MOOSE JAW — The year was 1975 and Pierre Trudeau was prime minister, the beaver became Canada’s official symbol, fiddler Ashley MacIsaac was born and the Edmonton Eskimos won the Grey Cup.
That was also when Patrick French and other students from A.E. Peacock Collegiate graduated and headed out into the world. Now, five decades later, many of those students are returning to celebrate their graduating class’s 50th reunion, slated for June 13 and 14.
French joined the organizing committee last September and has been meeting monthly with eight others to plan the weekend get-together. Planning is going well, he said, with the group meeting at chairwoman Sandi Hutchinson’s home for formal meetings and sending dozens of texts nightly with ideas.
Chuckling, French said he joined because he’s friends with Hutchinson, while he lives here in retirement. In fact, he taught at Peacock for many years after graduating from high school.
“I’m really looking forward to this,” he stated, not only because he’s been helping plan, but because he’s re-connected with people he hasn’t seen in decades. This has let him catch up over coffee and learn, for example, that some friends have seven grandchildren or flew around New York during their careers.
So far about 75 people have committed to, although that number could jump to 100 once undecided alumni commit to attending. Even with that many people, French says the hall they’ve rented at the Moose Jaw Wildlife Federation can hold that many people comfortably.
It likely won’t be just graduates from 1975 attending the reunion, but anyone who was in school between 1972 and 1978, French said. Committee members realized that they had met and made friends with many people in other grades after they started Grade 9 in 1971, so they decided to invite people who attended during those seven years.
“… although the focus of our reunion is 1975, a lot of folks were part of the school fabric even though maybe they didn’t graduate until 1977 or ’78, so they’re welcome to come along too,” he remarked, noting that while most people attending are from the 1975 class, there is also a good number of alumni from the 1973 and 1974 classes.
Meanwhile, French pointed out that a person can’t go through high school without mixing with other grades. For example, he was heavily involved in theatre, drama, choir, musicals and student council, which allowed him to make friends with students in grades 11 and 12.
“So re-connecting with them 50 years later is a fun thing (and) it’s kind of interesting,” he added.
The reunion kicks off on Friday, June 13 with registrations at Peacock, followed by past and present teachers giving tours of the building. In the evening, there will be a bonfire and live music at an alumna’s farm.
On Saturday, June 14, the Wildlife Federation building will host a brunch, trivia from the 1970s, time for alumni to mingle and renew friendships, a lunch, class photos, a catered supper, and “light entertainment” — solos and duets and dancing — in the evening since the ’70s were “a very artistic time at Peacock” with choirs and musicals.
The school’s football team won several championships during that decade, and since some players were also in musicals, they formed a group called “The Singing Tornadoes” that sang on special occasions, French said. The committee is hoping to convince some of those golden-voiced athletes to perform at the reunion.
The 1970s also celebrated the 1950s with movies, TV shows and songs, so the reunion could also see a group called “The Teen Tones” singing tunes from that decade, he continued.
Another highlight of the reunion is that Bruce Fraser, the class valedictorian, will be returning to Moose Jaw for the first time in 50 years, French added. The organizing committee has asked him to reflect on the address he gave at graduation and what he thinks five decades later.
Anyone interested in attending Peacock’s 50th reunion can find the organizing committee on Facebook.
