Northern alumni planning big reunion next spring

Julie Ann Bertram

Special to the Tribune

Over 50 years ago, Northern Secondary (Ecole secondaire Northern Secondary School as it was named at the time) opened for English, French, and Indigenous students – all learning together and from each other. Thousands of people have walked through those high school doors, not only to get an education but to create bonds that have lasted a lifetime through collective coming-of-age memories.

Sylvie Vannier, a former student and teacher, is helping organize a delayed (due to Covid) 50th Anniversary celebration slated for next year’s long weekend in May, 2025. She’s getting the word out early so that alumni and former faculty members have time to plan a visit to Sturgeon Falls to celebrate together over three days of planned events, May 16, 17, 18, 2025. “We have a committee set up, co-chaired by Barry Bertrand and Peggy Thompson. The committee members are all still living around here: Daniel Stevens, Jane Commanda, Karen Pigeau and Sandra Spooner. We will be working together to make this reunion a wonderful time for everyone. We’re calling it a “Braves” reunion because we were all Braves. At Northern, for all of us, it really was a time of coming together,” Vannier says.

She is running the social media side of things, and comment on the Northern Secondary School Alumni (E.S.N.S.S) Facebook page, “We were proof that three languages and three cultures worked and thrived together – respecting and learning from each other’s differences and culturesr.” The Facebook Alumni page has over 1,400 members now, reminiscing, sharing pictures, and commemorating beloved teachers and friends. There is also an Instagram page where alumni are encouraged to share pictures – @esnorthernssreunion2025.

There will be something for everybody at this much-anticipated reunion, “registration will be on the Friday night, and then maybe walking around the school finding our old lockers, seeing the plants and how they’ve grown in the ‘jungle’ courtyard, a dinner and dance or wine and cheese on Saturday, maybe a softball game on Sunday,” Vannier enthuses. “We’re also going to have a 50th reunion logo and have t-shirts and hoodies made that people can buy on the website (…) It’s not all done yet, but every single person working on everything is all Northern alumni.”

The buzz is starting early so everyone can save the date. “We’re hoping that the community will be excited for this as well and get involved so it’s spectacular! Most everybody knows somebody that’s gone to Northern over the last five decades, a friend, a sister, brother, neighbour (…) It’s bringing families, friends, and the whole community together,” beams Vannier, already excited and impatient for the big event.