July 1, 2021

CANADA’S FUTURE BRIGHT WITH THESE 64 GHS GRADS

GRAVENHURST — Brett Reynolds has followed in his great-uncle’s footsteps.

Jack Vincent was an outstanding high school athlete who — astoundingly — twice broke the world record in the 100-yard dash in the 1940s. A track record that lasted at GHS until after his death in 1981.

“Jack was an outstanding athlete who strongly believed ‘you always play to win.’”

But as important to him were sportsmanship and the joy of participation.

Reynolds, 18, starred in basketball, volleyball and badminton with double team and singles championships at both the Muskoka-Parry Sound and Georgian Bay school levels. His hoops team went to OFSSA.

This year at the finish line of his high school he appeared destined for athlete-of-the-year status and perhaps greater provincial glory — but for the pandemic.

Phys-ed teacher Corry Ziorjen called him a “distinguished athlete” who would have certainly gone to all-Ontario in the badminton, following in the footsteps of his grandparents Jim and Nancy (Vincent) Lynch, who represented Canada internationally on the shuttlecock court.

Tuesday Reynolds was presented with the Jack Vincent Sports Honour Award at the Gravenhurst High School graduation ceremonies.

Where he got to hoist the trophy — after receiving it along with his diploma from principal Trent Willet — as his teachers, some classmates, parents and his grandparents cheered.

**Ryan Reynolds hoists the Jack Vincent Sports Honour Award at Tuesday’s Gravenhurst High School graduation.**

He’s the last winner of the trophy, which was handed out only nine other times in its 26 years and bears the names of other outstanding student athletes and championship teams at the school.

Vincent’s wife, Marie, a former phys-ed teacher at the school, donated the trophy in 1995 for an athlete or team “exemplifying outstanding athletic ability and sportsmanship.” She died two years ago. The Vincents were a prominent main street business family in town with restaurant and clothing stores at the corner of Muskoka Road and Hotchkiss Street.

Reynolds, who plans post-secondary physiotherapy studies, is taking a year off to save up for school and let the virtual learning sort itself out.

He came straight from work at the Home Building Centre to collect the hardware and celebrate with his mom, Krista, his little brother Jake, 13, and his grandparents Jim Lynch and Jim and Dorothy Reynolds.

His grandmother, Nancy, was in hospital unable to attend, but will be back home this week to congratulate him.

His was a family affair, not unlike that of the 63 other graduates on hot afternoon in front of the school as a DJ spun a beat in the heat.

Starting at 11:30 a.m. and every half-hour till after 4 p.m. groups of students were invited to drive up, gown-up, be presented with their diploma, get awards, grab a swag bag that included as GHS sweater — “for suffering through their final year” — and pose for photo-ops with family.

And catch up with friends they hadn’t been with for months.

It much the same as last year for the teacher organizers, but with an improved learning curve in 2021 that kept things moving swimmingly on a sweltering day.

Mary Street was lined north to south with orange cones leading to the 1973 school cornerstone, where each grad was greeted, gowned and loudly introduced to principal Willet for the diploma moment before a floral laden table.

Most of them were chauffeured by proud parents and accompanied by big and little brothers and sisters.

One teary-eyed girl marched down the street embracing a large beautiful bouquet of flowers and walked away with her Grade 12 certificate.

Another came by dirt bike, met his mom and rode away after all was said and done.

Off to an unknown future — leaving one of life’s first major accomplishments in his wake.

Sage Van Kooten, a prominent community and youth activist, walked away with an armful of awards, including the principal’s award for leadership, the Governor-General’s award, the Hazelwood proficiency award and the school’s top honour the Les Thornton Award.

**Sage van Kooten was the big winner with four accolades including the top Les Thornton Award.**

It didn’t matter which side of their Oxford caps their tassels hung from after the educational hassles they’d endured the past two years.

Most were just joyed to be there. To savour their 30 minutes of fame mere metres from classrooms they toiled in for most of four formative years — before were forced to vacate and study from home this spring due to COVID-19.

In the shade of nearby trees a group of giddy black-garbed grads jumped for joy, tossing off the mortarboard mantles of a most memorable year and a graduation ceremony for the yearbooks.

The Class of 2021, which arrived four years ago as newbie teens, left their alma mater as young men and women ready, willing and able to change Canada and the world and make them better and brighter.

Just ask Chelsea MacDonald.

She’s going on to study criminology at Trent University and “become an RCMP.”

Asked if she has any concerns about a career as a Mountie given their reputation now, she quick to say: “I’m going to change that.”