By Anne Heggtveit Hamilton

My high school years weresignificantly differentfrom those of most stu-

dents at Lisgar. Certainly I consideredmyself a motivated student, but thatmotivation was tempered by my under-lying goal of wanting to bring homeCanada’s first gold medal in Olympicskiing. That goal became my drivingforce since watching Barbara AnnScott’s arrival home to a ticker tapeparade after winning Canada’s firstgold medal in figure skating in 1948.

In the autumn of 1953 I began atLisgar Collegiate while simultaneouslybeing nominated to attend the WorldSki Championships in Åre, Sweden,which were to take place in the winterof 1953-54. My absence from schoolincluded most of the second semester.Returning to Canada meant putting theskis away and playing catch-up with mystudies in preparation for writing myfinal exams in June. The ski racing sea-son in Europe, however, had been wellworth that extra effort. By mid season,I won my first big international race,the Norwegian Holmenkollen, at age15, and subsequently placed in the topten in the International Ski Federation(FIS) World Ski Championships. Myexams went well so grade ten loomed

in September.Prior to 1959, the Canada Ski

Association did not fund a ski team onan annual basis. Thus, in 1954-55there was no organized training. InJanuary I took some time off school to

train with coach Ernie McCulloch atMont Tremblant. Long thongs and toeplates did not mix well with slalompoles and I sustained a spiral fractureof the tibia and fibula of my left leg.The resulting nerve damage kept me in

the hospital for twelve weeks. Therewere concerns that the leg would notheal, nor would movement in my toesreturn. The six months in a full-lengthcast kept me from negotiating the steepstairs at school for the rest of the year,meaning I had to repeat the scienceclasses but I was given a pass in thehumanities.

The school year of 1955-56 had aninteresting start for me. Once again Iappeared in Mr. Fitzsimons’ chemistryclass, where I shared a bench in thefront row with Rich Little. Mr.Fitzsimons came into the room, spot-ted me, and told me I could leaveimmediately if I planned to be awayskiing again. Like most of the girls, Iwas terrified of Fitzy, as we called himbehind his back. I dared not move and

The newsletter of the Lisgar Alumni AssociationVolume XXV • 1st Issue • Spring 2010

Alere Flammam

Remembering 1960 Olympic Gold

Alere Flammam

I n s i d eMembers’ Forum 2In Memoriam 2Lisgar Archives 4Cheerleader Cameron Hughes 5Meet Your Alumni Executive 7The Sound of Music 8

Lisgar parents have spent signifi-cant time this year following

changes at the school board that haveworrisome implications for the school.

The first is a revision of the schoolboard’s cross-boundary transfer poli-cy. Over the last seven years, this policyhas allowed significant numbers of stu-dents to attend Lisgar from outside itscatchment area. However, certaintrustees felt that this created hardshipfor the schools from which they trans-ferred. The policy was revised thisspring and had an immediate effect.The number of transfers allowed intoLisgar for fall 2010 was reduced from80 to 25 and may be reduced to zeroin future years. Parents are concernedabout the potential effect on Lisgar’senrollment and on some of its pro-grams such as Latin and String Music.

Lisgar Gifted Program Under Threat?The second concern is with the

Board’s ongoing review of the numberand location of secondary Gifted cen-tres. The recommendations underconsideration at present name Lisgaras one of three Gifted centres (of thecurrent five) that will continue to offerthis program. But as the review hasproceeded, it has become evident thatthere is now a new recommendationthat the Board begin phasing out Giftedcentres entirely. At present, Lisgar'sGifted program accounts for well overa third of its total enrollment, and itspresence contributes to the strengthand success of programs and extra-curricular activities available to all stu-dents (e.g., string music, AdvancedPlacement program, Latin, Space Sim,Reach for the Top). Parents across theBoard are concerned, and an effort is

underway to encourage schools thatoffer Gifted programs to sign a jointletter objecting to a phase-out.

Recently, a more immediate threatto Lisgar came in the form of a motionby Trustee John Shea that would haveclosed the school’s Gifted programand retained one at Gloucester H.S.instead. Fortunately, this was defeatedat committee (7-2-2). However,because the Secondary Gifted Reviewrecommendations are still under dis-cussion, the idea could conceivably beresurrected.

The Lisgar School Council and theAlumni Association feel it is essential toensure that information can be sharedwith interested parents and alumniquickly. If you would like to be keptposted on these matters, please e-mailalumni@lisgar.net. ■

OLYMPIC CHAMPION: Alumna Anne Heggtveit Hamilton (1957) speaks at a fundraising dinnerheld for the Alpine Ontario Amateur Ski team at which she was the guest of honour.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6...

Members’ Forum

Alere Flammam • Spring 2010 • Page 2

EditorElizabeth Hale

Layout & DesignAvi Caplan

ContributorsRachel EugsterTracy FinniganMarie FraserJoy Heft

Alere Flammam is the semi-annualnewsletter of the Lisgar AlumniAssociation.

For information contact our office:Telephone: (866) 236-1450E-mail: alumni@lisgar.net

or write:Alere FlammamLisgar Alumni Association29 Lisgar StreetOttawa, OntarioK2P 0B9

Visit us online at http://www.lisgar.net

Janet Jones (1963) wrote: Further toan “In Memoriam” notice in the Fall2009 edition and in response to someconcerned e-mails I received, pleaseassure my friends that the Janet Joneswho attended Lisgar 1959−Nov 1963(and actually graduated fromLaurentian in spring 1964) and spentmost of her career working for thefederal government in Ottawa-Hull isvery much alive and enjoying retire-ment in Victoria, BC, golfing, hikingand gardening.�Neville C. Clark (1959) wrote: I wasthe tenor in the Downbeats (quartet)that Carl organized back then... mid-fifties, and sang with the Downbeats atthe large LCI reunion in or about ’93-’94. I had a couple of my short, shortstories published in the yearbook(’54, ’55, ’56?). I wasn't a disciplinedstudent back then. The most caringteacher I knew was Miss McCrimmon,who helped me to pass grades 10, 11,and 12 French in a single (catch-up)year and not have to write any exam.But I went on to complete a BA inPhilosophy and later a Master's inOrganization Behaviour. I believe mydays at Lisgar were an importantpreparation for many experiences thatfollowed, for example I played univer-sity football for four years and earned

Members’ ForumANDERSON, Elizabeth (1939)

died on August 22, 2009 in New YorkCity. She was the twin sister of PatrickAnderson (1940) and sister of Hughand Thomas (1934). Elizabeth gradu-ated from the Royal Victoria inMontreal as a nurse. Her career tookher to the Sloan-Kettering Institute.ANDERSON, Thomas C. (1934)

died on April 26, 2006. Brother ofElizabeth (1939), Hugh, and Patrick.Thomas served with the RCAF duringthe WWII. He was a Life member of theLisgar Alumni Association. While atLisgar he won several medals for topstudent in various subjects.BLUM , Michael (1961) on

December 16, 2008 in Scarborough,ON. Michael played for five seasonswith the CFL for the Toronto Argonautsand in 1972 earned a Grey Cup ringwith the Hamilton Tiger Cats.BRUNT-TOMPSETT, M. Isabella

(Steeds, 1942) died on May 23, 2009in Abbotsford, BC. She was employedby BC Hydro at Pacific Stage Lines forover 25 years.BURNS, Robert “Bob”(1938) died

on December 25, 2008. Bob joinedthe RCAF in 1939 and after a 25-yearcareer, moved to the CBC to handlereal estate across Canada.CLARK , John (1936) died on

March 17, 2010. John volunteered forservice in WWII and served in theRCAF. He then had a 40-year careerwith the federal public service.COATES, David (1971) died on

September 12, 2009 in Calgary. Davidattended Carleton University where hestudied Geography before moving westto work on oil rigs in Alberta. He laterenjoyed a 20-year career in cartogra-phy with the City of Calgary.CORRIGAN, Shirley (Allan, 1936)

died in Ottawa on November 27, 2009.Shirley enjoyed keeping herself activewith swimming, gardening and bridge.CUNNINGHAM, Robert (1961)DAGG, Charles “Big Charlie” /

“Chuck” (1937) died on May 12,2008. Charlie played football and bas-ketball at Lisgar. He enlisted at the ageof 20 and served almost six years dur-ing WWII on the front lines with the51st Anti-tank Battery, 1st DivisionArtillery. He served in England,France, Italy and Holland. Upon hisreturn to Canada he was employed bythe Department of National Defenceand the Department of Immigration,where he worked for 35 years.FAULKNER , Betty Ann (Roe,

1946) died March 17, 2007.FENTON, Gwenyth (Grant, 1930)

died on August 8, 2009. Gwenythenjoyed lawn bowling and bridge.FRASER, Rosemary (Lamarre,

1965) died on January 5, 2009 inFlorida.HAMILTON, William (1962) died

on October 23, 2009. Bill was a HeadBoy and also a teacher at Lisgar.JACQUES, Keith (1937) died on

November 23, 2008. Following hisgraduation from Lisgar, he joined theArmy Dental Corps during WWII. Heworked for more than 35 years forColonial Furniture when the store wason Bank Street.JONES, Janet (Swerdfager, 1954)

died on July 6, 2008 after a four-yearbattle with cancer. Janet attended theOttawa Teacher’s College and after abrief time as a kindergarten teacher,began a career as a volunteer as shestayed home to raise her children. Shevolunteered for many years with theOakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital,the Canadian Red Cross, and theOakville Symphony Orchestra (whereshe played the violin). In 2002, shewas presented with the Queen’sJubilee Medal in recognition of hervolunteer work.LOGAN, Susan (1970) died on

October 1, 2009. Susan attended theUniversity of Western Ontario and

In Memoriammy athletic letter for doing so... and Ilater went on to run marathons,including the National Capital in thelate ’70s (I think). I continue to be fitand healthy so far as I turn 70 in Aprilthis year. Most importantly I have aregard for language, literature, andthe arts... fostered in some significantway by my years at LCI.�Zoë Gavsie (Davies, 1992), Lorneand Henry welcome Theo CharlesDavies to the family. Born March 3,2010, in London, England, Theocheered for Canada (via kicking)throughout the entire Olympics. Heis still as enthusiastic about hockeyand is a Sens fan.�Heather Render (Fowler, 1966) e-mailed: I just received my newsletterand see that Irenka Farmilo is lookingfor Elizabeth Meleghy. The last I heardof Elizabeth she was working at thelibrary in Morrisburg, Ontario.�Steve Morton (1990) and his wifeBeth Marshall (daughter of LisgarPhysics teacher Mr. Marshall) wel-comed son Rowan on September 16,2008. Like his namesake Mr. Bean,Rowan is an expert in makingfunny faces and is currently work-ing on the humourous pratfall.�Lionel Metrick (1934) wrote in withsome Lisgar memories: Jessie Muirsubmitted her resignation from teach-ing at Lisgar because the Board decid-ed to pay female teachers less thanmales despite having the same qualifi-cations. Ms. Muir taught me Frenchand German in grades 12 and 13(1933-34). Albert Rivers, who was ayear ahead of me, told me that whenMs. Muir asked Lorne Green to attenda rehearsal Wednesday after class forthe French play “Les Deux Sourds,” hereplied, “I’m sorry Ms. Muir, I havebasketball practice.” She replied, “Doyou want to pass your French course?”Albert was short and spoke a littleFrench because he worked in hisfather’s store in the Market. Lorne wastall and noisy and in the play they

screamed at each other, which washilarious. Lorne sang “You’re GettingTo Be A Habit With Me” in the annualplay the following year. At Queen’s he

studied Drama, then did announcingwith the CBC and went on to play PaCartright in Bonanza on TV.

Ms. Muir would march the class

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3...

Members’ Forum

Page 3

off to the assembly hall where therewas a piano to teach us to sing “OhCanada” and “La Marseillaise.” So Iknew how to sing the anthem inFrench but not English. For Ms. Muir,our ability to sing these songs was justas important as the credits for admis-sion to university that many of uscould not afford during the GreatDepression. The University of Ottawawanted Ms. Muir to be the Dean ofWomen there⎯with her ability andcharm, she could have easily been thePresident of the University.

I enclose a cheque to cover thecost of having her photo framed andhung near the Assembly Hall becauseshe exploited its use for public speak-ing for students and staff.�Amanda Ryan (Smithers, 1991) andhusband Paul welcomed ParkerDavid George on September 24,2009. A special thank-you to his gor-geous and patient big brotherCooper, who from their first meet-ing, and every day since, has beencompletely devoted to his littlebrother, “Parks.”�John Dunfield (1937) wrote a letterto the Ottawa Citizen newspaper inresponse to an article columnistDave Brown wrote on November 23,2009 regarding David Rouleau: [thewar] was a terrible price to pay and Ilost many friends⎯with four wholived within one block in Somerset St.near the Driveway. I was fortunate toreturn home in the fall of 1945 aftergoing overseas in January 1940 as anEngineer Sapper and ending up in anInfantry Regiment. My wife Carol(Cory) went to Glebe and I now live ina retirement home in Pembroke to benearer our log summer home and ourchildren. Consequently, we are unableto visit our Alma Maters because ofdistance and age.�Caitlin Fisher (1985) wrote: I directthe Augmented Reality Lab at YorkUniversity and my Canada ResearchChair was recently renewed for a sec-ond term. Located in the Faculty ofFine Arts, we are exploring narrativeand experimental storytelling in aug-

mented reality environments, immer-sive and interactive cinema, and build-ing expressive software tools for artistsand writers so they can make theirown work in this emerging medium. Ialso research in the area of visualiza-tion (our team was recently awardedan $11 Million Ontario ResearchFund/Research Excellence grant) and3D cinema, as part of my work inYork’s Future Cinema Lab.�Morton Baslaw (1942) wrote: Ithought that my Lisgar should knowwhat I’ve been doing! It was the Artteacher (can’t remember his name!)who did so much to stimulate myinvolvement in Art.

[Editor’s note: Morton’s careerhighlights include being a graduateof the Chicago Academy of Fine Art,and having had his work exhibitedthroughout Canada, including at theArt Gallery of Ontario, the O’KeefeCenter, the Confederation Gallery inCharlottetown and the NewBrunswick Museum.]�Giselle Weybrecht (1997) hasrecently published a book entitledThe Sustainable MBA: The Manager’sGuide to Green Business. It is a guidefor those interested in what thebusiness sector can do and is doingin business and sustainability, withlots of tips on how to get involvedand how to bring these ideas to yourown job. �Robert Milks (1944) e-mailed: Igraduated from Lisgar as we celebrat-ed its 100th Anniversary. As a 1-yearstudent from Aylmer, Quebec, I com-muted most of the time by bicycle. Mybest time was door-to-door, home toLisgar, in 30 minutes. That includedclimbing the two hills, Wrightville andWellington St., on a 1-speed bike. Iretired from Scouts Canada asDirector of Public Relations in 1989after 35 years service as a Scout exec-utive. My wife and I moved intoStillwater Creek Retirement Home in2006. One day last year, while wearingmy 160th Lisgar shirt, I was greeted byBetty McKee (Dr.⎯also a grad in the100th Anniversary year). ■

enjoyed a career with Public Worksand Government Services Canada. Shewas a volunteer at the Ottawa LittleTheatre.LONG, Lois (Stevens, 1941) died

on February 4, 2010. Elsa Lessard(1940) wrote: “She has been a closefriend of mine since our first year atLisgar. She taught elementary schoolin Russell before raising a family. Shewas recognized for her more than 35years as a volunteer and pianist at theGood Companions Centre.”RICHARDSON, “Mac” Clifford

McBride (1940) died on December 7,2008. Mac and his wife retired toVictoria, BC 25 years ago following along career in the brewing business

where he was a Chartered Accountant.SCHOFIELD, Margaret “Maggie”

(1952) died on May 8, 2008. She wasa long-time employee of the BritishHigh Commission and IBM Canada, aswell as an avid skier and volunteer.THOM, Edythe, widow of former

Lisgar teacher of 25 years, Earle Thom(who died in the early 1960s), onMarch 10, 2010 in London, ON. Shewas a strong supporter of Lisgar andwas a Life member of the AlumniAssociation. Survived by childrenDouglas (Head Boy 1963-64), Bruce,and Barbara⎯all Lisgar graduates.WILMORE, Barbara (Hart, 1930)

on December 27, 2009. While attend-ing Lisgar, she twice won the Ottawa &District Girls Tennis Championship. ■

In Memoriam (continued)

As any student who has everwalked Lisgar’s hallowed stair-

cases knows, it is a long way up. Butfor some, climbing those stairs is sim-ply not an option.

Lisgar’s designation as a heritagebuilding means structural changes arenot allowed. For many years, thismeant that a physically disabled stu-dent, parent, or teacher, or alumnuscould not enter the school, as everyentrance to the North buildingrequires mounting an imposing flightof stairs.

Recently, a province-wide mandateto make all public buildings universal-ly accessible got Lisgar thinking cre-atively. After several weeks of con-struction work and some shuffling ofstorage rooms, our school is now des-ignated “limited accessibility.”

With painstaking attention todetail, a path was mapped out leadingfrom the ground floor of the Northbuilding to the auditorium⎯ theintention being for a person in awheelchair to be able to attend plays,music nights and information meet-ings. Ease, safety and practicality oftransport were considered, looking atfactors such as the size of landings andthe incline of the floor.

A handsome Super-Trac stairclimber was purchased to overcomethe challenge posed by the stairs. Thisfeat of engineering carries a wheel-chair user up and down the steps, andcan also be wheeled over flat ground.Lisgar’s care staff will receive trainingin its operation.

A new accessible washroom hasalso been installed, a pristine oasisbetween the girls’ and boys’ restroomsnear the auditorium. It occupies thespace formerly used as a StudentCouncil storage room.

At the same time, two doorwayswere modified to accommodate awheelchair’s width: one leading out-side and one into the auditorium. Tenseats were cleared out of the auditori-um, providing enough space for twowheelchairs to sit side by side. Theseating area has a railing and providesprime visibility of the stage.

Lisgar’s staff and students areexcited at the prospect of being able toshare school events with everyone,regardless of their capability to usestairs. While the heritage building des-ignation will prevent the school frombecoming fully accessible to disabledstudents, at least in the near future,these renovations represent forwardmotion⎯whether on legs or onwheels. ■

Alumni Auditorium Now AccessibleBy Tamar Wolofsky

Features

Alere Flammam • Spring 2010 • Page 4

From Joy Heft

Since the last newsletter, we havebeen on the move. “Down

below” has taken on a new look. Allarchival materials were removed fromthe Alumni office and stored in the tun-nel to allow for the office’s renovationfor use three and a half days a week byvisiting counsellors who meet with stu-dents there. The facelift has includedthe installation of numerous cup-boards on each side of the room; theseare of light wood and have the benefitof doors which will protect materialsfrom dust as well as provide moresecurity. Tracy Finnigan has been help-ing with the return and cataloguing ofmaterials, a process which allows us torefresh our memory of these interest-ing items from Lisgar’s history. We arealso attempting to digitize some of ourrecords, and with the help of SylviaKershmann have begun this process.

During the Olympics two eventswere held in Ottawa to honour AnneHeggtveit Hamilton (1957), the firstCanadian woman to win two goldmedals for downhill skiing (SquawValley, CA, 1960). Given the coverageof the latest Olympics it is easier for usto appreciate in retrospect just what afeat it was! One of the events was orga-nized as a fundraiser for amateurdownhill ski competition by theFriends of Camp Fortune. We wereasked if we might be able to contactsome of Anne’s former classmates whomight be interested in attending. Withsuch a short timeline this was a chal-lenge, but we did put the informationon our website, and phone calls weremade to local alumni of the same grad-uating year. A few alumni were presentfor the event despite the inclementweather. A display was mounted in thealumni showcase to honour “Lisgar’sGold,” and featured archival newspa-per articles and Anne’s Olympic skipoles, which form part of our collec-tion. Anne was contacted at a laterdate and graciously agreed to providean article for this newsletter.

As a result of the mention of Alan

Hague in the previous newsletter, aninteresting letter was received fromBob Short, who had been a youngneighbour of Alan. He recalls Alan’sfriendly smile and his playing jump-rope with him and his sisters as hecame home from Lisgar. He alsorecalls Alan giving him his old bikeand his mended football jersey beforesetting off for war. He learned of hisdeath when Alan’s father announcedover the fence to his own “I lost myboy. His plane crashed.” In April2009, Bob and his own son Thom, aMember of the Canadian Air Force, vis-ited Alan’s grave at BrookwoodMilitary Cemetery in England. Enclosedwith the letter was a picture of Alan’sgravestone, in front of which were aCanadian flag and an RCAF flag whichBob and his son had placed there. Bobalso included with his letter the obitu-ary of John Irwin Clark, also a formerLisgar student, who had served inEurope as a navigator on Mosquitoesin the RCAF 418 City of EdmontonSquadron, the same squadron AlanHague had belonged to. John diedMarch 17, 2010.

The school recently received adonation from former alumnus

Lawrence C. Erwin of two books whichhe authored. One of Beurling’s Boyschronicles the story of Lawrence’straining and path to becoming a pilotwith the RCAF during the SecondWorld War. The letter accompanyingthe books indicates that he left OttawaApril 27, 1943, along with 116 othervolunteers from Lisgar, Glebe, Nepeanand Tech. By this time, Lawrence wasattending Tech. Recent correspon-dence from him and others under-scores what an impact the war had onthe lives of young Canadians of thatera. The other book, Surviving theFur Trade, is the story of CaptainDonald Charles McLean, who workedfor the Hudson Bay Company from1813 to 1816; in it Erwin describes theadventure of McLean walking with oth-ers by snowshoe from Moose Factoryto Montreal, where he assisted LordSelkirk in preparing for his journey tothe Red River, during which he cap-tured Fort William. Both books aregratefully received and will join thecollection of Lisgar authors in theschool library.

We continue to receive donationsof memorabilia, most recently of twoVox from 1944 and 1948, donatedanonymously. We have also received adonation from Neville Clark of severalgymnastics crests dating from thefifties. At the same time, we were ableto provide a copy of the 1968 Vox toPeter Stark, who had had a long stand-ing request. As he had designed thecover celebrating Lisgar’s 125thanniversary he was particularly happyto learn he would finally receive thatcoveted issue. Another request camefrom Katerina Wywalec of Toronto,who wanted to surprise Burt Kellockwith copies of the 1949 and 1950 Voxas he celebrated his fiftieth anniversaryof his call to the bar. Katerina, whohad worked for Burt, purchased aLisgar tie to bind these together andreports that Burt was quite movedupon receiving them.

The trivia question in the last issuewas “Who was Lisgar’s longest-servingprincipal?” I do not believe anyone

sent the answer to that question. Thedistinction goes to Dr. A.H. McDougall,a Fellow of the Royal Society, whoserved from 1904 to 1928. He oversawthe expansion of Ottawa CollegiateInstitute to include what is now knownas Glebe Collegiate in 1922, andremained the principal of both schoolsuntil the death of Lisgar’s VicePrincipal I.T. Norris, after which hetook up permanent office at Glebe andrelinquished all but supervisory con-trol of Lisgar from that time until hisretirement in 1931. An outstandingmathematician and outwardly stern, hewas said to be a kindly man who sym-bolized justice. It is he who establishedthe practice of the opening exerciseseach morning in the assembly hallabout which so many elderly alumnispeak fondly. His legacy is highlightedin the following quotation: “It isimpossible to exaggerate the impor-tance of this great educationist, as faras Lisgar is concerned. His personality,his inspiration, his moral fibre shonedown through the years. When finally...he retired he had put his stamp on theeducation of successive generations ofOttawa people as no one else haddone.” ■

From the Lisgar Archives: Notes from “Down Below”

ALAN HAGUE: Lisgar Alumnus’ grave atBrookwood Military Cemetary, England.

LONGEST-SERVING PRINCIPAL: Dr. A.H.McDougall appears in the 1925 Vox Lycei.

Features

Page 5

During the 1989-90 school year,Cameron Hughes was co-presi-

dent of the Lisgar Student’s Council.He could often be found in the gymcheering on various Lisgar teams,leading a parade of students up toParliament Hill in his white Cabrioletconvertible, or leading the Frosh weekfestivities. After graduation, Camattended Bishop’s and became knownfor wearing a watermelon on his headas he cheered for his school.

The magic really started in 1994while at an Ottawa Senators game.During a lull in the game, Cameronstood up and started to dance andcheer. The crowd went wild and therest is history. Hughes created his owncareer that now includes motivatingcrowds from the minor leagues all theway to the big leagues. He travelsthroughout North America, attendinghundreds of sporting events each yearincluding NHL, NBA, CFL, the Grey Cupand the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.Alere Flammam caught up with Camas he was wrapping up his stint at theOlympics and heading off for a welldeserved break.

AF: Cheering is a unique profes-sion. How did you get your start?

CH: There were different starts forsure. One could say I started at Lisgarwhen I didn’t make the basketballteam and decided to cheer for theteam instead. I got painter suits andhelped bring out lots of people to thegames. I was fearless at that time...Then Bishop’s where all hell brokeloose! I wore a carved out watermelonon my head at the football games witha purple cape, signs, and crazy stuff.The first “real” time at a pro game was

An Interview with Cheerleading Pro Cameron Hughes

Jan 9, 1994 at the Civic Centre watch-ing the Sens vs. the Winnipeg Jets...something just came over me and I gotup and danced in my seat!

AF: Who are your clients and howmany events/games do you work peryear?

CH: I work with everyone fromNHL, NBA, ECHL, AHL, CFL, etc... I doabout 80 games per year. Except thisyear it’ll be way more with the recentOlympics.

AF: How did you get invited to par-ticipate at the Vancouver Olympics?

CH: A friend saw a story about thewoman in charge of all production atthe games. I e-mailed her, then e-mailed her again, and then heardback... I kept pursuing it and wow amI glad I did.

AF: Describe what it was like to beat the Olympics.

CH: It was an honor. It was incred-ible. It was exhausting. It was thegreatest highlight of my career. To bea Canadian, to represent your country

at the games, to cheer on Canada(though I had to be “neutral”) and tohave worked this hard to get there.

AF: How many games did you workat and what was the most memorablefan experience you had there?

CH: I worked 24 games total—6women’s and 18 men’s. The mostmemorable would be getting an Asianman in his 70s up dancing and gettingthe entire crowd going wild. I loveusing what I do to get others to shineand have their moment. It’s what it’sall about.

AF: You were featured on theToday Show during the Olympics.What was that like?

CH: A thrill! Even getting up at 4:30AM wasn’t too bad! They were all sonice, professional, and fun to bearound. They were as nice on cameraas off.

AF: Now that the Olympics areover, what will you do next?

CH: Continue to do events... NYKnicks, NJ Devils, OK City Thunder,etc. And develop my Company—TheCHEER FACTORY. Maybe I’ll even hit abeach!

AF: When you were at Lisgar, whatcareer path did you think you wouldtake?

CH: I thought I’d be an entrepre-neur of some kind.

AF: Who was your greatest influ-ence at Lisgar?

CH: Barrie Laughton for sure. Hewas my Geography teacher, but alsomy Guidance man for a bit and when Iwas student president, he was theteacher liaison. He allowed me to leadand find my own way... by far thegreatest influence. He believed in stu-dents and let them learn their way—as in make mistakes. Have us controland take ownership of our own paths.And I’d have to add Bill Fraser. If hehad put me on the Lisgar basketballteam would I be here right now?!?Hmm... and props to Mr. Qadri. Just agentle, kind, person.

AF: Where do you see yourself inten years?

CH: Very happy! Lisgar was a veryspecial place for me. It allowed me toreally grow. We had special group ofpeople over a period of a few years.People wanted to be involved, supportone another, do well in school andhave fun. I certainly tried to perfect thelatter! GO LORDS! ■

PROFESSIONAL FAN: Cameron Hughes (1990) cheers on crowds at the Vancouver winter Olympics.

We are delighted to report that 23alumni have become Life Memberssince the Spring 2009 issue of AlereFlammam. They are:

A. Patrick B. Anderson (1940)Molly Bell (1992)D. A. Cushman (1966)Peter Dufour (1950)Tracy Finnigan (1973)Geraldine Fortune (Atkinson, 1948)Janet Fraser (1977)Eileen Galazka (Chequer, 1940)David Girvin (1959)

Phyllis-Ann Harvey (Payan, 1959)Jean Hemphill (Hathaway, 1947)Edythe Jacobson (1963)Susan Keene (Warner, 1965)Krishan Khanna (1992)David Lamperd (teacher)Ray Laws (1957)Alex Newcombe (1973)Lourita Nigra (Bradley, 1954)Myra Palmer (1948)Elizabeth Schwartz (2002)Anita Shlien (2003)Gloria Somerville (Jones, 1962)Margaret Thorsell (Klein, 1964)Sally van Oudenol (Steeds, 1951)

Life Members

Lisgar Class of 1990 ReunionDid you graduate in the late 80’s or early 90’s? If so, join the class of 1990in celebrating its 20th anniversary reunion this July 3-4. The morning ofSaturday, July 3 Principal David McMahon will be giving a tour of the

school, and later that evening grads will gather at a local restaurant for apub night. Sunday, July 4 will include a family brunch, and other activitiesare also in the works such as a scavenger hunt. Door prizes will be awardedat the pub night. For more details and information contact Elizabeth Hale at

aerhale@rogers.com.

Features

Alere Flammam • Spring 2010 • Page 6

Marcia Almey (Krantzberg, 1957)Paul Bennett (1973)Irene Broad (Woolford, 1943)William Broughton (1953)Brian Burke (1974)Laleah Carscallen (1970)Peter Chance (1939)Jana Clarke (Stepan, 1959)Jean Crawford (Maginnes, 1938)Sheila Creed (Bowser, 1942)Fletcher Cross (1954)Douglas Cushman (1966)Joan Doubt (Klaas, 1961)Richard Drolet (1957)James Dunlop (1950)Ken Eades (1958)Mary Rose Gagné (Robert, 1955)Dr. James H. Graham (1935)Ian Halliday (1945)Robert C. Hill (1953)Barry & Mary Holt (Hart, 1950/51)Paul Hudson (1950)Neil Johnstone (1956)Douglas Jones (1965)Jean Kapur (Mulvie, 1943)Kelly Santini LLPJoan Kenney (Connery, 1947)Christine Kilpatrick (Gnaedinger, 1962)David KlueyHeather Koebel Dr. Tom Kovesi (1979)Helene Kruidenier (parent)

Brenda Lailey (Clarke, 1965)David Lamperd (staff)John Lamont (1974)Barrie Laughton (1961)Helen Lee (Way-Nee, 1944)Valerie Leesing (De Laute, 1953)Dorothy Leith (Kropp, 1945)Katherine LuRobert G. McMichael (1976)Herb Meincke (1950)William Melanson (staff)Lionel Metrick (1934)John Milliken (1950)Dr. D. K. Mills (1944)Elizabeth O’Connor Myra Palmer (1948)Margaret Pineiro (Isnor, 1952)Karen PoirierCheryl Reynolds (1967)Agnes RichardsonStephen H. Saslove (1966)W. C. Lance Schwerdfager (1969)Ida Schjelderup (Hundevad, 1946) Leila Shahparaki (1991)Colin Shaw (1942)Robert A. Short (1958)Fairlie Sills (Dale, 1936)Shan Soe-Lin (1999)Donald Whittemore (1945)Charlotte Witty (1945)J. Angus Wyatt (1936)

just stayed in my seat, knowing fullwell that I would be off to the winterOlympics in Cortina, Italy. It was atough year and my leg was verypainful. By the end of the season Istarted to place in the top twelve againand I was thrilled that my teammate,Lucile Wheeler, won a bronze medalin the Olympic downhill. Arrivinghome one week before the midtermexams, I borrowed the best chemistrynotes to be found and shut myself inmy bedroom for a week. Garnering amark of 91, the highest mark in theclass, Mr. Fitzsimons couldn’t say anegative word and I stayed in the class!This probably was my most memo-rable moment at Lisgar and I passedthe rest of my exams in June.

The school year of 1956-57, Grade12, would be my last year at Lisgar. Imanaged to sprain an ankle in Aspenat the Roch Cup, which was probably agood thing as I concentrated on finish-ing Grade 12 and a couple of Grade 13subjects as well. The next two yearswould be spent concentrating on ski-ing prior to the 1960 winter OlympicsGames in Squaw Valley California.

I had a very understanding princi-pal, Mr. Strader, who accepted the factthat I was getting an education frommy travels and participation in inter-national sport. My travels so far hadtaken me to Austria, Germany,Switzerland, France, Italy, Norway andSweden, as well as the United States. Inmy final year several of my teacherstook me aside and kindly suggestedthat I should not overlook continuingmy formal education in the future.They were well-meaning, but at thattime I had a very different future inmind—and I also grew up in a timewhere higher education was not con-sidered necessary for young women!

During the winter of 1957-58 theWorld Ski Championships were heldin Bad Gastein, Austria. My teammateLucile Wheeler Vaughan broughthome two gold medals. I had placed inthe top ten a few times and felt I hadthe potential to be the next medalist.In 1959, Canada sponsored a team totrain in Europe. With Lucile’s retire-

ment, I was now the senior woman inthe group. Returning home in thespring with several wins and the title ofthe first North American to win theArlberg Kandahar, I felt ready for1960.

In the autumn of the 1959-60 skiseason, I went to Austria with NancyHolland, a teammate, to train withPepi Salvenmoser, who had been mytrainer since my first year in Europe.We were to take in the first two racesof the season before heading to thewestern United States to meet up withthe rest of the Canadian contingent.While training for the race inGrindelwald, Switzerland, I was hit inthe leg with a shovel by a packer onthe course and had to find a doctor tostitch it up before hitting the slalomhill for practice.

Once again I was really lucky! And,how fortunate I was to achieve my goaland bring back Canada’s first goldmedal in Olympic skiing. That over-whelming moment and the covetedticker tape parade through Ottawa’sstreets gave way to a contract withDuPont of Canada and the subsequentmeeting of my future Husband, RossHamilton.

There were many heady moments,like attending a dinner of thirty-fivepeople for Queen Elizabeth and PrincePhilip. I have been fortunate to meetnumerous Hollywood stars, PrimeMinisters, and Governors General, aswell as to have been introduced toPresident Ford by Prime MinisterTrudeau. But I value just as much theexcellent teachers that I was so fortu-nate to have studied with at Lisgar.

For many years I nagged myself, ifonly… if only… if only I had donemore with my education. I had a cou-ple of accounting classes fromConcordia University in Montrealunder my belt when I attended Lisgar’s140th birthday party. It was then that Iset a new goal: to get a bachelorsdegree before the 150th reunion! Part-time courses filled the bill until ourtwo children graduated university.Finally, at age 50, I became a full-timestudent to finish my BSc in Accountingat Trinity college in Burlington,Vermont. It was so much fun I didn’t

want to stop, but there is only so muchtime and there are so many things todo. Who knows... maybe there will betime for some fun courses down theroad.[Editor’s note: Olympic gold

medallist and Lisgar alumna AnneHeggtveit Hamilton (1957) washonoured at two events in Ottawaduring the 2010 winter Olympics.During the first event, held February25 at the Canadian Ski Museum, IvoKrupka, chair of the museum,praised Anne as a person of charac-ter possessing the discipline andgrace of a true champion, an inspi-ration and a role model to other ath-letes. Anne was also the guest ofhonour that evening at a fundrais-ing dinner for the Alpine OntarioAmateur Ski team held at theBritannia Yacht Club. We are proudto count Anne among our alumniand grateful that she agreed to shareher memories of her years of compe-tition.] ■

Olympic Gold (continued)

This year marks the first time theAlumni Association has raised

membership fees in over ten years. AnAnnual Membership is now $20 and aLife Membership $120. We also madean appeal last fall as we experienced ashortfall due to the economic down-turn. Many of you responded by mak-ing generous donations. We received$3,805 in general donations, $120 forscholarships, and $1,105 for theorchestra and band. These funds aremost appreciated and will help us tosupport worthwhile projects andendeavours that will make Lisgar evenbetter!This spring, your donations and

memberships are funding a mobilemultimedia workstation for thelibrary. These carts hold a laptopcomputer and projector and arealways in high demand. ■

Your Dollarsat Work

2009 Donors

Features

Page 7

• Barbara Mendel (1980)After graduating from Lisgar, Barbaraattended the University of Toronto.Following the completion of herdegree, she worked in the book pub-lishing industry in Toronto for severalyears. She returned to Ottawa in 1993,and has been working at theDepartment of Foreign Affairs andInternational Trade in Ottawa and inSingapore since that time. She is mar-ried and has two children, both ofwhom are headed shortly for Lisgar.• Tracy Finnigan (1973)For the last two years Tracy has beensending out memorabilia to Lisgaralumni. She has also helped to preparevarious displays including those set upfor Remembrance Day and for the Wallof Fame inductees.

As a Lisgar student, she held sever-al positions including manager of theGirls’ Basketball Team, drama makeupartist, and Vox bookkeeper. From1973 to 1976 she studied French andGerman at the University of Ottawa,and in 1976 she moved to St. John’s,NF, where she completed her HonoursFrench and Bachelor of Educationdegrees from Memorial University.

In July 1989 she returned to Ottawawith her three young sons. That fall shebegan her 16 years with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, teach-

ing French and Special Education for13 years, and serving as an elementaryschool Vice-Principal and Principal forone and two years respectively.

Since her retirement, she has beentaking ballroom dance and wirewrap-ping (jewelry) lessons. As active mem-bers of the Ottawa Lapsmith andMineral Club, she and her husbandmake jewelry in stone and silver andtravel around the world to dig rocks.• Rod Hagglund (1965)Rod is a retired public servant whospent most of his career working onpolicy development for Canada’snational pension programs. He joinedthe Alumni Executive shortly after theschool’s 140th reunion, and has beenChair for more than the past 15 years.Some of his most satisfying activities

with the Alumni Association have beencoordinating the 160th reunion andthe 2009 Athletic Wall of Fame induc-tions. “What’s wonderful about thoseexperiences is seeing the way otherswill rally around and do whatever isneeded to help you out. It’s just a greatgroup,” he says. He also values theopportunities he’s had to share theexperiences of older Exec members,now retired, such as George Toller,Milton Shaffer, and Margaret Pippy.

Rod is the proud father of twoLisgar alumnae, his daughters Andreaand Wendy, and has hopes of perhapsseeing his grandchildren at Lisgarsome day.• Joy Heft (teacher)2010 marks the fortieth anniversary ofJoy’s coming to Lisgar as a member of

the French Department, shortly afterher marriage that same year. A nativeof Northern Ontario and a graduate ofthe University of Toronto, she hadtaught three years in Oshawa andScarborough prior to her time atLisgar. She withdrew from teachingwhile raising her family but profited bycontinuing her studies in French andqualifying as a French HonoursSpecialist. She returned to Lisgar in1989 as member of the Languagesdepartment and served for some yearsduring the 90’s as Minor DepartmentHead.

Joy retired in 2002, having taughtfor all but one principal since the sev-enties. She now works as a supplyteacher and as Archivist of the AlumniAssociation. Two of her children,Rachel and Tristan are Lisgar gradu-ates; Tristan married Lee Ming Quach,also a Lisgar graduate, in October2009.• Steve Sansom (1989)Steve returned to Ottawa in 2006 afterseveral years in Montreal, Kingston,and Toronto. He attended an Executivemeeting in 2008 and discovered thatwas really all it took to become amember of the Alumni Executive. Hekept attending meetings, started votingon things, helped out with somearchive-related projects, and inJanuary 2009 he took on a title(Secretary)!

Steve says: “I invite anyone whowants to edit a newsletter or plan areunion to come to an Executive meet-ing and see what happens!” ■

Meet Some ofYour AlumniExecutive

ALUMNI EXECUTIVE: Back: Avi Caplan (2000), Steve Sansom (1989), Rod Hagglund (1965), TracyFinnigan (1973), David McMahon (Principal). Front: Barb Mendel (1980), Joy Heft (teacher, 1970-74, 1990-2002), Elizabeth Hale (1990), Sylvia Kershman (1942). Absent: Marie Fraser (1984).

Do you have any contact information?Please forward it to the Alumni office.

Claire Anfossie (Bruce, 1951)Andreea Balteanu (2002)Donald Bennett (1957)Elizabeth Budi (Kekanovich, 1950)Marena Charron (1998)Hartman Chung (1990)Adrienne Clarkson (Poy, 1956)Joscelyn Cosh (1944)Martha Coughlin (Dent, 1933)Shirley Cummings (Stotesbury, 1946)Edmond Edwards (1959)Myfanwy Elliott (Millward, 1939)

Joel Feldman (1966)Stuart Fenton (1940)Alexandra Fotiou (1984)Matthew Fox (1989)Alfred Friedman (1952)Elizabeth Fripp (Thompson, 1945)Cherilyn Golub (Nichol, 1967)Joan Gordon (Ashton, 1949)R. Murray Grant (1947)May Hambly (Lathe, 1928)Fred Heeney (1957)Anne Hicks (Wharrie, 1960)James Hilton (1932)Ann Holman (Boyd, 1955)Joan Kirk (Duncan, 1942)Andrew Kniewasser (1944)Thomas Kritsch (1960)John (Joe) Leggett (1941)Ellis Lindsay (1989)

Stephen Lister (1978)Andrea Lobo (1992)Garth Macdonald (1966)Hassan Masum (1989)Hyder Masum (1992)Barbara Mathison (Maddeaux, 1960)Robert Maudsley (1956)Georgie Mccuaig (1934)Mark Meed (1971)Donald Mills (1949)Liam Morland (1996)Derek Neal (1985)May Nickson (Shaw, 1937)Wesley Nicol (1951)Gretel Nieboer (Bates, 1957)James Olson (1970)Jasia Pietrzak (1993)Robert Pitfield (1974)Lucy Poaps (Connelly, 1947)

Charles (Tim) Potts (1981)Joan Quain (Chrysler, 1942)Kerry Riley (1969)B. Mary Senior (Robson, 1940)Sol Shabinsky (1951)Lois Smith (Collard, 1948)Jennifer Stein (Kassie, 1994)Thomas Stewart (1939)Jane Struthers (Minott, 1937)Inez Sunderland (Smith, 1938)Joyce Taylor (1985)Edythe Thom (Gruben)Raimond Tullius (1992)Andrew Watson (1948)George Webb (1960)Shirley Weeks (Pratt, 1939)Sylvia Wilkinson (Neal, 1954)Frank Woodruff (1947)

Missing LifeMembers

Features

Alere Flammam • Spring 2010 • Page 8

FOLLOW EVERY RAINBOW: Lisgar’s production of The Sound of Music is featured in the 2000 Vox Lycei. Today, ten years later, cast and orchestra members are findingtheir dreams: Wallis Giunta (2003) is a young opera singer “heading for stardom,” according to the Globe and Mail; James Clark (2000) and Karin Plyler (2001) are for-eign service officers in training; Eric Weese (2000) will take up a faculty appointment at Yale University in the fall. Do you know where others are? Write in and tell us.