Amanda Vaughan
Northern News Services
Friday, July 6, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Sir John Franklin's class of 1987 has long since spread from Yellowknife to the far corners of the planet, but this weekend they're coming back to compare notes, reminisce and make old friends new again.

Eight graduates from the class have been planning their 20-year reunion since last October, and it promises a fun filled weekend. So if you're a longtime Yellowknifer and you see a face in town this week that reminds you of someone you went to high school with, maybe take a second glance.

One of the organizers, Diana Curtis (nee Williams), says it all started on the internet.

"We started out on Classmates.com, and built a database by email from there," said Curtis. They compiled information on where people had gone when they could get a hold of them, and also asked people to put them in touch with other '87 grads that the organizers had missed. In total, the group found 80 of the approximately 115 students who attended Grade 12 at SJF in '87, and Curtis said that about half of those contacted appear to be coming to the reunion.

She is extremely excited to see school chums she hasn't seen in a long time.

"Some of us have kept in contact a bit like exchanging Christmas cards and such, but it will be great to catch up with these people face to face," she said.

Monica Kirkland (nee McGrath) said she is curious to catch up with the two guys known as the "class clowns", one of whom, Dan Lower, she is sure will attend.

"They were just a riot to be around," she said," we always found them entertaining."

Kirkland lives in Edmonton, and has returned to Yellowknife about once a year to visit family, though she says she only has one sister who lives here now.

Chris Bacchus is likely the '87 student travelling farthest for the reunion, flying from Australia to attend. He missed the 10-year reunion, and is eager to see many people who hasn't seen since the day they left school.

"I told myself when the 20 year came around, no matter where I was, I would go to it," he said.

Curtis, Kirkland Bacchus and fellow organizer Steve Van Dine met with Yellowknifer at the school for a photo op and some quick pre-reunion meeting.

The four all said they were the most excited to attend the main event, which is a party at the Racquet Club on Saturday night, which should have the biggest turnout. The weekend's festivities also include a tour of SJF on Saturday afternoon and a family barbecue at Fred Henne Park on Sunday afternoon. The barbecue is also something they are anticipating.

"I am curious to see people's kids and families," said Curtis and Bacchus, and the other two agreed, touching on a key point of change. Van Dine expects families will be the biggest difference between the 10 and 20 year gatherings.

"In the first 10 years people had been developing their education and their careers, and I think this was the phase of life where people have been starting families, getting married and having children," he said.