Yellowknife (July 02/04) - Shirley Coumont, Carla Maxwell and Leslie Goit giggle and point out old friends as they surf through the 1984 edition of the Sir John Franklin Echo yearbook.

The three women, huddled around a picnic table outside the school, say they haven't changed much in the 20 years since high school graduation -- but sky-high hair and band shirts are nowhere in sight today.

They want to find out if the same can be said for their 122 classmates. They should get the answer to that question at their reunion, July 2-4.

"It's really nice to keep in contact with the people you graduated with," says Coumont.

Many of her classmates live in town, teaching, working for the government and owning their own businesses, she says.

The women can list off who is doing what, and where in town they are living, as they pick photos out of the book.

"When you live in the same town, there's always some other connection," says Coumont.

Others are scattered around the world, living as far away as Germany and Jamaica. They won't make it to the reunion, but grads from British Columbia and Alberta will be there.

When asked if it's unique for so many grads from one class to stay in their hometown, the women shrug it off.

"I've got no ambition to leave, no reason to leave," says Goit, who labels her high school self as half jock/half partier.

"Our kids will go to Sir John," she says.

Coumont's oldest son is enroled in Grade 9 in the fall.

Coumont, Goit and Maxwell, along with friends Tracy Makarenko, Terry Hall and Susan Huvenaars, have been working on the three-day reunion for months.

Using classmates.com and their yearbook, they managed to find 86 out of 122 classmates. Two had passed away since graduation.

Thirty-three grads have confirmed for Friday's meet and greet at the school, where principal Mieke Cameron will give them a tour of the renovated school.

Saturday's dinner and dance at The Racquet Club may prove to be rowdy, especially after Coumont shows a slide show of incriminating photos.