A century before the imposing glass of skyscrapers and condos dominated the West End skyline, a tiny bedroom community stood nestled between Coal Harbour and English Bay. At the neighbourhood's heart then, just as now, was modest King George Secondary School, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this weekend.
The school was a haven from the noisy, crowded world outside, recalls former student Dr. Gary Pennington.
"[It was] a refuge of sorts, really."
Pennington, who graduated from King George in 1955, is helping organize the reunion festivities this weekend. The school is opening its doors to past and present students and staff, as well as parents, friends, and neighbours, Oct. 3 to 5.
In a city as young as Vancouver, celebrating what little history exists is vitally important, says Pennington.
"There's huge affection for the old building."
Kicking off with a trip down memory lane will be group tours around the neighbourhood on Friday and Sunday. West End Community Centre is hosting an interactive exhibit that lets guests record stories and memories on old typewriters as part of a larger project called West End Memories. The digital history project in partnership with the Vancouver Public Library is one of the first of its kind.
The Coast Plaza Hotel is hosting a dinner and dance Saturday night, where sounds of the '40s, '50s and '60s will harken back to a time when the lunch hour was spent in the social hall, dancing and jiving.
"We have fond memories of the joys, but also the tough times," Pennington says. "There were many single parent homes in those days and our teachers were nurturing.
"There's no place I'd rather have grown up than the West End."
For King George students, Stanley Park was a playground, and Brockton Oval the site of school track and field events. The King George Dragons have always been a force in both sport and academics, something Pennington believes is due to the small, intimate space the school provides.
It was E. F. Schumacher who said, “Small is beautiful”, but King George, like it's motto, Magni Animo, has always been "Great In Spirit".
For reunion details visit the Facebook page, here.
