For just over 40 classmates from Morden Collegiate's Class of '84, a 40th reunion on August long weekend offered a chance to connect and catch up. Of the 76 classmates in the graduating class, nearly half turned up for the occasion.
Bob Agnew helped organize the reunion and says the class hadn't officially reconnected since its 10-year reunion in 1994.
"There was some conversation started last summer when some of the classmates were back visiting, and then it sort of picked up speed in January and February," he explained. From there, about six alumni met over Zoom meetings to try and piece an event together and come up with a way to reach out to as many of their former peers as possible. "That was the funnest part of all, contacting people we hadn't been in contact with for a number of years," added Agnew.
Alumni came from as far as the west coast, Toronto and even Pennsylvania.
The weekend kicked off with a bonfire and movie at the Stardust Drive-in. "Back in the mid-80s, it was a common meeting place on weekends," said Agnew. The fun continued with a Saturday morning brunch followed by a tour of Morden Collegiate and wrapped up in the evening with a catered meal and fellowship at the Legion.
"There was lots to connect about," noted Agnew, whether that was careers, families and/or continued interests.
"We've got some very successful people that have gone on to do some pretty impressive things, and nobody was ever talking about what they accomplished or where they'd been. It was more about what the other person was up to and what they had done."
While the reunion allowed the classmates to reconnect and tell stories, it was also an opportunity to reconnect with the city.
"The one individual who came from Pennsylvania, he had not been back in Morden since graduating," said Agnew. "He couldn't believe the size the city, the expansions on the school and how much it had changed. Yeah, lots has gone on in forty years."
With files from Robyn Wiebe
