Growing up on Texada Island creates a bond among young people that lasts a lifetime, say the organizers of the island’s first ever high school reunion.
Georgean “George” Childress (née Armstrong) and Rob Diggon were among the Texada Junior High School (TJHS) “graduates” from grade 10 in 1975. In those days, island students didn’t have to travel to Powell River to attend Max Cameron Secondary School until grades 11 and 12. They’ve spent a year trying to contact classmates from 1975 and 1976 to attend the weekend-long shindig August 1 and 2.
“People were really excited to hear about the reunion,” said Childress, who expects about 80 people to attend.
The reunion was Diggon’s idea and last summer he approached Childress, who operates the concession at Shelter Point Park and is involved in organizing numerous Texada events. Together, they started contacting people through word-of-mouth, social media and networking among classmates’ siblings. While most of their fellow graduates have left the island, many come back for visits and Diggon estimates they’ve reached three quarters of the grads from the two years.
“It’s been really fun to contact people,” said Childress, who adds that the reunion is about reconnecting and sharing memories. “We all knew each other really well and had great school spirit. There’s a true camaraderie among those of us who grew up together and judging from the positive responses, the connectedness has survived the years.”
Shared memories of school experiences, such as skiing at Forbidden Plateau, touring the Royal BC Museum in Victoria, “slave days” where the boys were slaves for the girls and participating in sports teams and cheerleading helped bond the students of the day.
They chose BC Day holiday weekend for the event to enable more grads living off-island to attend. It is also Texada’s annual Sandcastle Weekend and Childress hopes a group of grads will participate in the traditional Saturday morning parade through Gillies Bay.
The reunion’s main event is the Saturday evening dinner-dance at the Community Hall. Grads are encouraged to bring mementoes of their TJHS years for a “memory” table. The Dennis Fox Band from Powell River will be performing. Fox was a TJHS grad from 1976. Classmates from other years will be operating the bar, serving food and carrying out other volunteer duties. On Sunday, following the sandcastle competition, reunion attendees will gather at Bella Maria Campground for an afternoon barbecue. The cost for the whole weekend is $50 per person.
Diggon said if the event is as successful as they hope it will be, the experience will become a template for reunions in future years.
One TJHS grad living in the Lower Mainland who hopes to attend is Phil Bedard, who describes his classmates as a close-knit group. “There was always something going on, from summer beach parties to winter skating on the lakes with campfires to stay warm.”
Bedard says the school, which at one time went to grade 12, downsized dramatically after the Texada Iron Mine shut down “and families left in hordes. Those who were left really stuck together and it was always enjoyable.”
For more information about the reunion, readers can contact Childress at 604.578.8780 or [email protected].
