A distinguished group of seven from Spectrum/Mt. View!
A spectacular community event was held at Spectrum Community School on Thursday, June 1st and we wished you were there! Carole James, retired Deputy Premier and Finance Minister, and Frank Leonard, retired Mayor of Saanich of 18 years, notably, both alumni from Spectrum and Mt. View schools, were two Distinguished Alumni
honoured out of a group of seven. About 100 family, friends and guests joined in the celebrations and listened to the extraordinary accomplishments of graduates of Spectrum Community School and Mt. View High School; Spectrum replaced Mt. View in 1974.
The evening began with a dedication to Wally Russell, Spectrum’s founding Principal, who sadly passed away in February 2023; there were many tributes to Wally’s bold and dynamic leadership at Spectrum and throughout the Greater Victoria and Sooke school districts.
In his fresh and authentic manner, John Horgan, recent Premier of BC, introduced Carole James, who was followed by Mayor Dean Murdock (with a friendly retort to Mr. Horgan), introducing Frank Leonard, a significant mentor and colleague. With “community” at its heart, another Spectrum alumni, Mena Westhaver, serving our local
municipality as a Saanich Councillor, was given an impressive introduction by Dr. Lara Lauzon, from the University of Victoria.
Soccer in Victoria will be forever grateful for the coaching prowess of Joe Bekkers, a retired teacher who taught and coached at Mt. View and Spectrum; Joe was introduced by Tom Somner who, in his own right, was an accomplished soccer player, winning the much coveted Colonist Cup with Joe, in 1969.
After some rousing tunes by Spectrum’s famous Old Wavers Band, another well-renowned Mt. View athlete and Distinguished Alumni, Bob Bolitho, was honoured for his extraordinary soccer career playing for
Canadian and American teams.
Representing Spectrum’s Fine Arts alumni, Alissa York, author of her newly released novel, Far Cry, was introduced by her very proud father, Allen York, a beloved teacher-educator from the Greater Victoria School District. And, to top off our exemplary Distinguished Alumni for the evening was Scott Jasechko, an Associate Professor at the
University of Santa Barbara, who is a leading hydrologist in climate science, introduced and influenced by his chemistry teacher from Spectrum, Brady Quast…educators making a difference.
Let’s not forget that at the root of all of these successes are the teachers and school staff who continue to influence the lives of students. When they graduate from Grade 12, they enter a completely different set of experiences, they can be assured that the Spectrum/Mt. View Alumni Association will follow them with great interest as they make strides into their communities and beyond.
Congratulations to all new Spectrum graduates and to our 2023 Distinguished Alumni honourees from Spectrum and Mt. View – we are a proud community.
Noteworthy, a few days before Carole James accepted her award, she was invited to speak to an English 12 class at Spectrum and, interestingly, it was a class taught by the granddaughter of the very teacher, Justus Havelaar, who inspired Carole in an innovative program which James feels helped launch her life’s work in our local and
provincial communities.
Joe Bekkers Teacher ’69 – ’00
Joe Bekkers was a builder of the unique culture that characterized the schools from the last years of Mt. View through the first 25 years of Spectrum. Joe espoused excellence in academics through his teaching and was instrumental in developing partnerships with work-study and post-secondary programs. As a soccer coach, Joe’s success is legendary, with his teams winning many championships, including 8 Colonist Cups.
Joe was an inspirational educator and the perfect choice to be our first teacher honouree.
Bob Bolitho Class of ’71
Bob Bolitho, an Olympic and Professional Soccer Player is regarded as one of Victoria’s finest soccer players. He joined the Canadian National Team and played for Canada in the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. Bob started with the Vancouver Whitecaps and a number of other NASAL teams before retiring from the sport.
Frank Leonard Class of ’72
Frank Leonard was the Mayor of Saanich and Chair of the Police Board from 1996-2014 after serving as a Councillor from 1986. While in public office, Frank chaired the Municipal Finance Authority of BC, was President of the Union of BC Municipalities and a Director of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. He has also served as Chair of the Capital Regional District, the Hospital District and the region’s Housing Corporation.
Carole James Class of ’75
Carole James was a proud member of the first graduating class of Spectrum Community School, although the new building was not ready and the graduates spent Grade 12 at Mt. View! Since that time, Carole has been actively engaged in her community, building strong relationships and policies in her varied capacities within the fields of social work, public education, and provincial politics where she is the former Minister of Finance and Deputy Premier for British Columbia.
Alissa York Class of ’87
Since her graduation in 1987, Alissa has lived all over Canada and now makes her home in Toronto where she is a full professor, teaching creative writing at The Humber School For Writers. Alissa’s internationally acclaimed novels have been shortlisted for the prestigious Scotiabank Giller Prize. She is also the author of the short fiction collection Any Given Power, which won the Journey Prize and the Bronwen Wallace Award. Alissa’s new novel was released in March 2023.
Mena Ruffolo-Westhaver Class of ’89
Mena Westhaver is a community builder and fundraising organizer in Victoria. Mena tirelessly organizes fundraisers to help families and children and has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for various causes, including being a guest rider for the Tour de Rock in 2016. She operates PowerWest Athletics and Sole Sisters women’s running groups. In 2022, Mena was elected to Saanich Council.
