Wilder Penfield school in Dollard celebrates 50 years with reunion

Wilder Penfield Elementary School in Dollard-des-Ormeaux is holding a reunion on Friday to celebrate the school’s 50th anniversary. Reunion organizers are ready to welcome hundreds of former students and teachers from Wilder Penfield, which opened its doors to students in 1968 in the Westminster neighbourhood of Dollard. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. in the school gymnasium. Teacher Chantale Robinson is part of the organizing committee and said the guest keynote speaker is Manuel Pizarro, the first Quebecer to have twice summited Mount Everest, in 2007 and 2009. “Manuel will be part of this celebration event as he has played a huge part in this community raising money in the past (2007) during his expedition to Mount Everest for the Lester B. Pearson School Board’s learning without limits,” she said. The school, named after the famed Montreal neurosurgeon and founder of the Montreal Neurological Institute, has an enrolment of 300 students. The school boasted approximately 700 students between 1980 and 1990. “During the 1980s the school had portables to accommodate the students,” noted Robinson. “In and around 1996 the school became 100 per cent French immersion. The school’s French success rate is 99 per cent. The reunion party will feature a live band: River City Junction. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will also be served at the 18 and over event. “There will be a memory photo booth for people to capture memories of the 1960s, ’70s, ’80s, up until today,” Robinson said. Wilder Penfield school is located at 551 Westminster Ave. in Dollard. Tickets are $35 and are still available. Please reserve at wilderpenfield@lbpearson.ca. jmeagher@postmedia.com