SBA Through the Decades

It’s been 40 years since the doors of Saint Brother André first opened, and since 1985, it’s safe to say a lot has changed. You can no longer rent a movie from Blockbuster, Sony Walkmans aren’t the best way to listen to music on the go anymore, and grade 13 is just a figment of our imaginations. It’s safe to say that our community has drastically changed over the years. I spent hours leafing through old, yellowing Orator copies with a multitude of both weird and creative banners, dating as far back as 1987, and read some very cool articles, as well as some. . . questionable ones, but they all gave me an idea of the events that shaped Brother André’s history over 40 years. 

Decade 1: 1985-1994

The year is 1985, and the school has just opened and welcomed the first 290 students, self- proclaimed “pioneers” into its halls. This was a decade for “firsts”: both Student Council and Athletic Council turn 40 along with our school this year, and 1985 was also the year of BA’s first talent show. A year later, the first issue of The Orator, yes, this very newspaper, was printed and not too long after that Chez André opened in the cafeteria. In 1987, BA won their first sports tournament: junior tennis. 1988 boasts another big event: the opening of the main building. No longer would the students be cramped up in the relo- at least, not all day. A year later, the pioneers of BA graduated at the school’s first ever senior prom. This was also the year Luke 4:18 started, and various clubs, councils, and sports teams (including a swim team!). Clubs such as Student Council, Athletic Council, Faith Development Council, and Arts Council were going strong. It wasn’t until 1990 that the first semi-formal was held. 

Decade 2: 1995-2004

We’ve made it to Brother André’s tenth anniversary! It’s the school’s first big milestone, there’s excitement in the air, and everything is great! (Except apparently the uniforms, according to some very passionate “lunchtime poll” answers I came across in a paper.) To celebrate the 10- year anniversary, the alumni of the first ten years came together for a pub night, sharing memories. The annual grade 9 Muskoka trip started in 1998, and I can’t help but wonder if the food was just as horrid over 25 years ago. It was in that same year that dress shirts and ties were removed from the dress code, to the delight of the students. Now the year is 1999, and we’re nearing the end of the millennia. Because of this, there was a very real fear in society that either the world would end or that clocks and computers would be confused. This may seem irrational to many of us today, but at the time people worried that the transition would cause a computer glitch so widespread that it would cause critical systems to malfunction. Seriously, I read an entire Orator article debating this. Spoiler alert, we lived.

Decade 3: 2005- 2014

Now that we’ve all survived Y2K and the threat of the end of the world is gone, we’re entering BA’s third decade. 2005 brought another change to the uniform: the removal of girls’ kilts. I personally see this as a great decision. Now we don’t have to worry about getting flashed in math class because someone dropped a calculator! A handful of years later, before his election as Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau made an appearance at BA and gave a speech. This certainly would have been a memorable event, but nothing compared to what the next year would bring. 2010- it’s the start of a new decade, yes, but it’s also the school’s 25th anniversary. That in itself is exciting, but 2010 was also the year of  Brother André’s canonization, an event that would forever change our school. That’s right, it was finally time for BA to become SBA! His devotion to St. Joseph and humble attitude were perhaps the reasons that over 10 million people since the 1960s had signed petitions in favour of Brother André becoming a saint. To celebrate this, 18 students were sent on an 8 day trip to Italy for his canonization. Safe to say that 2010 was a pretty jam-packed year for our school, and we’re not even done yet! In addition to this, Luke 4:18 hosted Band Aid, a concert in support of Markham Stouffville Hospital Foundation. Band Aid was a huge success, raising over $5000. 

Decade 4: 2015-2025

We’ve reached SBA’s most recent decade! In honour of the 100 year anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, in 2017 a trip to Vimy Ridge, France took place to commemorate the efforts of hundreds of thousands of Canadians who fought this battle in the first World War. Then came the most “memorable” years of our lives. March of 2020 impacted the whole world, and schools were no exception. I think we can all relate to the struggles of the pandemic: between the constant switching of online to in- person school days and missing out on milestone events, it’s safe to say Covid had a huge impact on all of us, SBA included. We all remember the changes made to our school schedules, either in elementary or high school. The pandemic days at SBA consisted of 3 hour classes, half in person and half from home, as well as the drive-through graduation so similar to the ones we saw at our own elementary schools. So yeah, not the best of times. On a happier note, the next few years were full of success for the BA sports teams. In 2022, the senior boys soccer team qualified for OFSAA, and only a year later the senior boys hockey team won the championship.

Over the past 40 years, SBA has changed so much, and will certainly continue to change for as long as its doors are open. I hope that by reading this article, you have learned something- or many somethings- about the school whose halls you walk through every day, and strive to be a part of the many future events that take place here at St. Brother André.