Halton Hills Newspapers

Independent & Free Press (Georgetown, ON), 1 Aug 2007, p. 12

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12 Independent & Free Press, Wednesday, August 1, 2007 Organizers hope to hold another reunion in 2012 Continued from pg. 11 "So I went over to McDonald's. Funny thing is, when I moved here in 1956 the address of my house was 181 Guelph Street. The address of the McDonald's is now 181 Guelph Street. All this really is like coming home for me." The Homecoming weekend was full of various events and tours for participants to check out. The event was kicked off Friday morning with the Homecoming golf tournament, which took place at Eagle Ridge Golf Club (formerly Georgetown Golf Course). The tournament was open to the first 60 to register and was sold out. The Meet & Mingle, which took place Friday evening at the Sportsplex, was a social evening that included wine and cheese, memorabilia, displays and a chance to reunite with old friends. Saturday's events began bright and early with a breakfast/brunch at the Georgetown District High School 120th anniversary reunion. The open house was filled with tours, decade rooms and Memory Lane featuring displays of historical artifacts. The Downtown Farmer's Market was extended for the Homecoming and along with fresh local fruits and vegetables welcomed street vendors and artists to participate in the Festival on Main (formerly the Village Festival). The day also included an Esquesing Historical Society walking tour of Downtown Georgetown led by local author and historian Mark Rowe, free performances at the Halton Hills Cultural Centre and much more. A highlight of the event was the Homecoming 2007 Reunion Dance, which took place Saturday night at the SportsPlex. Participants enjoyed a dance and music by local musicians and bands: MAC, Blue Steel, Double Exposure, Boomerang, Neil Cotton & Hawk's Nest and a reunion of Station House. While the party was bumping on Rink B at the SportsPlex, Rink A was reserved for socializing. The rink was set up with tables, beer garden and food and offered a place for those looking for a quiet corner to reminisce. After a hardy-party on Friday and Saturday, Sunday was reserved for church services, the 65th anniversary reunion of the Georgetown Pipe Band, the March of Remembrance and closing ceremonies. All were invited to take part in the march from the Legion along Main Street to Remembrance Park, which was led by the Pipe Band and Branch 120 Colour Guard. Following was a Homecoming Service of Remembrance for those who could not join the festivities and closing ceremony farewells followed. "The nice thing about this compared to a high school reunion is that it's for everybody who's ever lived here," said Fraser. "There are people attending who have only lived here 10 years, even one or two years, but it feels like home to them." The event drew past residents from as far as Alberta, British Columbia, Florida, New York, Arizona, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, even Australia and Switzerland. The turnout was such that organizers are looking for community support for another celebration in 2012 for Georgetown District High School's 125th anniversary. "We had people come from far and wide for this event," said Smallwood. "At a meeting we had discussed how great it would be to have another party for the high school. If enough persuasions are sent into the high school, perhaps we could start up another committee and do it all again." More photos pages 13, 14 William Leslie, second from left, and Harry Vandervoort, right, traded memories of Georgetown Saturday at Georgetown District High School and much to their surprise realized that Vandervoort's father rented a house from Leslie's dad when the Vandervoorts immigrated from Holland when Harry was a boy. Stranger still is that the former Georgetown residents, joined by their wives, Sue Leslie (left) and Linda Vandervoort, now both live in Orillia. Locally born musician Kevin Head, who now resides near Kingston, was reunited with volunteer Linda HallSayer upon registering for the Homecoming 2007 celebrations Friday afternoon at the Mold-Masters SportsPlex. (Below) Not everyone attending the high school reunion had memories of the halls of the current facility. Jean Chappel (Dickie), right, and Helen Murray graduated in 1946 and 1945 respectively. They both attended the old school pictured at the centre of this 1907 graduating class. The pals were both in the pipe band and remember the day the Second World War ended because they got a half day off and that was a big deal then. Top photo Eamonn Maher Bottom photo Sandra Traversy Photo by Brenna Moore Wasn't that a party? Thousands of people joined hands and hearts over the past weekend to express their fondness for Georgetown. We'd like to thank everyone for coming, especially those who came long distances. We are grateful for the financial support we received from the Town and from our business community. Special thanks to MoldMasters staff who helped us make it happen. And to a tireless Georgetown enthusiast, Don Fendley...thanks for a great idea and for providing us with the inspiration to create such a wonderful event. See you next time! The Homecoming 2007 Committee

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