Elizabeth Mason, FEO, October 24, 2024, VOL. 6 ISSUE 4
Approximately 45 people were in attendance at Niagara Christian Collegiate’s 50th class reunion on September 28th.
The class of 1974 was celebrated by classmates from all areas of Ontario in addition to some alumni who made the trip from as far away as Pennsylvania and Florida. A Facebook group was created in order to spread the word, and alumni from 1973 and 1975 were invited to join in the fun.
NCC provided light refreshments and an enjoyable time of reconnection and reflection for classmates in the school’s chapel, festively decorated for the occasion. It was a wonderful afternoon of reminiscing about the times of their high school years and friendships while also honouring classmates who have passed on.
For those students who came from far away, they looked back fondly on memories of their experience being a student living in the campus dormitory, away from their families.
Louanna Swalm Walker, class of 1974, commented on fun memories she made while living on dorm.
“My grandfather was E.J. Swalm and it was him and Bert Sherk that took the bag full of cash to pay for the school. A lot of my fond memories were the team sports, ‘cause you did it with your friends. Living on dorm and making our own fun, no cell phones, no internet, we just made our own fun and slid down the steps on mattresses and cardboard. Sometimes we climbed down the fire escape and went to Fort Erie and back without anyone knowing!”
NCC hosts students from around the globe, which is a big move and change for a young high school student, but the school makes an intentional effort to create an atmosphere that is a home away from home. Yvonne Davis (Royer) from the class of 1973 spoke on her experience.
“I think my fondest memory is how close we all were. It was a very small school, I think there were about 135 students in the school at that time, about 35 in my graduating class. Just how close we became as a family. I remember when I first came, I was so homesick that first semester and I called my dad, crying, saying, ‘I want to come home.’ He said, ‘Just stick it out to the end of the semester and we will see,’ and by the end of that semester I didn’t want to go home, I just loved it here. He was wise in that,” she said.
One of the beautiful things about NCC is how close it is to the Niagara River, where students can walk from campus and enjoy the views. That river has also been the home to many incredible moments, as told by Dr. Enoch Kwan of the class of 1974 when asked if there was a memorable event he could share about.
“We learned many great hymns [at NCC], such as ‘Like a River Glorious.’ A few of them we learned in the chapel. It was a nice singing time. We had actually organized a Chinese Christian Fellowship, too. We started with 6 people and by the end of the year, in June 1974 we baptized 9 people in the river. It was very, very happy! I still remember a lot of my classmates,” he said.
“We come by the school once every few years. Whenever we have friends from Hong Kong or other places, whatever friends, we bring them here as a tour point and tell them the story and drive along the Niagara Parkway,” Kwan continued, “It feels great to be back. I’m very thankful for the school.”
During the event, NCC’s enrollment department led the group on a campus tour, and for the first time in many years, the alumni toured NCC’s landmark building, Belmont Hall, which overlooks the river. The building has not been in operation since approximately 2010.
Throughout the years that Belmont Hall was in use, visiting alumni could remember walking the halls which featured the school’s chapel on the main floor, a lounge area, locker space, classrooms, and girls’ dorm rooms on the upper two floors; an experience current NCC students wish they could have experienced.
The Belmont Club was built as a social club in Fort Erie, Ontario by wealthy Americans and Canadians in 1927. The Brethren in Christ Ontario Joint Council approved the purchase of “Canada Baltimore Club” which was later renamed Belmont Hall, along with 122 acres of land for $13,000 in 1928.
Ontario Bible School moved to this location along the Niagara Parkway, renaming the school to Niagara Christian Collegiate years later. Here, where faith and learning meet, NCC has been educating students for over 90 years.
The campus tour also included a visit to the Conference Room (which was known as the “Snack Shack” in the 70’s), along with the Academic Administration building, the Dorothy Sherk Memorial Student Services Centre, and the newly refurbished gymnasium.
After the campus reunion, the group enjoyed dinner together in the Fort Erie area.
Niagara Christian Collegiate is always happy to host reunions on its campus and encourages alumni who might be celebrating a milestone year to reach out to LoveNCC@niagaracc.com to plan a reunion!
“Our class is pretty special and we’re back together again after 48 years, so it’s good to see everyone. It feels great to see everybody,” said Dave Sherk from the class of 1976. “We all look the same of course!”
Editorial Note: As a class of 2022 alumni, NCC is special to me, and holds a very near and dear place in my heart. I made many incredible friends in the seven years I attended and I very much look forward to being able to attend my 50th reunion in 2072. NCC has the best teachers a student could ask for; the care they show their students is immeasurable and if you’ve attended NCC, I know you can say that you’ve taken a life lesson with you from at least one of your teachers that will last with you as you go on from graduation. They encouraged me in my academic and faith journey, and being able to still step into the chapel as a member of the Lifehouse congregation with Pastor Todd MacGregor is a blessing. As Larry Moss, a member of the faculty put it, “NCC is like one big family.”
