Participants of the 50th Residence Reunion pose for a group shot in Renison's atrium.
In August 2023, Renison played host to a group of rowdy Renison residents… from the 1970s! This high-energy group brought their school spirit back to where most of them had connected and began lifelong friendships.
Mary Anne Lenio first called Renison in 2019 to talk about a possible reunion of her friends from Renison after a dinner with old friends Conrad So, Mac Dover, and Margrie (Mickey) Wallace. “It all began with Conrad,” Mary Anne says with a laugh. “He said we should really do something to get us all together and, after making some calls, he said we’ve gotta have a reunion. So we did!” Now, 6 months after the fact, we caught up with Mary Anne to get her reflections on the reunion.
The reunion was originally slated to happen in 2020, but was postponed (along with most things) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022 they began planning again in earnest, but it would take another year to pull everything together.
“We started with a small core group of organizers,” says Mary Anne. “Conrad was key – he had stayed in touch with everyone!” The small group (with Conrad’s help) enlisted folks from all over Canada, and worked as hard as they could to get in touch with as many people as possible from Renison during the mid-1970s. It wasn’t always easy, some folks had passed away, lived too far to travel, or couldn’t be located.
Even so, more than 50 Renison alumni participated in the weekend, travelling from as far away as Hong Kong and BC! Among the highlights was a special Stone Garden ceremony on the opening evening to connect everyone, reflect, and think of those who couldn’t be there. The Saturday Wind-In Gala was the fan favourite though, with Bill (Bilbo) Stewart presiding as MC. A wonderful meal, good company, and a surprise dance mob completed the evening, which stretched into the night and even continued back at the Delta hotel where most attendees stayed.
After 50 years, it was a great way to reconnect with old friends. “It was like 50 years hadn’t happened,” says Mary Anne. “It’s been really great to connect with people who haven’t been in touch for a long time – we even have a WhatsApp group!”
What advice does Mary Anne have for those considering planning their own Renison reunion? “Do it!” She says. “It will take a good year or two to plan, depending on how long it’s been.” She also recommends starting with a small group to plan with, delegate, and work closely with Renison. “We had a really dedicated group of core planners,” explains Mary Anne. “That, plus the help of the Renison team, made it an amazing weekend.”
Will there be a 60th reunion? “Maybe,” Mary Anne laughs. “If we can all still get there, we might go for it!”
The Reunion committee, left to right: Sam Biggs, Margrie (Mickey) Wallace, Conrad So, Mary Anne Lenio, Mac Dover, and Bill (Bilbo) Stewart.
This is part of the 2024 Renison Reports publication. Return to the Renison Reports page for other articles.