Roslyn marks the big 100

Back in 1908, aviation was in its infancy, movies consisted of flickering images projected onto a bedsheet, and the rickety Model-T Ford was the latest word in automotive technology. It was also the year that Roslyn School first opened its doors to students.

Now, a century later, the entire Roslyn School community is preparing to celebrate the school's special birthday with a series of events beginning next week.

Roslyn has always been a cornerstone of the Westmount community, and fittingly, on Friday, Oct. 12, a contingent of staff, students and local dignitaries will gather on the front lawn for a re-enactment ceremony to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the laying of the building's cornerstone.

The school is also in the midst of a major fundraising campaign to build a new playground in the schoolyard. The $100,000 project is being funded through money raised by the Roslyn community and matching grants of $25,000 each from Quebec's Ministry of Education and the English Montreal School Board. Part of that has come from the sale of paving stones which will be installed in the yard as a footpath, each one inscribed with the donor's name. The path will be unveiled on Oct. 11, along with a silent auction and a raffle for two Air Canada tickets to fly anywhere in North America.