This June marks the 25th anniversary of the Lake Cowichan Secondary School’s Class of 1989 but as far as can be determined, there are no plans to hold a 25th class reunion this year.
To many grads, one of the most important school committees each year is the grad committee, whose task it is — among others — to plan and conduct various fundraisers for their yearend graduation activities. The 1989 class held several events such as car washes, bake sales, bingo games and candy-grams.
The ’89 Grad Committee executive positions were held by Lana Waller (president), Kirsten Demings (secretary), Kathy Tardiff (treasurer) and Julia Turner (vice-president). The committee was aptly assisted by front office staff members Mrs. Gail Webster and Ms. Diane Martin.
Waller, when thanking all those who helped make the graduation a success, quipped that the class was “the best and the last of the 80s.”
The annual club was well served that year with Craig Service, Crista Peacey, Sherilyn Peake, Jamie Nott, Larissa Ehristien, Lara Elliott, Kathy Tardiff and Michelle Davis working all year on the project. Their work and dedication resulted in another excellent edition of the school annual, the Azurate. (The first issue of a school annual was published in 1947 but it wasn’t until 1951 that the name Azurate was used.)
Throughout the pages of the 1989 annual — in addition to photos and names of every student attending LCSS that year — were photos and short write-ups of every member of the Grade 12 class, 59 in total.
Of those students, several remain here in the Cowichan Lake area. Those we know of include Jeff Berry, Wade Brooks, Tony Croteau, Michelle Davis, Dalene Holman, Sherilyn Peake, Jeff Sidhu, Trent Weir, Brent Wilcox, Robin Bowen, Darren Svendsen and Charlotte Henley.
Several LCSS teachers who were on staff at the time, and are now retired but still living in the Cowichan Lake area, include Rick Bates, Dave Boeckner, Val Calleberg, Georgie and John Clark, Harry Evans, Di Gunderson, Larry Martin, Rosemary Danaher (Mayea), Rick Nott, John Ward and Rob Wilson. Pat Biello, has yet to retire and still teaches at Lake Cowichan School.
Other retired staff members still in the area include school secretary Gail Webster and former school bus drivers Arlene and Lloyd Matson, Bud Towle and Jack Peake — who, with his daughter Sherilyn, sang during the 1989 graduation ceremonies.