PRINCE GEORGE – It was fifty years ago. Eight young men – all students from Prince George Senior Secondary School – ventured into the Willow River for a canoeing trip.
It ended in tragedy.
And the fate of the Willow River Eight remains an indelible piece of Prince George history. Alumni of that class gathered Thursday at their alma mater – that very school – for a very special occasion.
“We’re celebrating today because of the fundraising that we did in honour of the eight students that had lost their lives in 1974,” says Dan Robin, PGSSS Reunion Organizer. “And we present it today through the foundation, the Prince George Foundation for bursaries to the high school with a cheque for $21,000.”
And this small, but mighty group of people have been dedicating time for a long time.
“It’s one of those conversations over a cup of coffee you have with your buddy, right? We should do something. This is the last time we’re going to probably do something of this magnitude,” says Robin. “We have little parties that happen before and after just to keep the flow of the energy going. But we thought a fundraiser would be really good, so we thought $5,000 would be a great target.”
But it later ballooned to $21,000. Each year, in perpetuity, $674 will be awarded to a graduate of PGSS who has demonstrated leadership in the community, and who wishes to attend a post-secondary institution but has financial needs. And the amount of the bursary has significance.
“We were throwing around the idea of doing something a little bit different that is significant. The six represents June when we graduated. And ’74 is the year that we graduated. 674, representing June, 1974.”
And it’s a long-standing legacy for future students.
“I think for supporting our current students and students of the future as well. I think a bursary such as this gives students access to pursue their career pathways, to pursue their career goals, and we are supporting them financially in their pursuits as well,” explains Randy Halpape, Principal for PGSS.
The Willow River Eight represents a very tragic moment in not only the school’s history but that of this community. A legacy like that will, helpfully, over time, try to heal those wounds.
“People in this town really do rally. Over half of the class that graduated here 50 years ago still live here. So I don’t know of anywhere else where people stay in a town. Even some that had moved away, to other parts of the world have come back here to retire. So it’s a testament to this town,” says Robin.
