2020 — Sc'70

Summary of our Memorable 50th Reunion Oct 27-30, 2022 In Kingston

Reunion Recap - posted Nov 12, 2022

It took a long time, but we finally got to celebrate our 50 years since graduation from Queen’s at our Reunion during the last weekend of October.

Those who were with us in Kingston know that it was probably our best Reunion yet! As with past years, there were lots of opportunities to chat with old friends. Lots of stories were shared, and events re-lived, all of which led to renewed bonds.

In addition, one of the positive differences this year was that we planned a number of events that involved interactions with current Queen’s students, primarily members of the Queen’s Rocket Engineering Team (QRET). It was invigorating to get to know some of the students and to hear about their lives on campus. We also learned lots about the accomplishments of QRET, and I think all of us were universally impressed with them and what they have been able to do (and maybe a little envious that we didn’t have a similar opportunity while we were students).

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who contributed to the expenses of our Reunion. Happily, we were able to cover all expenses incurred to date, most significantly the expenses of rejuvenating and maintaining our Sc. 70 website (www.sc70.ca). Although there is a small surplus that hopefully will cover the website expenses to add all of the pictures and other material related to our recent Reunion, we know we will be short to cover website registration and updating expenses going forward while we prepare for our 55th Reunion in 2025. If you haven’t yet sent in a contribution and would like to do so, please send it to Bruce Flexman by e-transfer at bflexman@advantagebc.ca or by cheque payable to Sc. 70 Alumni Reunion Fund mailed to 4214 West 15th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6R 3A6.

With regard to the website, we are collecting pictures from the Reunion and will be posting them on our website. If you have pictures you would like to add, you can do so via this link https://www.dropbox.com/request/ixappKO2pxARKz0GPzsj. If possible, please identify the event (e.g. Friday night dinner, Portsmouth warm-up, rocket launch, etc.) in the name of each picture.

We are already starting the planning for our 55th Reunion in three short years. I have heard from many classmates who attended this year, and each and every one of them is looking forward to the next one in 2025!

See you then,

Wally Palmer

Final Update - posted oct 28, 2022

Here is the latest update of all events planned for the weekend.

The football tickets that Jim Decker pre-purchased to ensure that all of Sc. 70 will be sitting together are going fast. If you haven’t already done so, please contact Jim (decker.jh@gmail.com) to let him know that you want tickets ($18 each).

Below is a listing of the planned events.

Thursday, October 27 – Clark Hall Pub - 7 p.m. (guaranteed Sc. 70 admission until 8)

- share a beer with current engineering students

Friday, October 28 – K House, 167 Ontario Street – 5:30 p.m.

- mingle for the evening with classmates while enjoying food and beverages

- Dean Kevin Deluzio is scheduled to visit and say a few words at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, October 29

- QRET pancake breakfast/”kegger” – 8:30 a.m. – 303 Frontenac Street

- football game warm-up at Portsmouth Tavern, 96 Yonge Street – 11:30 a.m.

- football game – 1:00 p.m. - Richardson Memorial Stadium

Saturday, October 29 – Tricolour Dinner – Grant Hall and Ban Righ Hall – 5:30 p.m.

- cocktail reception and dinner for all Tricolour Guard (50+ years from graduation)

- advance registration required (space is limited)

Sunday, October 30 – Holiday Inn

– informal drop-in breakfast – Wharf & Feather Restaurant

Sunday, October 30 – QRET rocket launch

– John Machin Park, 1307 John Marks Avenue – 10 a.m. (weather permitting)

More details of the above events are contained in the previous update posted below on September 14.

We are looking forward to a fun weekend, with many opportunities to re-connect with old friends. Getting organized for our Reunion has involved lots of time and effort by our planning group, which includes the following people – Grant Anderson, Brian Bimm, Bernie Cousineau, Jim Decker, David Field, Tom Fletcher, Bruce Flexman, Vic Girard, Bill Graham, Bob Hobbs, Neil MacLeod, Wally Palmer and Grant Smith. The organizing has also involved the incurring of expenses, which to date have been funded by members of the planning group. In addition, there will be ongoing expenses to maintain our website until our 55th Reunion. In summary, those expenses are as follows:

Website expenses:

- unreimbursed incurred to date $1,500

- annual web fees 2023, 2024 & 2025 $ 750

- webmaster post-reunion additions $750

- webmaster 2023 & 2024 maintenance $600

Crest painting $270

In memoriam posters $235

Table stickers $200

Small stickers $142

Flag $243

Saturday a.m. kegger $440

Total expenses $5,130

We are hoping that everyone will make a contribution to help cover those expenses, which could be done if each classmate attending this year kicked in $100. You can send a contribution (of whatever amount) to Bruce Flexman, the keeper of our Sc. 70 bank account, either by Interac transfer to bflexman@advantagebc.ca (auto-deposit is on, so no security question is needed), or by cheque (payable to Science 70 Alumni Reunion Fund) mailed to 4214 West 15th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6R 3A6. Also, there will be a box at our Friday evening event at K House to receive contributions.

One final item regarding the Friday evening event. K House serves food, and for our evening they will be offering the following options for dinner: (1) fish and chips, (2) chicken burger, (3) beef burger, (4) Korean rice bowl with beef (not spicy), and (5) Korean rice bowl with tofu (not spicy). In order to ensure that they have enough of all options and the ingredients are fresh, the restaurant has asked for an indication of how many of each item might be ordered. To attempt to accommodate them, it would be appreciated if you could tell Bernie Cousineau (berniecousineau@gmail.com) whether you are planning to have dinner at K House on Friday evening, and if so which of the options you are likely to order. Bernie will accumulate the received information, and will use it to provide ball-park estimates to K House.

This long-awaited Reunion is finally going to happen. We look forward to seeing you in Kingston!

cheer for the Gaels on Oct 29!

This is a news flash from Sc. 70, not only for those planning to attend our Reunion on October 28 – 30, but also for anyone living in the Kingston area (or even anywhere close).

The Queen’s Gaels are having a great football season and, as a result, it is almost certain that there will be a home playoff game on the Saturday afternoon, October 29. Jim Decker has pre-purchased a block of tickets to ensure that all of Sc. 70 will be able to sit together. Therefore, whether you are already planning to attend Homecoming, or just want to support the Gaels and meet and mingle with Sc. 70 types, I encourage you to come out to the game. The tickets are $18 each. Please contact Jim directly at decker.jh@gmail.com to let him know that you want tickets.

If you haven’t already registered for Homecoming and are interested, we would love to have you join us. Details of everything going on (including the availability of hotel rooms) are posted below.

Go Gaels Go!

Wally Palmer

Updated Events for Sc. 70 - Posted September 14, 2022

We are getting close to the time to head to Kingston to renew old acquaintances, and to rekindle the memories of our great years at Queen’s! Homecoming is scheduled for October 28 - 30, and we will be there to celebrate Sc. 70’s twice-delayed 50th Reunion. We are expecting a record turnout – many of those planning to attend are listed below.

A summary of the events scheduled for Sc. 70 is included below. Details of those events are set out in the text below.

If you haven’t yet registered for the weekend, I encourage you to do so now at https://www.queensu.ca/alumni/homecoming. At the beginning of the registration process, be sure to indicate that you are “Tricolour Guard”, which is all alumni graduated more then 50 years. The big Tricolour Guard event is the cocktail reception and dinner on the Saturday evening. The reception is in Grant Hall, and the dinner is in Ban Righ Hall. There is a limit on the number of people who can be accommodated at the dinner, so if you want to be able to attend the dinner it is important to register as soon as possible. We understand that the dress code for the dinner is semi-formal.

At the Saturday dinner, all of Sc. 70 will be seated in the same area. When registering on the Queen’s website, everyone has the option to specify people with whom they would like to be seated. The tables will be large (each seating 16), so feel free to specify a small or large group. Even if you have already registered, you can still to go back online and change your seating preference.

If you need accommodation in Kingston (or have a hotel reservation that you don’t need), please let me know (wallyjpalmer@gmail.com). There is at least one reservation that is being held until the end of this month, and others may become available.

The Queen’s Homecoming webpage provides lots of information about events scheduled for the weekend. What’s not shown on the Queen’s site are the following special Sc. 70 events.

The main Sc. 70 event will be the informal get-together on Friday evening (October 28) at the K House pub, 167 Ontario Street. As the Queen’s Dean of Engineering and Applied Science is scheduled to join us there at 6:30 p.m., we are hoping as many people as possible will arrive between 5:30 and 6:15 p.m. Immediately after the Dean’s visit, we will be introducing a few representatives of the Queen’s Rocket Engineering Team (QRET), which is the student group that has been the principal beneficiary of the Sc. 70 Student Initiatives Fund. The remainder of the evening will be informal – the primary purpose is to provide an opportunity to meet and mingle in order to renew old friendships, all while sampling the food and beverage offerings.

For those who live in the Kingston area or arrive in town early, we have arranged an opportunity to interact with current engineering students at the Clark Hall Pub on Thursday evening. The Pub normally opens at 8 p.m. and can fill to capacity quickly, but everyone with Sc. 70 will be admitted starting at 7 p.m. in order to be guaranteed admittance (at least until 8).

Another Sc. 70 event is planned for Saturday morning. QRET has invited us to join them at a pancake breakfast and ”kegger” starting at 9 a.m. Although Queen’s had originally scheduled Homecoming for a weekend when there was no home football game, based on current standings there is a very good chance that there will be a home playoff game on the Saturday afternoon. If there is a game, a bunch of Sc. 70 types will be gathering at the Portsmouth Tavern, 96 Yonge Street, at 11:30 a.m. for a “warm-up”.

Finally, there will be a two-part wrap-up for the weekend on Sunday morning. First, we are suggesting that everyone interested drop-in for breakfast at the Holiday Inn. Later in the morning, QRET has offered to host Sc. 70 for a rocket launch in the north end of Kingston on the way to the 401. In addition to launching small rockets, they will have on display the actual large rocket used in competitions, and they will be available to provide lots of information about their activities. Please let me know if you need to leave Kingston before Noon on Sunday in order that we can attempt to schedule the rocket launch to accommodate as many as possible.

It will be a busy weekend! The summary of the Sc. 70 specific events is below. Further details of some of the events will be sent next month to those who have registered for Homecoming, and those details will also be posted on our website here as well.

As mentioned, QRET is the principal beneficiary of our Sc. 70 Student Initiatives Fund. They have recently issued their first newsletter that provides lots of information and can be seen at https://qret.ca/newsletter.pdf.

Leading up to our originally-scheduled 50th Reunion in 2020, we set a goal of reaching $250,000 in the Sc. 70 Student Initiatives Fund. We reached that goal and have continued to climb to over $325,000. With your help, we could reach $350,000 this year. Please make a contribution now by clicking the Donate button at https://www.sc.70.ca/student-initiative-fund.

We are looking forward to seeing lots of classmates in Kingston to share memories of our fun years at Queen’s, and to catch up on what has happened in the all-too-many years since then!

Wally Palmer

Update on tricolour guard dinner - Posted August 24, 2022

It is finally going to happen! Queen’s Homecoming is scheduled for October 28–30, and we will be there to celebrate Sc. 70’s twice-delayed 50th Reunion. We are expecting a record turnout – many of those planning to attend are listed below.

We will be sending out a communication in September with lots of details about the weekend and our special Sc. 70 events. However, the reason for this message is to encourage those who haven’t already done so to register with Queen’s on the Queen’s Homecoming webpage www.queensu.ca/alumni/homecoming

Queen’s organizes a cocktail reception and dinner on the Saturday evening for the Tricolour Guard, which includes all alumni who have been graduated for more than 50 years. The reception is in Grant Hall, and the dinner is in Ban Righ Hall. There is a limit on the number of people who can be accommodated at the dinner, so if you want to be able to attend the dinner it is important to register as soon as possible. When starting the registration process, make sure to designate that you are Tricolour Guard. In order that we know who will be attending the dinner, please confirm your completed registration by emailing wallyjpalmer@gmail.com.

At the dinner, all of Sc. 70 will be seated in the same area. When registering on the Queen’s website, everyone has the option to specify people with whom they would like to be seated. The tables will be large (each seating 16), so feel free to specify a small or large group. Even if you don’t specify anyone at the time of registering, you will be able to go back online and change your seating preference until a few weeks before the event.

I look forward to seeing everyone in Kingston. As mentioned, further details of the weekend events will be provided in our next email. In the interim, if you have any questions, please check out the details on this website or contact me directly.

Wally Palmer

Update on Hotel bookings - posted aug 24, 2022

There are reportedly still lots of rooms available at the Best Western. Details on how to book are set out below. All rooms set aside for Tricolour Guard members (incl. Sc’70) in the Holiday Inn and Four Points Sheraton have now been booked. Check on any last minute availabilities at the Holiday Inn by emailing Wally Palmer directly at wallyjpalmer@gmail.com.

50th Reunion confirmed for oct 28-30, 2022 - Posted Mar 2022

It is going to happen – Queen’s has announced that there will be an in-person Homecoming this October 28-30, 2022. We will finally be able to get together to celebrate our more that 50 years since graduation.

The immediate issue is hotel rooms. Queen’s has placed a hold on rooms at the Holiday Inn Four Points Sheraton and Best Western for Tricolour Guard members (those who have been graduated for 50 years or more), but because two years of in-person Homecomings have been missed due to Covid, there undoubtedly will be an unusually high number of 50+ year graduates looking to make reservations. Therefore, we strongly encourage everyone to make a reservation today for next October, even if you are not yet certain you will be joining us. Reservations can be cancelled (at least at the Holiday Inn), so there is no downside to making a reservation now.

A special booking code is needed to make a reservation. The details on how to book a room were contained in an email Queen’s sent out to everyone on March 15, and we also forwarded a copy of that message to classmates later that day. The details are also set out below.

Queen’s has not yet released details of the events planned for the weekend. However, we know that Queen’s will be arranging a reception and dinner for all Tricolour Guard members on the Saturday evening. Also, we have a Sc. 70 get-together planned for P. J. Murphy’s pub on the Friday evening - some special presentations are being planned! More details will be posted as they become available.

We are expecting a record turnout for our 50th Reunion this Fall. The list of classmates who have told us they are planning to attend is set out below and the total keeps growing every week!

We will be keeping in touch through email and postings on this website as details become available.

Here’s Who You’ll See at the 50th reunion - updated Oct 2022

Here is the latest list of classmates who have indicated they are planning to attend our Reunion this Oct 28-30, 2022. You can sign up on the form below and, with your permission, we’ll add your name to this list.

Barry Anderson Grant Anderson Richard Basserman Will Bawden John Bigham Dave Boyle Darryl Browne Dick Connelly Bernie Cousineau Jim Decker John Donelan David Field Bruce Flexman Jim Fraser Dave Fritz Gary Gallinger Bob Gartshore Milt Goble Bill Graham David Grightmire Bob Hobbs Bill Holdsworth David Horner Frank Hung Bob Hutton Ron Jaskula Louis Joncas Bill Jupp Ian Kennedy Doug King Don Latham Neil Macleod Glenn MacQueen Dick Markell David Marshall Peter Martin Jim Martin Jim McFarland Dennis McNinch David Merriman David Messervey Allan Millman Alan Mills David Noonan Wally Palmer Ulo Paltser Wallace Penney Don Puxley Peter Rapin Lance Ridehalgh John Robertson Lloyd Sarginson Dick Slater Roger Smith Grant Smith Tony Suprun Griff Tripp Ralph Wallace David Watson Ken Watts Gerry Webb

Hotels in Kingston for 50th reunion Oct 2022

As members of the Tricolour Guard (those who graduated 50 years ago or more), members of Sc. 70 have access to the hotel rooms the Alumni Office has blocked exclusively for 50 years+ graduates during Queen’s Homecoming 2022 (October 28 - 30):

FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON KINGSTON — No Rooms Available!
285 King St East
Kingston, Ont.

Room prices are between $359 and $379 per night, with a 2-night minimum

To reserve a room, book online now.

HOLIDAY INN KINGSTON WATERFRONT — No Rooms Available!
2 Princess St
Kingston, Ont.

Room prices are between $275 and $295 per night.

To reserve a room (cancellable), book online now.

Alternatively, you can call the hotel to book (613.549-8400, ext. 0 or 2660) Tell the person who answers that the name of the block you need to book into is: !TCG2022

BEST WESTERN — Rooms Still Available!
1217 Princess St

Kingston, Ont.
613.549.2211

Rooms prices are between $255 and $375 per night

To reserve a room, you must call the local hotel phone number above. Inform the front desk staff you would like to book a room under the Triunder71 Group.

There will be bus shuttles provided, offering transportation between all 3 hotels throughout Homecoming weekend, with easy access to campus and downtown.

Everyone is encouraged to make a reservation now before all rooms are filled.

Here’s what you can look forward to at our 50th reunion

Our 50th Reunion should be our biggest and best yet. The University takes on a lot of the planning for 50th Reunions, including making available a large block of hotel rooms (Holiday Inn and Four Points Sheraton) and arranging a large reception and dinner on Saturday evening. A free shuttle service will run between the hotels and the campus all weekend. In addition, we are planning our own Sc’70 events including an informal gathering and dinner on Friday night to make sure that there are opportunities for our class to get together to reconnect and rekindle the memories of our fun times at Queen’s.

We will be posting more 50th Reunion information and updates on this webpage. We are counting on seeing you there! If you have any questions, you can email us at queensscience70@gmail.com .

Let’s Plan on getting together once again in October 2022

It has been 50 years since we graduated from Queen’s! Over that time, we have had Reunions every five years. The first couple of Reunions were opportunities to continue friendships that had developed during our formative university years. As time went by, the fun times at Reunions continued, but they became more about renewing friendships and finding out what had been happening in each other’s busy lives.

In addition to the group of “regulars” who have attended most of our Sc. 70 Reunions, there have always been a number of new attendees. For our 45th Reunion in 2015, we made an effort to encourage classmates who had not previously attended to join us. The result was a great turnout (over 50 classmates plus 30 spouses), including a record number of first-timers. Below is a sampling of comments we received post-Reunion from those new attendees:

“Marion and I had a great time. Even though this was our first reunion, everyone was friendly and engaging. It was easy to fit back in.”

“Four of us [at our dinner table] were first timers. None had seen anyone else for 40 years and most for 45. It seemed like we had just returned from Christmas break except that we were a little heavier, grayer and moved a little slower."

“I met my physics lab partner at the reunion and had a wonderful time catching up on 45 years of work and play.”

“I wish we had done this sooner. I’m totally on for the 50th.”

Advance Scouting Trip to Kingston - Fall 2019

In order to gather information and make contacts to assist in planning for our 50th event, an advance scouting team of Grant Anderson, Bernie Cousineau, Jim Decker, Wally Palmer and Grant Smith went to Kingston for the Queen’s 2019 Homecoming weekend. In addition to picking up a lot of good tips and ideas on local venues and activities, a good time was had by all.