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Letter: Boy, that David sure did want to go to Centennial high school in Coquitlam

The Editor, The old Centennial secondary school on Poirier Street in Coquitlam is about to fall under the wrecker’s ball. The new Centennial adjacent is close to completion.
centennial
Centennial secondary

The Editor,

The old Centennial secondary school on Poirier Street in Coquitlam is about to fall under the wrecker’s ball. The new Centennial adjacent is close to completion.

Last Friday, 50 years of old school memories were exchanged and celebrated at Winslow Centre by more than 100 former staff at our reunion (I was a staff member from 1967 to ’73). To illustrate Centennial’s fine reputation, I bring readers my best recollection of a story that dates back to the late 1960s about a student named David:

A few days into the new semester, David walked into my auto shop class carrying a single crutch. He had enrolled late and wasn’t always punctual for his early morning auto tech class but he was first to arrive this day.

“Why are you carrying the crutch?” I asked. “To catch a ride,” he replied.

Then he told his story. Dave was from a neighbouring city. Word-of-mouth about Coquitlam’s newest school had reached him so he skipped classes at his local school, hitchhiked to Centennial, walked our halls, mingled, lunched in the cafeteria, liked what he experienced and returned home to convince his parents to enrol him there. With the help of a crutch, he hitchhiked daily to attended Centennial and graduate.

David provided positive proof of Centennial’s early success. Like most of us who celebrated at Friday’s staff reunion, David too will now be a pensioner. I wish success to today’s Centennial students and staff in your brand new school.

Larri Woodrow, Langley