St. Pat's alumni hold one last high school reunion
The 53-year-old school opened in 1954 and closed in 2007
Hundreds of former St. Pat's High School students, including graduates from the early years of the school, attended one last reunion to say goodbye on Saturday.
"I came here to see how many of us old farts showed up today," said Marilyn Dickinson, who graduated in 1964.
Her favourite memory from St. Pat's was the dances, when it was a Catholic school.
"The nuns used to come down and put their hands between us and say 'Leave room for the Holy Spirit,'" said Dickinson.
There was a BBQ, a basketball game with former players, and green T-shirts and hoodies on sale. Pieces of St. Pat's gym floor were even for sale. A dance was held at Citadel High Saturday evening.
"It's a thrill. I enjoyed those years at my high school. It was so beautiful," said Derek Shanks, who attended St. Pat's from 1954 to 1959.
Shanks brought his 1955 yearbook to show fellow alumni.
"I'll never forget it," he said.
The reunion was organized by Craig Macdonald and Leo Salloum, who both graduated in 1997.
"Right when I saw it fenced off, I wrote Leo and said, 'We have to do this,'" said Macdonald, who is well known for planning big parties around Halifax.
The school — which opened in 1953 and closed in 2007 — is in the process of being torn down.
"We want to bring the community together, do something positive. Everybody's here, smiling, getting to see old faces," said Macdonald.