Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to stand in the House of Commons today to congratulate the St. Catharines Collegiate Institute and Vocational School on its 75th anniversary.
To celebrate this historic occasion the collegiate is hosting a reunion for the many thousands of students and teachers who are alumni of the school.
When the collegiate first opened its doors in 1923 it was the only secondary school in St. Catharines. Over the next 30 years everyone who attended high school in the city went to this school. More than 20,000 students have walked the halls of the collegiate and grown up in the classrooms of this historic place of learning.
On the weekend of May 15 to 17 several thousand of these alumni are expected to return to the collegiate to celebrate its anniversary at a huge three-day reunion.
This is a very important event for the school and indeed for the entire community. It is an opportunity to celebrate our youth, our past and our present, to celebrate the teachers whose work has inspired and guided our young people and to gather together to commemorate 75 years of education in St. Catharines.
I congratulate the St. Catharines Collegiate Institute and Vocational School and send best wishes on this special 75th anniversary.