Since its opening in September 1963, thousands of students have spent their high school years at NDDHS. NDDHS60 seeks to bring together former students and staff to reconnect with old friends and make new ones. Thompson Goddard Photo

CHESTERVILLE – Over the past 58 years, high school students from all corners of North Dundas, and for a few years from Russell Township, have attended North Dundas District High School located midway between Chesterville and Winchester on Maple Ridge. In 2023, 60 years will have passed since NDDHS opened its doors and planning is getting underway to celebrate that milestone with a school reunion.

SDSG MP Eric Duncan and Gina Jaquemet, both members of the class of 2005, are co-chairing NDDHS60 with a plan to hold the “biggest reunion yet.” Duncan recently told The Chesterville Record it is hoped the reunion committee will be able to meet in the fall and begin planning the “biggest reunion yet at a date yet to be determined with events for people to enjoy and raise some money for the school.

He commented “NDDHS60 is a great opportunity to bring together hundreds, if not thousands, of former students and staff for a big reunion and to raise some money for our high school.” The last reunion, which celebrated the school’s golden anniversary, was held in late June of 2013 and brought together approximately one thousand people from nine provinces and twelve states in the USA, with “all the years pretty well represented.” Duncan explained the 2013 reunion raised over $20,000 for NDDHS which was used for school beautification projects. This included updating the school’s stage, cafeteria beautification and adding oversized photographs throughout the school.

He noted that during the 50th anniversary reunion there were memory rooms which were organized by decade and included memorabilia and yearbooks from the era as well as volunteers to speak about the history of the school at that time.  When asked about NDDHS yearbooks, Duncan noted there are yearbooks at the school from each year since it opened as well as every newspaper article written about the school from The Chesterville Record and The Winchester Press.  

Duncan commented “NDDHS is a great school, and we know many want to reconnect and help support the next generation of students,” adding “we are expecting alumni from all across Canada and the US again, and even from Europe, so it will be a fun weekend for sure.”

If you are interested in assisting in the event planning, loaning some memorabilia from your time at NDDHS or would like more information, you are asked to contact the committee through their Facebook page or website at www.NDDHS60.ca.