Past students and teachers of George P. Vanier, informally known as Vanier House, take a tour to see how their old school has changed.--NEWS PHOTO SAMANTHA JOHNSON
reporter@medicinehatnews.com
The day of the George P. Vanier School reunion started out with a tour of what used to be the school and is now 13 Street, informally called Vanier House, a home for people with developmental disabilities who have a secondary diagnosis of dementia or higher medical needs. A group of about 20 past students and teachers, along with a few parents, showed up for the tour.
Brydon Marchand, a past student, was congratulated on coming up with the idea and making it happen. Shelley Pennifold, co-ordinator at 13 Street, gave the tour. There were lots of balloons and one long wall was dedicated as a tribute to past students, with photos along with dates they attended the school.
13 Street opened its doors nearly 11 years ago and Pennifold helped with the design, such as adding wider doors and walk-in showers with drain floors.
“As you age in place, you also become more frail and need more total care. Lots of people come in walking and singing and dancing and as they age in place, they need more assistance.”
The school had five classrooms which are now divided into bedrooms for the 10 residents. Several residents attended the school and were taken to CORE Association in the afternoon for the reunion.
“People who are living there now have touched so many people’s lives in this community,” stated Pennifold.
Edna LaBrosse, a resident of Medicine Hat, was a teacher at George P. Vanier School starting in the early 1980s and moved with the students when they went to Herald School.
“There were three little boys – Brydon, Kenny and Clayton – and we used to call them the Three Musketeers because they were all about the same size and if one couldn’t answer something the other one would help them. They were sort of like triplets.”
The reunion was like being reunited with a large, extended family, all sharing in the memories of working there.
“It really take you back and going to the 13 Street that used to be the school,” said LaBrosse. “That was quite an experience. It’s so different and it’s such a good thing.”
At the reunion, one room was dedicated to visiting and eating and the other had a running slideshow along with all of Marchand’s yearbooks and a photo album from the early 1970s. The place was full by 1 p.m. when the reunion started and more past students and teachers kept arriving. Marchand was walking around greeting everyone with a big smile on his face, mirroring everyone else who was there.
