnus Fergie Andison, captured everything the attic had to offer before Vic High succumbed to the vagaries of updating its infrastructure. Many of those photos can be seen here 

The attic can no longer be visited by groups, (Victoria Building Code restrictions), but Principal Aaron Parker was generous with his time recently, and allowed me to tour and photograph it. Here’s what I found.

 

 

 

 

A Huge Monetary Cheer for Vic High

A Huge Monetary Cheer for Vic High

by Linda Baker, VHS 1969

It was nothing but surprise mini-reunions and awe and appreciation as over 300 Vic High Alumni members toured the ‘new and old, black and gold’ Vic High for the first time recently. Knowledgeable Vic High Leadership students were posted all around the school pointing out highlights as guests found familiar landmarks and inspected new additions and colour schemes.

“Stunning!” ,  “Gorgeous!”, and “They did an excellent job.” were comments heard often throughout the halls, with guests gladly donating $10 apiece for the tour and raising over $3000 for Vic High Arts and Athletics programs.

 

     

   

     

     

     

Vic High Archives & Museum A Popular Destination

Vic High Archives & Museum A Popular Destination

by Linda Baker, VHS 1969

We alumni may embrace our Vic High past, but it’s a wonderful revelation to have so many current Vic High students visit the new Archives and Museum at Vic High. Some alumni credit the school’s administration and staff for keeping the Vic High spirit and culture alive during a 3 1/2 year absence from home. Principal Aaron Parker, for example, never hesitated to don the original teaching robes of Samuel J. Willis on loan from the Vic High Archives, helping create a strong visual link to Vic High’s past.  The temporary Vic High digs were the old S.J. Willis school, named after the man who was the first Vic High principal at the 1914 Grant Street campus, now newly upgraded and finally home to some very happy staff and students.

The new Archives and Museum is located in Room 123 on the Main floor (formerly known as the 1st floor) of the original 1914 building. The office area is as much a museum display space as working area, and leads to the Faith Reimer Collections Room where precious items are stored in acid-free boxes or displayed on shelves. Architects left original exterior walls in this room intact, walls that were originally enclosed by the 1950s addition of the Andrews Gym and Arts wing above it. In addition, storage space in the basement houses larger items, surplus items, and records stored by the Vic High Alumni Association.

Volunteers from the Association look after the Archives, overseen by Annie Boldt, VHS 1967 and Linda Baker, VHS 1969. All archival supplies and some furnishings are funded by donations from caring Vic High alumni who are keen to see the school’s history preserved. But since Vic High re-opened, it’s the daily visits by various Vic High students that’s making the donations and volunteer hours so worthwhile.

“We have an archives?” is a common response to the open 1914 replica entry door and sign on the adjacent wall. “Cool. Can we come in?”  And of course, they are welcomed, introductions are made, and a volunteer shows them around. Many are in awe of the 1892 Visitor Logs with their beautiful cursive writing, and 1924 hand-written records of Staff Meetings. Others are keen to find their parents, grandparents, neighbours in one of the Research Camosuns available on the shelves, or to search for a hand-completed Registration Card in the old boxes taking up one complete section of shelving. Remember those? From 1917 to the mid 1980s students each completed a card with family contact information on one side and their class schedule on the back. In some ways, it may have been faster to find a student by going to their Registration Card than to click through computer records nowadays.

 

Aldous will soon start to research Vic High students killed during World War 1 for his francophone Night of Notables presentation in late June, with Archives volunteers pointing out collections to check and loaning him Barry Gough’s From Classroom To Battlefield as a good place to start. Tallulah and Aya have begun examining the Archives’ Textiles Collections, hastily accessioned and packed away in large acid-free boxes between layers of acid-free tissue before the big pack-up and move to storage in 2020. Already items are identified for repairs, some for disposal as faint traces of mold have turned up. Tallulah, a Grade 11 student, is something of a textiles expert already. She created all the costumes for the musical theater’s current production of RENT, works weekends at a bridal shop, and has direct connections to textile experts at the Royal BC Museum. Volunteers are learning a lot from her!  And Frida began volunteering recently and is helping create the Archives’ first in-school display, a Grad Flashback featuring a designed-and-made-at-Vic High 1969 grad dress, a 1966 grad dress made of fine silk brocade brought back from China, and various photos and memorabilia.

Rosemarie Felsing, VHS 1972, helps out regularly in the Archives. Janice Mercer, VHS 1962, Adele Fraser, VHS 1978, Edeana Malcolm, VHS 1969, are all helping, Tony Poniedzielnik, VHS 1978, Rod Edwards, VHS 1974 , and Christy Bowen, VHS 2000, helped get the Archives unpacked and set up and we hope will continue as their time permits.

The Vic High Archives and Museum is open schooldays, 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM, plus Tuesdays and Thursdays till 4:00 PM, or by appointment. It’s best to phone us first. Vic High, 250-388-5456. (We have been known to make grandkids a priority, or make spontaneous get-away trips just because we can!)

Wire Portraits More Than Meets the Eye

Wire Portraits More Than Meets the Eye

by Linda Baker, VHS 1969

It all starts with eyes on the prize. The project? To draw your partner’s portrait in one continuous line…without looking at what you’re drawing. This allows the student’s pencil to follow the line of their eyes through observation instead of being caught up in one’s critical mind. It’s a playful practice to help artists hone their observational skills without overanalyzing outcome. The results draw surprise, excitement, and lots of laughter as students examine each other’s drawings. But the real fun comes when each chooses the best of what they’ve created, and is given one meter of wire to recreate that portrait of their partner.

The purpose is to explore the concept of line in art, led by Miss A., herself a 2006 Vic High grad and now a virtual full-time TOC (Teacher On Call) at Vic High.  Anna did her practicum at Vic High three years ago, after degrees in Art, Psychology and Education at UVic and UBC. She also lives in Fernwood, so her connections to Vic High run deep.

(This writer wishes she was back in class at Vic High…specially in this one!)

 

         

Class of 1963 60th Reunion

Class of 1963 60th Reunion

The party was a year late, but still full of smiles, laughter, and gratitude as the Class of 1963 celebrated their time together at Vic High. Seventy guests gathered in person at Victoria’s Cedar Hill Golf Club April 27, 2024, and a few memories were shared from alumni in far-off cities. Alumni pored over several copies of their Camosun, inspected memorabilia from the Vic High Archives and Museum, and purchased Vic High-branded ball caps, mugs, clothing, and other items at the Alumni’s pop-up store.  The food was wonderful, prizes were given out, and of course, Come Give A Cheer was sung with great enthusiasm. An anonymous donor covered the event costs, so attendees made donations to the Vic High Alumni totalling almost  $2000 in lieu of an event fee.  Special thanks to organizers Doug Cliff, JoEllen Morrison, Gillian Thomas, and Leigh Large assisted by Nancy Ring. The Reunion Team will decide how the funds collected will support the Alumni and Vic High.

Memories from Afar

Wendy (Maxwell) Michener wrote:  Hello from the east coast (Nova Scotia) and a ’63 Grad. Greetings to all who were so lucky to have attended Vic High. I still feel like cheering when I read Alumni newsletters. I returned to the school in ’63 to complete high school…one class only. [I was] actually in the Class of ’62 but family headed off to Ontario for supposedly my grad year.  [I] miss the west coast but Nova Scotia is amazing. [I] retired here from Alberta in ’02.

And Robin Jeffrey sent greetings from Australia:  After Grade 12, like a lot of us, I went to UVic in that first intake in the autumn of 1963 after it had become a full-fledged university. After graduation in 1967, I went to India with CUSO and taught English for two years in a government high school in the new city of Chandigarh. India and I have been trying to understand each other ever since.

I went from Chandigarh to Brighton in the UK and did a doctorate in Indian History at Sussex University, which included another year in India. I got to know some admirable Australian academics and got a three-year fellowship (working on India) to the Australian National University in Canberra in 1973. I married an Australian (we met at the National Archives of India in New Delhi), and I’m still in Australia, and still entangled with India fifty-one years later. In that time I’ve also worked at La Trobe University in Melbourne and the National University of Singapore. 

I remain a wannabe jock – an addicted viewer of any activity where a puck is dropped or a ball (large or small, round or oval) is kicked, thrown, bounced, bowled or batted. My wife and I live in the old (1889) terrace we bought when I got a job in Melbourne in 1979. We have no kids, but do have visiting rights with five toddlers who are very good for maintaining flexibility. Better ‘n’ 5BX and they give me an excuse to go into the excellent toy store in our local shopping street.  (But you can’t beat, I find, an egg carton and a dozen ping pong balls. Keeps me entertained for hours…the kids like it too!)

My wife and I come to Canada every year or two, especially BC. The friends that we see go back to Vic High and CUSO days. It’s surprisingly easy to pick up with such people and find plenty to talk about, going back to the days when Victoria had a professional baseball team, the Royal Athletic Park caught fire, and the Totems won the BC high school basketball championship. The starting line-up, as I remember it, had Ash Valdal and Neil Worboys at guard, John Lauvaas and Rick Barnswell at forward, and Ken Gregory at Centre. Those names provide lots to talk about – you can forget Greek gods and the siege of Troy.

I hope the reunion goes well. If there are any photos or links you could tip me off where to find them. Meanwhile, do stay in touch. 

 

 

Esquimalt High Alumni Loves Ribfest

Esquimalt High Alumni Loves Ribfest

by Linda Baker, VHS 1969

Vic High was 39 years old when Esquimalt High School was founded in 1915 in a classroom at Lampson Street Elementary School, with the Esquimalt School Board announcing students would follow the same curriculum as Vic High. It wasn’t long before the school was racking up firsts, notably the appointment in 1926 of Gwendolyn Nora Hewlings as the first woman principal of a B.C. high school. Students in her Latin class chose the school’s motto: Esse Quam Videri (It is better to be, rather than to seem.) In 1946, the school joined the Victoria School Board.

The Esquimalt Alumni was founded in 2006 by a dedicated team of grads, who were helped by friends active in the Vic High Alumni. “We decided to generally mirror the Vic High Alumni’s operational structure,” says Dave Allen, a Director-at-Large and former principal of Esquimalt High School. “And we’ve grown a lot in the last 18 years.” The Alumni began providing scholarships to deserving Esquimalt students in 2006, and now gives out three, $1000 scholarships, drawing from funds they’ve raised and invested to yield annual awards.

 

Rod (VHS 1968) and Marilyn McCrimmon (EHS 1971)

The Alumni charges a one-time $10 membership fee, and currently has 620 members. EHS 1971 grad and Alumni Secretary Marilyn McCrimmon, wife of Vic High alumni Rod McCrimmon, VHS 1968, publishes the Alumni’s newsletter. Events, meetings, reunions, and more – there’s plenty of information on the Alumni page of the Esquimalt High School website.  Alumni – Esquimalt High School (sd61.bc.ca). In 2015 the school celebrated its centennial, and Marilyn wrote a special piece for the Times Colonist about the school. Esquimalt High School looks back at 100 years – Victoria Times Colonist

The Alumni also set up a Foundation with the sole purpose of raising funds for the school, and does so every year at Esquimalt’s hugely popular Ribfest at Bullen Park. “We partner with the Rainbow Kitchen and the Esquimalt High School Leadership students to run a food booth selling langos and drinks,” says Dave, “and we split the profit three ways.” Rib Fest itself also raises funds, and is leading the charge for a turf upgrade at Esquimalt High School.

The school posts a great newsletter on its website for students full of info about what’s going on that week. Esquimalt_High_School_Docker_Newsletter_Apr-8-12-2024.pdf (sd61.bc.ca)  Mark your calendars for their upcoming production of Mean Girls, April 26-28 and May 3-5. And in case you’re wondering where former Vic High Vice-Principal Chris Koutougos went, he’s at Esquimalt High, contributing, we’re sure, his great ideas and his enthusiasm to the culture there.

So if you know someone who went to Esquimalt High School, now École Secondaire Esquimalt High School offering French Immersion, encourage them to join the Esquimalt High School Alumni Association. And definitely tell them about those crowd-pleasing langos every year at RibFest.

1963 Black and Gold Turned Black and Blue

1963 Black and Gold turned Black and Blue

Dave McFarlane

By King Lee, VHS 1958

In April of 1963, five Vic High buddies turned Black and Gold into black and blue. In the spring of that year, United States President John F. Kennedy felt that Americans were not in good shape physically and he challenged his citizens, particularly American youth, to get fit. A 50-mile walk in a maximum time of 20 hours, dubbed the JFK Challenge, then sprang up across the U.S. and spilled over into Canada. Thousands of teen-agers took up the challenge, including several groups from Vic High and other schools. The most popular route on Vancouver Island was from Chemainus to Victoria.

 

Bruce Barrick

Vic High friends Dave McFarlane, Dave Macmillan, Peter Bolli, Bruce Barrick and Doug St. Arnault, all Vic High Class of 1964, joined the walk. “I don’t know which one (of us) mentioned it,” said Dave McFarlane, who now resides in Nanaimo. They had been friends for years and had all landed at Vic High from Central Junior High School. The 50-mile walk was calculated to finish outside the old Daily Colonist and Victoria Times building in the 2600-block of Douglas Street. (The papers were separate morning and afternoon daily newspapers then, merging in 1980 to become the current Times Colonist.)  It was also convenient if the newspapers wanted to interview and photograph the participants, they thought. Dave McFarlane recalls thinking, “We can do this, nothing to it!” This despite the fact they were smokers.

Fellow classmate, Marian Sieradzan drove them to Chemainus at 3 AM that April morning and they began walking. “Starting out, says Dave McFarlane, “ and believing we were physically up to accomplishing this walk, perhaps in record time, we covered the first five miles in about an hour.” Forty-five miles to go, they thought, a piece of cake, so they took a smoke break. They proceeded at a more leisurely pace, smoking the occasional cigarette and making a few jokes along the way. Then, at the northern tip of the Malahat, the pain hit.

Doug St. Arnault

“Our group was getting pretty strung out,” says Dave, “and forgetting  our initial ‘all for one and one for all’ spirit, It was really everyone for themselves.” Dave McFarlane, muscles screaming for him to stop, stuck out his thumb and quickly got a ride back to Victoria and crashed on his bed. When he woke, he called a couple of his friends and found out they had done the same thing.

However, Dave Macmillan and Bruce Barrick, who was probably in the best physical shape of all of them, had stayed together and made it to Victoria in under 20 hours, then had their picture taken for the next day’s newspaper. Unbelievably, Dave Macmillan had worn Hush Puppies (soft shoes of the day made for ordinary everyday wear) for the trek. He recalled that the director of the YMCA was at the Malahat when they were going through and gave them a bowl of soup. It was there that Dave felt the most pain.

When he arrived at the newspaper building, Dave remembers that his parents were not able to pick him up because they were working, so he had to take a bus back to his Fairfield home. He said he almost crawled home from the bus stop. “I was so stiff,” he remembers. Bruce actually went ice skating at the Memorial Arena that evening (now the Save-On Memorial Centre), but Dave definitely needed a few days for his blisters to heal.

Marian Sieradzan

“As I think back on their accomplishment,” says Dave McFarlane, “I’m reminded of that terrific movie, The Bridge on the River Kwai, and Alec Guiness leading his men and whistling the Colonel Bogey March as they entered the prisoner of war camp. Perhaps if we have another reunion for the class of 1964 and Bruce and Dave attend we can whistle that tune as they  enter.”

Dave McFarlane remembers that that fateful morning of Nov. 22, 1963, when President Kennedy was assassinated while in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas. Pretty much everyone remembers where they were when they heard the news. “We were given the news,” says  Dave, “and school was dismissed that day at lunchtime.”

Students’ First Tours of Vic High April 5, 2024

Students’ First Tours of Vic High April 5, 2024

Happy Vic High Leadership Students help lead classmate tours.

Finally! Vic High students inside the real Vic High. Teachers and staff had spent two hectic days getting classrooms organized, and were very excited to introduce their students to this stunning ‘new’ school. Bright hallways shone, new collaboration spaces beckoned, and many heritage touches did not go unnoticed by eager students.

860 students had gathered early in the Memorial Stadium, waiting for teachers to gather them up and lead them inside where Vic High Alumni members were on hand to greet them as they made their way to homeroom classrooms. Principal Aaron Parker’s voice rang throughout the school, welcoming students and directing them to their first  Tour Station. Teachers and alumni co-presented information at each station, as Leadership Students led the groups throughout the school to each station. By 12:30 it was time for Fernwood Pizza slices and Jones sodas in the Multi-Purpose room.

Principal Parker and former Vic High Principal and active Alumni member Keith McCallion shared heartfelt stories in the Auditorium about the spirit of Vic High, the alumni whose names appear on plaques where students were seated, and the unique culture of our school. Alumni members were thrilled to co-present and share a bit of their history at Vic High:  Randi Falls and Keith Forshaw, former Principals, Alumni Board members Helen Edwards, 1964, Roger Skillings, 1968, Ian McKinnon, 1966, Nita Loudon, 1966, Linda Baker, 1969, and active volunteers Mary Anne Skill, 1975, King Lee, 1958, and Pam Madoff, 1972.

Students were very happy, there were smiles everywhere, and were very impressed with their new digs. Many dropped into the new Archives and Museum, where volunteers are already welcoming opportunities to share Vic High’s World War 1 history with Grade 10 students, and to work with students who have already volunteered for Archives projects. Alumni Association members were thrilled to be participating. “It was a wonderful experience,” says Board Chair Helen Edwards, VHS 1964. “I got to speak with so many students who were very interested in the Alumni, in what we do, and who want to be on the email list to receive our newsletter.”

It was an extraordinary, amazing day. Just 15 days short of a full 110 years after Vic High students walked on April 20, 1914 to their new Vic High from their old school on the grounds of Central School. April 8 classes resume at Vic High Fernwood and it will be hectic at first. This school is so much bigger and better equipped than temporary S.J. Willis (Vic High Topaz Campus) had been, and none of the current students had ever set foot inside this Vic High. But so many wonderful new opportunities for students abound here: robotics programs, broadcast media lab, astronomy viewing deck/outdoor classroom, two gyms and an auditorium, an expanded Learning Commons (library), genderless washrooms, a new turf field with numerous volleyball courts adjacent, an attached community centre, and so much more. And yes, Virginia, there will be tours. But first, we let Vic High staff and students catch their breath and get on with their learning priorities. Stay tuned!

Auditorium presentation

VP Sara Reside & students,  Leadership students, Some happy Grade 12 students

Astronomy viewing deck/outdoor classroom

Drama room, Pam (drama teacher) and Keith Forshaw, alumnus & former Vic High Principal

         

Students, and alumnus Ian McKinnon, 1966, in the Learning Commons (library)

       

Presentations in the Multi-Purpose Room – also attached to the new Community Centre

   

Welcome Room, Sam Spetter, Careers, and Inclusive Ed. teacher Christine Trumpy, and Freida.

     

Former Princpal Randi Falls, Admin staff Nicky Reid and Brigitte Ackinclose