H. S. Billings 50th Anniversary : Renewing acquaintances much appreciated

(Dan Rosenburg) Some Howard S. Billings High School alumni came from far and wide to attend the school's 50^th Anniversary celebration in Chateauguay on the weekend of May 18-20. But no one's itinerary compared to that of former Blazers basketball player Tony Narwani, who estimated that 25 hours had elapsed from the time he left his adopted homeland of Israel to the time he arrived at Trudeau Airport in Montreal. But it was well worth the trip, he noted. Among others who returned to their roots for one event-filled weekend were former New Frontiers School Board commissioner Peter McHardy and his wife, Alma Green, who came all the way from Vancouver Island. Also representing Western Canada were Gary Newcombe (Vancouver), Peter Hughes and Bruce Primeau (Calgary). From various parts of Ontario came John Dempster (Stoney Creek), Kieran Boyle, (Hamilton), David Gagne (Toronto), Daphne Ross (North Toronto), Jill Bobula and Neil Poulin (Ottawa). And from the U.S. came Margaret Fuller (New Jersey) and her hubby Weldon Williams (class of '88). Lisa Mahabir, daughter of popular teacher Ron Mahabir, arrived from New York. “ I haven't been here forever,” Dempster remarked in the midst of the May 19 open house. What made him decide to come back to attend these festivities? “I had a lot of great times and relationships here,” he recalled. “And playing sports for HSB was way too much fun,” he added, referring to such pastimes as soccer and basketball. “We were the first generation to create the culture of the school,” Dempster proclaimed. “Everybody stood up for each other. “We're here catching up with the Applebees, the Reids, the Favreaus and Karin Van Droffelaar,” chimed in MacHardy. “It took us a full day of travelling to get here,” said his wife. “We had to go to the mainland (in Vancouver) and catch a plane here following a layover.” “It's pretty cool coming back here after almost 50 years (graduating in 1969),” MacHardy remarked. “The school hasn't changed that much,” he observed. “It's not the mortar and bricks that made the school but the people involved that made it. A lot of successful people have gone through these hallsm and the teachers were really awesome and remarkable. I still remember Mert Tyler (the first principal HSB had in 1968). He was an incredible, awesome man, and we brought up our whole family here.” Jim Ross, the phys-ed department head at HSB and a gym teacher and coach for 16 years before he became principal of Mary Gardner School, also had fond memories. “At HSB we had one of the best (teaching) staffs, year in and year out,” he commended. “We had a contingent of the same teachers and a lot of teams because each of us had vested interests. This was a great place to work and it was more like enjoyment for us. We came to school because it was fun. And the kids were really good, too!”