Retired Journalist at The Globe & Mail (also Windsor Star, Calgary Albertan/Herald, CBC, DBRS) and PhD studies in fish ecology.

Three lovely kids: an aerospace engineer on the Isle of Wight, UK;  a tidal power engineer in Swindon, UK, and a Toronto police detective keeping crime off our streets!  Four grandchildren, waiting for more!  Brother of Johanna (JCI 1968).

Do contact me for corrections, updates and more old friends at  oliver.bertin@utoronto.ca 416 588 8520

Oliver Bertin:  I remember one wise old sage explaining to me why Jarvisites were such a cohesive school body, such a tight-knit group of like-minded friends.  The reason:  The staff decided early on to keep us together in one class all the way from Grade 8 in Deer Park PS to Grade 12 when we split into two groups, science and the arts.  By then, after four formative years growing up together, we were virtually inseparable.  And we still are!

Oliver Bertin: “I forgot to tell you how I burned down the auditorium during the Mac the Knife performance.  I was doing special effects and during the witches’ scene I had arranged to set off a gunpowder explosion (the gunpowder came from Hercules on Yonge St. You could buy it in those days of innocence.)  “Eye of newt, ear of frog etc etc” then Whoomph! went the gunpowder.  It was very fine!  Came to school the next morning and there were fire trucks everywhere and lots of smoke in the auditorium.  My theory is that a spark went up into the curtains and started the fire.  Mr. Medland wrote the fire up in the school history but he attributed the cause to faulty wiring.  I dunno.  Bit of a coincidence.  I think he’s trying to protect me!  Thank you Mr. Medland!