More plans are coming together for next year’s Park Street Collegiate Institute (PSCI) reunion.
Dubbed the PSCI 60 + 1 reunion, the celebration is set to take place July 15-17.
John Winchester, one of the organizers, had been teaching at the school for 26 years when it closed in 2013 after being around for more than half a century.
“It’s so wonderful, years after the school got closed down and then replaced, that we have the school spirit,” he said.
Now they are physically wearing that spirit thanks to T-shirts made by Sean Patrick. They feature a PSCI logo artist Dale Duncan included on her Streets Alive hippie van sculpture.
Reunion organizers encourage people to buy the shirts. A portion of the sales will be donated to the Orillia Youth Centre. Those interested in purchasing shirts can email Patrick at [email protected] for more information.
The weekend festivities will include a dance July 16 at the Barnfield Point Recreation Centre and a restaurant tour the night before, when people from different graduating classes will get to visit a number of restaurants and mingle.
The dance is the only ticketed event. So far, about 150 have been sold. Organizers hope to at least triple that number.
Some people will be coming from as far away as Australia.
That doesn’t surprise Carmen Novosky, one of the reunion organizers.
“Park Street made a huge impact on our lives,” she said. “We’re sad our building’s gone, but our spirit lives on.”
“COVID has also changed our perceptions of what’s important, and I think friendship has become much more prominent,” added Patti Sanderson, another organizer.
Don McIsaac is the one who came up with the idea for PSCI 60 + 1. The reason was simple.
“Always make time to get together with good friends, reminisce and share a few laughs. It was nothing more complicated than that,” he said.
“We have all had some good memories of PSCI and it was an important shaping force in our upbringing. We bonded and got through some difficult times and have kept in touch for all these years as well," McIsaac explained.
He noted any surplus funds will be donated to a local charity, “and we will all be better off for it.”
Plans are also in the works for a celebration of the Park Street Trojans hockey team and a former coach, Brian “Punch” Pounder.
Pete Sanderson will look after the entertainment for the dance. It will feature live music from him and his band as well as other musicians who went to Park Street.
“Hopefully, we get a big mash-up at the end with everyone playing,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to seeing everyone and having fun.”
For ticket information, click here.
Watch for updates on the reunion at the PSCI 60 + 1 Facebook group page.
