Cheerleader

On a cold fall day, I snapped cheerleader Debbie Sutherland going through the cheer leading routine for a football game.

Talent Show

The guitar player's name is Rita Gabriel. She played the guitar and sang for the talent show.

Sister Mary Jane Trimble

I believe that the above shot is the library club. Seated is Sister Mary Jane Trimble, the librarian. She doesn't have an online bio like some of the other nuns, however she seems to be the archivist for the Sisters of Saint Joseph, as well as the author of a book on TS Eliot, published in the 1950's. The female student in the picture, is Sharon Vitali.

Update: The lads are Michael Gordon (L) & Derek Gordon (R).

Horsing Around

Tony Seaver and Dan Dalby were fooling around in the hallway to the change rooms near the gym. I tried to catch the action, but at the last minute Dan fell backwards throwing the whole pic out of focus.

Graham See's First Year of Teaching

The above pic was snapped during Graham See's first year of teaching at OCHS. The face just barely visible in the frame belongs to Vince Gedge.

Halloween Dance Costume

I am relying on readers for a name for this person. The photo was taken at a Halloween Dance in 1971, I believe.

Update: A comment was left indicating that this might be Stephen O'Shea. And the name now rings a bell.

Update Part Le Deux: A reader has graciously left a comment stating that Joanne Bond is in the prison stripes and Bob Lack can be seen over her left shoulder. This is gotta be from memory as there are very little visible clues. (I am always amazed that I cannot remember things and yet when twigged by a reader with a name, it all comes flooding back. I remember Joanne Bond vividly once her name was called.)

Update Part Le Trois: I was so intrigued about the background that I went back to the high res scan of the negative, clipped the background and ran it through the equalize and white balance filters. I discovered first of all that the negative was backwards -- ie. horizontally flipped. Joanne's number should be 00001 and not the other way around. The background is still fuzzy, but here is a better look at the people in the shadows -- digitally enhanced of course. And now that I look at this, it seems that I sort of remember the dude in the white tee shirt. I think that his first name is Gary. Corrections are welcome.

Update: Bob Lack, In Pace Requiescat, 1999.

Sr. Conrad Lauber Getting Shot

This is a relatively rare shot (pun intended) of Sister Conrad Lauber while she still wore a habit of the Sisters of Saint Joseph. Times changed quickly and soon the habits were gone.

The Sidelines

Paul Smegal (without helmet) comes grinning to the sidelines after a play. Danny O'Neill (number 10) and Andre Grotenhuis greet him.

Update: The fellow in the centre of the picture with his hands in his pockets is Steve Knight. See the Comments.

Karen Smegal and Kathy Seaver

Karen Smegal and Kathy Seaver are up to no good in the hallway.

As a matter of interest, the doorway that they are in front of, was in the northwest corner of the school and it was the photo club darkroom.

Ron Yanch Sleeping on the Bus

Ron Yanch sleeps on the bus after a class trip to Stratford.

Watching the Game

I snapped the above frame at a football game. This dude was in Grade 9, but my mind draws a blank when it comes to recalling his name.

Update: A reader has left a comment saying that they are 99% sure that this is a pic of Jack Lehman. And when I read it I immediately thought that it was about right. The only other Lehman that I was aquainted with, was a Brendan Lehman.

It Goes On and On My Friend

These fashion show shots go on and on. However the central theme is how dated the fabrics are. This looks like a pair of pajamas. Speaking of which, why are pajamas plural and bra is singular? They should teach those answers in English class.

Kathy Seaver and Vicki Lupton

With visible emotion on her face, Kathy Seaver learns that she has been named Snow Queen. Vicki Lupton looks on.

Sister Conrad and Mr. Gentry At the Football Game

On a chilly November day, Sister Conrad and Herbert Gentry enjoy watching a football game. There was a lot of spirit in the school and almost everyone came out to watch the big games.

The well-clad legs just visible in the foreground belong to a teacher named Mrs. Ferguson.

Update: Herbert James Gentry was my great-grandfather. It was truly a pleasure seeing these pictures online. This particular one is a broken image. If possible, can you email me a copy of this picture? I'd very much like it for my family history album.

Thank you again. I'm so thrilled to see that he touched your life.

(My comments: Wow! great grandfather. Makes me feel old. If this pic is a broken link for anyone else, let me know. I see it fine. Of course I will send the pics to Mr. Gentry's great grand daughter.)

Canadian Thanksgiving

Tomorrow I am flying from the Caribbean back to our home in the foothills of Quebec. I am returning for Canadian Thanksgiving, and only my second time home this year. It will be a short visit. I will not be putting up OCHS memories here for the duration of the visit.

I will return to posting in 5-6 days. Happy Thanksgiving.

Below is a pic from the archives. It comes from 1971. A policeman stands across from the old Queen's Hotel in front of the Armouries on Simcoe Street, downtown Oshawa. (Thanks Dan for the correction. I originally called it the Genosha Hotel).

Stanley Karwowski

Stanley Karwowski sits at the table after Kangaroo Court is finished. Sister Conrad Lauber is at the far left of the picture. Other people that I can identify in the crowd are : Danny Cannon with his face smeared with goop; Hubert Schillings and Terry Hopkins.

John Coleman and Carolyn Corrigan

I shot an entire series of frames in the classrooms, and this one comes from Geography class, where the students were working independently when Blair Morris was absent. Shown is Carolyn Corrigan and John Coleman behind her.

Graham See's Swan Song

It was a strange student assembly. It was very close to the year end in Grade 13, and during class time, we had an assembly that was a comedy show of sorts. Teachers and students did comedy skits. For the first time in five years, I saw Herbert Gentry let loose on stage and he was genuinely funny. Peter Bambrough and Paul Coros were hilarious as well. Peter was dressed in drag.

Graham See took the stage. He had already announced that he and his wife were leaving Canada and returning to Australia. He had bought a football helmet (some team in the National Football League -- he enjoyed American football better than Canadian football) and used it as a prop in his skit.

It was a strange time for us students as well. For many of us, it was the end of a five-year sojourn at OCHS, where we had made the transition from children to grown-ups. The future was ahead of us, and we didn't have the luxury of a thirty year retrospective (yikes -- I can't believe it has been thirty plus years). Somehow, some way, comedy was appropriate.

Geography Field Trip -- Serpent Mounds

The above picture is an artifact of our geography field trip to Serpent Mounds Provincial Park in Grade 12. This is one of the excavated burial mounds of the Indians who lived in the Peterborough area eons ago.

Gary Ranalli in Front of School

Gary Ranalli strolls through the traffic circle to the front door of the school with the ever ubiquitous smile on his face. Check out the cars.

More Kangaroo Court Shots

In a badly scratched negative, Sandra Mozic (back to camera) confers with a classmate after student initiation and kangaroo court is finished. There is an earlier shot with Sandra facing the camera.

Reader update: The girl with the glasses is Mary Ellen Barrett.