Former schoolmates reconnect at Massey ’75

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This article was published 22/06/2025 (286 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s not every day you hear of high school sweethearts still walking life’s journey hand-in-hand nearly five decades later.

But for two couples from Vincent Massey High School’s Class of 1975, love, friendship, and shared memories have stood the test of time. Over the weekend, those stories came full circle as they reunited with dozens of classmates to celebrate their 50th high school reunion.

Amidst laughter, hugs, and joyful tears, the reunion brought together more than 50 alumni, many of whom had not seen each other in half a century. Organized by Seema Roberts and five others, including Brenda McKenzie, Judy Whittingham, Patti Gilhyly, Brenda Penton, and Cindy Mitchell, the event was a milestone, not just for the class but for the enduring relationships that blossomed in those teenage years.

Among the standout stories are Merle and Donna Gouldie, who first met in Grade 10.

“We were friends for a couple of years before we started dating in Grade 12,” Merle told the Sun, recalling their teenage friendship that matured into a lifelong partnership. “We had common interests. Even our family dynamics were similar.”

Donna, now a retired nurse, nodded as Merle shared how they navigated early adulthood — she attended nursing school at Brandon General Hospital while he studied at Assiniboine Community College, now Assiniboine College.

Merle proposed after graduation, and the rest, as they say, is history. They’ve now been married for nearly 47 years and live in Calgary, with two daughters and five granddaughters.

“What’s kept us going? She’s continued to love me in spite of me,” Merle said. “We’re just better together; we do almost everything together.”

Their story drew smiles from many in the room, but they aren’t the only ones whose romance traces back to Vincent Massey’s halls.

Mitchell and Kurt Saunders met when Kurt transferred from Winnipeg in 1972 — both were 15 at the time.

“He was the new boy in town, and it was very exciting,” Mitchell recalled. “We found out we were born on the same day, same year. We have always celebrated our birthdays together since we have been married for about 39 years.”

Mitchell, a retired early childhood educator, laughed as she credited her high school makeup for catching Kurt’s attention. “He says it was my blue eyeshadow in math class.”

Though it took them some time to become a couple, they eventually went on to attend the University of Winnipeg together and later got married in 1986 and settled in Ottawa, where they’ve lived since 1993. Married and now parents to a son, they continue to return to Manitoba every summer and cherish their roots in Brandon.

“He’s pretty glad we met,” she said, referring to their 30-year-old son. “We’ve told him the story; he almost shared our birthday too, but he waited three days.”

The reunion, organized in just six months, brought together 52 former students, including some from across Canada and the United States, organizer Roberts, told the Sun.

“It’s amazing,” she said. “So many of us haven’t seen each other in 50 years. I just thought, this is our golden opportunity.”

The planning, however, wasn’t without its challenges.

“Trying to track people down was like being a detective,” McKenzie said. “We didn’t even know if people were still in Brandon. A lot of the connections happened through word-of-mouth, one person convincing another to come.”

As alumni trickled into the events wearing nametags, many shared moments of double-takes, searching for teenage faces behind the lines and hairstyles of adulthood.

“You look at their eyes, and then it clicks,” Roberts said. “There was one woman who used to have long, dark hair past her waist, now she’s got short hair. You’d never recognize her until you looked into her eyes.”

The weekend was packed with activities: a city-wide car rally, a celebratory dinner at the Victorian Inn, and even a visit from two former teachers, including Richard McIntyre, who taught math, and Don Taylor, a biology teacher who started his career the same year the Class of ’75 entered high school.

There was also a memorial wall honouring 12 classmates who have passed away, a quiet, reflective corner in an otherwise exuberant gathering.

“It was like a beehive last night,” McKenzie said of the welcome event. “People couldn’t stop talking. There was so much joy in reconnecting.”

A photo booth captured new memories while a digital slideshow displayed old ones, including contributions from alumni who couldn’t attend in person. And in a gesture to give back, the class decided to use any leftover funds from the reunion to create a bursary for a graduating student at Vincent Massey next year, “a legacy gift from one generation to the next,” Roberts added.

The reunion may have marked the passage of 50 years, but for many, the bonds forged in those high school hallways remain timeless.

As Merle Gouldie put it: “Some of these people we haven’t seen in 50 years, and it’s just great to see them again. It’s like no time has passed at all.”

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