Class of '86
25th Year Reunion

Plaza Antique (514.255.2922)
6086 Rue Sherbrooke E, Montreal
Saturday, November 5th, 2011
Cocktails at 6:30 PM
Cost: $95

Email: classof86lmac@gmail.com

INFO: (450) 662-0222 ext. 222

Class of '85
25th Year Reunion - A Success!

Saturday, October 23, 2010
The Holiday Inn La Plaza
420 Sherbrooke West
Montreal, Quebec

LMAC25 video 1

LMAC25 video 2

Class of '84
25th Year Reunion - A Success!

Saturday, November 7, 2009
Club de Golf Métropolitain Anjou

Laurier Macdonald turns 40!

Meditation & Discussion Group
benefiting LMAC Alumni & Friends

Come Meditate Every Tuesday Evening @ 7:30 p.m.

Mr. Peter Parke is currently leading a meditation and discussion group every Tuesday evening at Laurier Macdonald High School. Mr. Parke feels that the fast pace we live in, coupled with a downturn in the economy, requires a re-balancing of priorities. Participants meet at the cafeteria entrance. Please note that this is a FREE activity.

For additional information, please contact Mr. Peter Parke (514) 648-0145

Class of '83
25th Year Reunion

Saturday, November 1, 2008
Club de Golf Métropolitain Anjou

Congratulations to the Class of '83 for a highly successful reunion. Over 200 graduates attended the event! Visit Class of '83 Facebook and click on photos below.

Radio at Laurier Mac
By Gabriele Di Genova,
The Suburban

Laurier Macdonald High School in St. Leonard launched a new branch of its media facilities Tuesday with its on-campus student radio station. At 10 a.m., the first official broadcast hit the airwaves from 560 on the AM dial, as school administrators, contributors to the project, and various friends and family of Daniel Orsi (Class of '03), the project manager, tuned in.

Orsi first conceived the idea of an on-campus radio station as a “personal project” in his final year of Laurier Mac’s International Baccalaureate Program. At the end of his senior year, the project far from complete, Orsi committed himself to get the job done. While in CEGEP and university, Orsi mad the effort to return to his high school when he was able, to work on the station. “I continued it because I couldn't abandon it,” says Orsi. “I felt a responsibility to see it through.” Three years later, the project is complete, resulting in a state-of-the-art radio station that can broadcast throughout the school, and also act as a recording studio.

Since the project began, Orsi has raised about $12,000, although according the Orsi, that sum hardly reflects the overall cost of the in-school radio station. “Many professionals gave freely of their labour and material.” The school administration plans to integrate the sound studio/radio station into the Secondary IV media education curriculum in the fall of 2006. The completion of this endeavour may open the door to other long-term goals.

Featured Graduate BIO:
Book: Healing through Art - Ritualized Space and Cree Identity

Nadia Ferrara - Class of '84

Source: McGill - Queen's University Press.

Nadia Ferrara is an adjunct professor in the Department of Anthropology, McGill University, a professional art therapist, a senior policy advisor at Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, and the author of "Emotional Expression among Cree Indians: The Role of Pictorial Representations in the Assessment of Psychological Mindedness."

In "Healing through Art" Nadia Ferrara shows how art therapy has been used as a successful form of healing among Crees. The result of her work as an art therapist in communities in northern Quebec, the book provides a comprehensive analysis of the nature of her patients' experiences. Ferrara examines how individual experience of trauma is perceived, defined, and narrated by Cree individuals and discusses the role that Cree culture and Cree definitions of self play in therapy.

Ferrara, who is accepted as a healer in Cree communities, shows how art therapy became a ritual for her patients, noting that Crees often associate art therapy and their experience in the bush and arguing that both constitute a place for them to re-affirm their notions of self. By including patient drawings and letting us hear Cree voices, "Healing through Art" gives us a sense of the reality of everyday Cree experience. This innovative book transcends disciplinary boundaries and makes a significant contribution to anthropology, Native Studies, and clinical psychology.

What do "A Bugs Life", "Toy Story 2" and "Monsters Inc." have in common?

Patrick Guenette - Class of '84

Too many years and too many faces. I'd be surprised if many would remember the quiet skinny kid in the corner with the french last name. To be honest I think I'd need a little help to jar the memories that might connect faces to names but, annoyingly, my year book escapes me.

Art or computers? That's the question I asked myself as high school was coming to a close. I picked computers. In the end it came down to being practical about things and a sneaking suspicion that I would dearly miss eating regularly if I became an artist. No regrets, I'm not so skinny anymore.

Things have a way of going in circles. As luck would have it computers are now regularly used to make art. As a truck load of luck would have it, some years ago I was offered a job at a place at which I would have worked for free. So there it was, computers and art.

I started at Pixar in 1998 as a System Administrator on Irix platforms ( a derivative of Unix). In that capacity I had some involvement in "A Bugs Life", "Toy Story 2" and "Monsters Inc."

In 2001 I switched rolls, I became a technical director. I moved to the production end of things, in the layout department. While there I worked on "Monsters Inc." some more.

After "Monsters Inc." wrapped up I managed to get into shading (creating textures and defining the visual characteristics of objects) and working on pre-production on Cars (not yet out). Then the big push on "The Incredibles" came about. I worked on that for nearly 2 years after which I returned to "Cars" which had moved into production. Speaking of which, I'd better get back to work and finish this movie.

Patrick Guenette

LMAC Grads raise over $28,000.00
in the Weekend to End Breast Cancer!

The Weekend to End Breast Cancer is a two-day, 60-kilometre walk through the neighbourhoods of Montreal which took place on August 26-28, 2005. Support our fellow grads - The Seins-Sauveurs Gang.

The term "support" embodies a different meaning for the families and friends of those affected.  

Loretta Cianci '78

Eskimos name Danny Maciocia new Head Coach
Graduate of '84

The Edmonton Eskimo Football Club today announced that Danny Maciocia has been named the team’s new head coach.

Maciocia had spent the last three seasons as the Eskimos’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The 36 year-old native of Montreal has helped guide the development of some of the Eskimos top offensive players, including quarterback Jason Maas who passed for a career best 5,270 yards last season.

Eskimo President and CEO Hugh Campbell noted “Danny Maciocia is one of the top young coaches in football. He’s an excellent leader and strategist and this is an exciting day for the Eskimo organization and our fans.”

“I’m honoured to be named head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos, a team that has enjoyed so much success both on and off the field,” said Maciocia.

Prior to joining the Eskimos in 2002, Maciocia spent five seasons with the Montreal Alouettes. Maciocia is also in his second year as head coach of Team Canada and will lead the squad at the 2005 NFL Global Junior Championship in Jacksonville. Last season, Team Canada won a silver medal at the 2004 championship in Houston.

Danny Maciocia
Born: May 26, 1967 – Montreal, PQ.
Danny and wife Sandra; daughters Bianca & Juliana reside in St.Albert, AB.
Notable: Danny Maciocia is the first Canadian-born head coach of the Eskimos since Annis Stukus (1949-’51) and the Eskimos 17th head coach since 1949.

(Source: Edmonton Eskimo Web Site)

Mirella is part of the popular musical group called Sugar Jones, which was formed among the winning participants from the original Canadian television version of Pop Stars. Sugar Jones has recorded one album together and it sold platinum (100,000 copies in Canada).

Their hit song "Days Like That" still remains popular on the charts. Mirella has spent a considerable amount of time in the studio lately, recording some songs for her yet to be released solo album. She is taking part in the writing process and collaborating with other singers and songwriters.

Marco Romero '78 Sets up The Tiger Foundation

The Tiger Foundation is a Canadian conservation organization exclusively dedicated to the preservation of wild tigers.

Here you will have the power to access every available fact, fable, thought and theory regarding Panthera tigris, as well as find an effective instrument through which you can directly support those working to prevent the extinction of these magnificent, but critically endangered animals. Support the cause!

A Tribute to Father Gagné
by Carmen Colombo Class of 1976

Father Gagné was the chaplain at Laurier Macdonald High School, in St-Leonard, (now Montreal) Quebec, Canada, for many years. In 1968, he created the Pastoral Center, which was like a second home for the majority of the students at Laurier Macdonald. Everyone who ever went to that school spent at least one hour with Father Gagné, and without a doubt, their life was touched by him.

Father Gagné was a wonderful human being. He understood when no one else did. He inspired, challenged, helped, encouraged, loved. He always had projects in the works; raising funds for various charitable organizations through fun activities, bringing food baskets to needy families, organizing fashion shows, celebrating mixed masses...the list was endless.

Father Gagné always made us feel that we could make a difference, and we did. We all learned so much from that man. We learned love and compassion. His motto was "United we stand, divided we fall". Continued here....