Friday, April 11, 2008

Welcome--Let's Preserve and Share Our Collective History of RYCI

This blog has been set up to gather memories, comments, documents, photos, memorabilia items, etc., related to the 'community' of Royal York Collegiate Institute, formerly at 675 Royal York Road, Etobicoke, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Since RYCI (1953-1982) no longer exists as a high school it is hoped that this blog will serve as a digital archive or repository of RYCI and the memories of its community members--former students, teachers, administrators, friends, and their families. It is an experiment of sorts. We'll see what happens. If you wish to be added as an administrator (contributor) please email me at: cagibson_2000@yahoo.com and I will add your name. Anyone with a Google email account can add comments.

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See:



Thanks.

Posted by Catherine (Cathy) Gibson, Class of 1971

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is kind of strange me; my high school years weren't fun but I like the historical aspect of this blog. I had Mrs. Lacey and Miss Hansford as teachers. Mrs. Lacey's classes were ones that I enjoyed the most. If you want more historical items, I have the year books for the 5 years I went to RYCI in the mid 1970's. Maybe I can scan parts of them for you.

Anonymous said...

What a way to get us out of the woodwork now that we are older than some of our teachers were! ... as in Torrie, Moore, Haupt, Harding(from England), Taylor, Kierstead, Flynn, Watson, Allen, Tyndale, Roland, .......

Anonymous said...

com allis, pro allis .... something like that ... with others , for others

Anonymous said...

I was there in the mid 70s as well and also remember Mrs Lacey's class fondly. Time flies its hard to believe that it was over 30 years ago!

Rev. Dr. Kenneth B. Bice, CD, D.D., KGJS said...

Great start. It seems to have slowed. However, maybe we can get things moving again.

I attended RYCI from 1964 to 1969. My wife Margaret (Cummins) and her two brother's Robert and Gordon also attended RYCI a few years behind Margaret and I. Margaret lived at 50 Berl Ave, the house on the West Side leading up to Crestwood from Delroy. I lived at 17 Oakfield Dr. which was the street just North of the North Parking Lot which ran East from Royal York Road.

I attended the 13th Annual RYCI Golf Tournament (Dinner only unfortunately as I had several Weddings to Officiate that day). It was held last Saturday, June 20th, 2009 at Caledon Woods Golf Course in Bolton. Mostly students from 1967 Graduation Class but some from other Graudation Years. Mr. Hildebrand and Mr. Thorburn former teachers were present. In the past Mr. Cummins and Mr. Cunningham have attended.

Students with some spouses (mostly the Guys and some Gals) in attendance were:

Dennis Locke Ernie Eason Bruce Major Bernie Grybowski, Ron Ardito, Bruno Deptrillo, Jim Childs, Gary Scaglione, Rob (Bob) Hunter (Mr. Sax), Art Drysdale, Dave Manuliak, Jack Heath, Bill Lafferty, Richard Menzies, Doug Perrin, Fred Ross, Armando Simeone, Joe Simeone, Mike Simeone, Joe Mazzucco (the Athlete), Bill Tranah, Vic Harris, Ken Hoyle, Rick Moore, Jack Fleming, Rick Gralek, Bruce Herbeson, Gary Yashar and Partick Yasher, Gary's Son), Steve Flinn, Bill Gow, Brian Waterfeild, Bram Landheer, Chuch Faultless, Petere Fehrens, Dan Trafford, Gary Weisman, Guy Fraser, Kit Simpson, Ed Jenner and Bill Love...all golfed with teachers Bill Hildebrand and Bruce Thorburn.

For dinner only:

Paul Andoloro, Rev. Dr. Ken Bice, Ron Craighead, Wayne Gibson, Robert Guy, Lona Holosko, Gre Holosko, Dave Lucko, Susan (Ellens) Saunders, Doug Saunders, Glenda Simeone, Tony Trigiani, Rick Williams, Linda Winter, Jim Winter and Barry Yeates.

This is a great event whether you play golf and have dinner or just have the dinner.

To check out this event, Vic Harris's company Perkins Mailings has a link to RYCI Golf where those interested can register each year. If you would like to be on the RYCI Alumni Mailing List please send you name and address and e-mail address to:

Bill Tranah at btranha@gmail.com

or log into Perkings Mailings and on the right side of the screen click on RYCI Golf for information about this past event at the following:

www.perkinsmailing.com

I hope you will send Bill Tranah your contact information. Possilby in the future more events rather than the annual one will be established.

As noted, facebook does have a number of users from RYCI my account is found at rev.dr.ken.bice@gmail.com Rev. Ken Bice, if you are on facebook I would welcome hearing from you.

I hope this blog starts to grow. I will pass it on to other's from RYCI that I know.

All the best.

Ken Bice, Uxbridge

Anonymous said...

My memories are from the first year of the school. (It was not RYCI then, it was a Secondary School first)
There was no Year Book the first year, just a mimeographed few pages called the "Purple and Gold"
The Payphone booth was empty.
Mrs Mustard sung Opera for us at the morning auditorium.
We learned the American National Anthem because an American School group was visiting us.
Mr. Mattews was the boys health teacher, also the football coach. He also played for the other "Toronto Football Team"

Anonymous said...

I have my wife's RYCI Year Book from 1954-55 if anyone wants a picture scaned from it.

Catherine said...

Thanks to all who have left comments so far. If you are leaving a comment anonymously and offering photo scans, etc. or are inviting folks to contact you, please include a current email address so they can contact you.
Thanks.
Cathy Gibson

Anonymous said...

I do remember Mrs. Lacey. Mrs. Lacey had a fine disregard for the details of dress. I was always fascinated by the long hair on her legs which would be pulled upwards by her stockings. I disliked being moved to a different seat every week according to the weekly test scores. This would not have bothered me so much if I had ever risen from near the bottom (class of 64)

Catherine said...

What I remember about Mrs. Lacey is very positive. Not only did she seem to have a passion for the theatre and culture in general--which I really appreciated--she seemed to have known someone in the box offices of many theatres. We always had great seats at the various theatrical events we attended. She helped to stimulate my interest in going to 'the theatre' for years to come.
Cathy Gibson

Unknown said...

I still have the program for the official closing of RYCI in 1982. Let me know if you want it scanned. Could you post the email address I can send the pages to?

Catherine said...

Thanks Carol. You can send the scanned images to:
cagibson_2000@yahoo.com and I'll upload them to the blog.
Much appreciated.
Cathy

P.S. please include whatever name you would like to appear so I can indicate who submitted them.

Victor Lana said...

i dont know if anyone still even reads this, but i was amazed to find this blog. it just shows the school spirit that this school used to have that you guys have a website and an annual golf tournament. i now go to ESA and we can still see some of the stuff you guys did when you came here. it's just amazing, it sounds like something out of " Cold Case"

Catherine said...

Thanks for your comment Victor. Much appreciated. Yes, while every Royal Yorker had her/his own experience and I'm sure not all experiences were positive, RYCI was, in my opinion, a really great school when I attended it. I'm hoping to collect at least some of folks' memories of RYCI on this blog.
Thanks again for stopping by and all the best to ESA.
Cathy Gibson

Chris Burnett said...

I just discovered this blog after getting a note from an old buddy from "Classmates". I find that site a major pain unless you are prepared to pay and even then I've read about a lot of lawsuits and complaints.I attended RYCI from 59 to 64 and have many good memories, the people, the music, the cars, and the cafeteria buttercups. Hope this blog can continue and grow and attract some more members from that era. Chris Burnett Class of 1964.

Brian Buckrell said...

Just found an old notebook from Mr Tindale's grade 10 art class - 1959. Thought fondly of him and Googled his name to see what might come of it - and this blog came up. Fun.

W Seward said...

I attended Jarvis Collegiate in the late 60's. I hung out in Yorkville (when it was a fun place) a lot with friends from Royal York. Has anyone heard from Pete Sidey, Lois Demois, Trish Cullen?

worldwizard said...

Interesting that the blogs seem to have stopped now that I finally found the site! My years at RYCI ran between 1960 and 1964. I still have (somewhere)3 yearbooks and have just lately been in contact with several former students. The RYCI motto continues to inspire us here and on facebook.

Catherine said...

Thanks for your comment. Participation from former RYCI-ers and others who are interested is always welcome. I post items as I come across them, time permitting. Yes, there are currently 2 RYCI groups on Facebook. Thanks for stopping by.
Cathy

Rena Pycock said...

Had a dream last night about my high school boyfriend.(1960) Maybe that's why I am now sitting at my computer on a RYCI fb. link. As a retired former high school teacher myself, I find the comments very enjoyable to read. As for my comments on my own RYCI teachers? Well, better some left unsaid. And for the good ones? I am forever thankful for the quality education I received.

Unknown said...

Hello RYCI Alumni

There are 3 groups here on facebook that deal with the History of Parklawn Area. Many of these members attended Parklawn and moved onto Royal York Collegiate. I have directed some of them to this site. Cathy Gibson your name sounds very familiar. My Wife of 40 years (Debbie Fleming) attended RYCI in the early 70's.

RYCI has come up several times in discussion on these Pages :

We Are The Real Parklawn (70's & 80's) https://www.facebook.com/groups/6827077878

Parklawns over 30 group https://www.facebook.com/groups/22513930

Park Lawn Area Past and Present https://www.facebook.com/groups/686516751365457/

:)

Catherine said...

Thanks, Richard. I'll check them out. Take care. Cathy