October 1, 2015 is the deadline to register by cheque for MCHS ’60s Reunion taking place at Old Mill Toronto on Saturday, October 17

How to register for the MCHS ’60s Reunion and Celebration of the ’60s

The reunion takes place on October 17, 2015 starting at 6:00 pm at Old Mill Toronto at 21 Old Mill Rd, Toronto (416) 236-2641.

As of August 20, 2015 we have forty-six (46) people who are registered and a number of people who have previously indicated to us that they are planning to attend.

We have arranged for special reunion rates at the Stay Inn (photo above) and at Old Mill Toronto. The rates at Stay Inn are particularly attractive for attendees and it’s not far from Old Mill Toronto. Jaan Pill photo

I recall a 1960s-era psychology professor, Donald Hebb at McGill, who once commented in class that having a deadline sometimes serves a useful purpose, as it enables us to get certain things done that we otherwise might not get around to doing.

You can find the registration – and the Deadlines – information at this page at the MCHS 2015 website:

Registration

Deadlines

September 17, 2015 is the last day to get guaranteed MCHS 2015 Reunion Rates at Old Mill Toronto and at the Stay Inn. After that date, accommodations at the preferred rates may or may not be available.

October 1 is the last day to register by sending a cheque to Diana Redden in Vancouver.

Prior to the Sunday Brunch at Old Mill Toronto on Sunday, October 18, 2015 (the day after the reunion), we will meet at 10:30 am in front of Old Mill Toronto for a 30-minute along the Humber River. The Brunch begins at 11:00 am. We will need to know the number of Brunch Attendees by October 11, 2015. Jaan Pill photo

October 11 is the date by which we need to know how many people plan to attend the Sunday Brunch (October 18) at Old Mill Toronto. The organizing team will check with attendees, regarding this question.

October 12 is the date by which the organizing team needs to know that a given person is planning to attend, by paying in cash at the door on October 17. We need to inform Old Mill Toronto, three business days before the event, what our total attendance will be.

If you are deciding at the last moment, and plan to pay at the door, please let us know of your decision by October 12.

To ensure we get the information on time, you can send an email to Jaan Pill at jpill@preserveedstories.com or you can phone or send a text message to Jaan at 416-722-6630.

Informal get-togethers before the reunion

Stay Inn. Jaan Pill photo

We are currently working on arranging for an informal Friday (October 16, 2015) get-together among the reunion attendees at the Stay Inn, which is not far from Old Mill Toronto or possibly at another location.

We have arranged for special accommodations rates at the Stay Inn for attendees and we anticipate that some attendees are likely to be staying there. The get-together would be at a meeting room at the Stay Inn, assuming the room is available. Otherwise, we will find some other place.

Some people may, alternatively, wish to arrange for an informal get-together on Friday evening at the Home Smith Jazz Bar at Old Mill Toronto or at some other nearby location.

People have recently commented that, after 40 or 50 years, it can be a good idea to meet a few people, from one’s high school years, so that once the reunion is underway at 6:00 pm on the Saturday, a person already has met at least a few people from the past, and the process of meeting old friends after 50 years ago will not be too disorienting, or too great a shock to one’s system!

Once we have details in place, regarding an informal get-together or get-togethers, we will share the information.

Bridge across the Humber River. Jaan Pill photo

If anyone among the attendees has some suggestions on where to get together on Friday, October 16, 2015 or Saturday, October 17 prior to the 6:00 pm start of the reunion at Old Mill Toronto, please let us know.

Or if you have a particular group of friends from MCHS that you already want to meet with, you are of course free to make your own arrangements amongst your friends.

We had a previous plan to arrange for a two-hour walk along the Humber River, on Saturday, October 17, 2015 prior to the 6:00 pm start of the reunion. However, many conversations among potential attendees have led us to the conclusion that many people would prefer to spend their time getting ready for the 6:00 pm start of the reunion, rather than travelling to and from Old Mill Toronto to take in a two-hour nature hike along the Humber River on that day. It’s our understanding that getting ready for a reunion will take considerably longer than 15 minutes, for many of the attendees who will be arriving in style at this event!

Please note there is no dress code. You can wear whatever you want. By popular demand, we have ensured that there will be no MCHS Prefects wandering the hallways checking on what you wear,

Humber River walk will be on Sunday Morning (10:30 am, October 18, 2015) instead of on October 17

The Humber River walk will cross the Humber River at this bridge, which is located just to the west of Old Mill Toronto. Jaan Pill photo

After some discussion, we have decided to go with an abbreviated, 30-minute walk along the Humber River starting at the entrance to Old Mill Toronto at 10:30 am on Sunday, October 18, 2015, the day after the reunion. The walk will end at 11:00 am, that being the time on Sunday when we have reserved 20 seats for a Sunday Brunch at the Old Mill Restaurant.

The Brunch will take place on the second floor of the restaurant, offering a great view of the nearby historic Humber River.

We have currently reserved 20 seats; we will need to have a final figure, for the number of people attending the Brunch, by a week prior to the event at the latest – that is, by October 11, 2015. We will find a way to ensure that we know, by that date, which of the reunion attendees wish to join us for the Sunday Brunch.

On a recent visit to the site of the Humber River walk, I took some photos of a heron (or some such bird) that was nonchalantly catching one fish after another. You could see the outline of the fish, going down inside the bird’s long neck, as it went about its feeding. Jaan Pill photo

The Humber River walk will enable us to admire what is left of the fall colours at that time of year, and to comment on how the importance of the river has changed over the centuries in light of the changing occupants and natural disasters (e.g. Hurricane Hazel in 1954) that have occurred along its banks.

We will also note that the year 2015 marks the 400th anniversary of Étienne Brûlé’s expedition, accompanied by Wendat guides, from Orillia to Lake Ontario in 1615. Scott Munro (MCHS ’63) has remarked that he still remembers first learning about Étienne Brûlé at a memorable grade 9 history class at Malcolm Campbell High School.

Humber River, viewed from the west bank close to Old Mill Toronto. Jaan Pill photo

The registration fee is $150

“What do I get for $150?” We have made a video that addresses that question and are pleased that quite a few people have viewed it online:

As Lynn Hennebury Legge (MCHS ’64) very eloquently notes in the video, we are getting older and the opportunity, for a get-together of this size, may not occur again, for some of us who are now approaching age 70, or have already reached that delightful stage of life.

Why Toronto, not Montreal?

This has been the second most frequently asked question. We have made a video that addresses that great question as well:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

At an early stage of our planning, we received a comment indicating that it would be good to have an FAQ page where potential attendees can find answers to typical questions. By way of following up, we are pleased to share with you the following link, in the event you have not read the FAQ, and would have an interest in reading such a document:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

As always, we welcome your comments and suggestions. This reunion is your event, and all of our planning has been focused on ensuring that your views are taken into account. Each person who attends, as we like to say, is truly the star of the show. Our abiding interest and aim is to ensure that every person who attends feels at home and has a great time, and gets home safely.

Newsletters

You can access previous Newsletters, with highlights about what will be happening at the reunion, at this page at the MCHS 2015 website:

Reunion News (including Newsletters)