Hillfield Strathallan College Inducts Six New Members To Its Hall Of Excellence



On Thursday, December 18, 2008, Hillfield Strathallan College honoured six extraordinary alumni at their induction into the Alumni Hall of Excellence. The College is proud to welcome Aline Myles Banting ’31, Henry Duncan Graham Crerar ’05, Michael Evans ’82, Carlotta Hacker Lemieux, Salimah Mussani ’97, and Peter C. Newman ’45.

The Alumni Hall of Excellence celebrates alumni who embody and promote the ideals of the College. By honouring this distinguished group of alumni the College continues its tradition of inspiring others through the legacy of alumni who have come before them.

The event occupies a significant place in the life of the College. “The men and women honoured in the Alumni Hall of Excellence serve as excellent role models to current and future students. They have gone on to realize their potential, while helping to make the world a better place. They are people of action whose strength of character has been the driving force in their lives”, said Dr. Tom Matthews.

Born in 1911, Aline Banting ’31 was a fourth generation Hamiltonian and a graduate of Strathallan College. Educated at the Hamilton Technical Institute’s Art Department and the Ontario College of Art, she went on to become a founding member of the Contemporary Artists of Hamilton and a long-time member of the Women’s Art Association of Hamilton. Aline Banting loved people, and her forte as an artist were sensitive portraits of people of every age, nationality and social status. Four of her paintings can be found in the permanent collection of the Art Gallery of Hamilton.

Born in 1888, General Crerar ’05 pursued his education at Upper Canada College and Highfield, before moving on to the Royal Military College in Kingston. He served as an artillery officer during the World War One, and during Second World War, he helped to structure and train the largest army in Canadian history. Harry Crerar became a General in 1944, and as such, commanded the First Canadian Army. “He was not one to seek the limelight or command headlines,” wrote American President Eisenhower upon Crerar’s death in 1965. “He was one of those great souls whose only ambition was to do his duty to his troops and to his country.”

Dr. Michael Evans ’82 is leading a revolution in redefining how people solve their health problems. As a practising family physician, professor of medicine and journalist, he has long been concerned with communicating the best health knowledge possible to his patients, as well as the general public.  The well-known creator of the Mini-Med School for lay people, Dr. Evans has launched the Health Media Innovation Lab, bringing together leaders from diverse disciplines to find innovative ways to move health information beyond pamphlets and into the media with which people interact everyday. In addition to running an inner-city Toronto practice, he writes for the Globe and Mail and has a regular spot on CBC Radio.

Carlotta Hacker Lemieux  attended Strathallan College after she was sent to Canada along with her brothers and mother in 1941 when it looked as if England would be invaded by Nazi Germany. During this time, she developed friendships and an interest in Canadian History that have lasted a lifetime. An adventurer at heart, her travels have provided inspiration for many of her more than twenty books including her personal favourites, The Book of Canadians: An Illustrated Guide to Who Did What and Gardening with Gusto: A Handbook and Cookbook for Canadian Gardeners. Over the years, Carlotta Hacker Lemieux has had three careers, a writer, a filmperson and as an editor. She continues to write and edit.

Salimah Mussani ’97 is an alumnus who clearly embodies the College’s twin mottos “Excelsior” and “Velle Est Posse”. She is the former two-time winner of both the Ontario Junior Golf Championship and the Canadian Junior Championship. Despite the challenges posed by lupus disease, she chose the demanding and unpredictable world of professional golf.  The courage to pursue her dreams has paid off in Duramed Futures Tour and CN Canadian Women’s Tour wins. In addition to touring, Salimah is the assistant golf coach at Stanford University. “HSC enabled me to be active and involved in every aspect of school life,” she recalls. “I played every sport I could. Although we didn’t always win, it didn’t matter, I was learning to excel”, said Salimah.

Legendary journalist and best-selling author, Peter C. Newman ’45 has been writing about Canadian politics for half a century. He and his family fled from Czechoslovakia, through 18 months of hell before landing in Canada. Arriving in Canada, he became a student of Hillfield where he boarded in the home of Headmaster Arthur Killip. Mr. Newman later recalled, Mr Killip “helped me to learn English and Canadian ways. He was endlessly kind to me, as were all the teachers. The school took me in, and I am eternally grateful for this kindness”.  Peter has served as editor of the Toronto Star and Maclean's magazine, and has written twenty-five books including Renegade in Power, The Canadian Establishment, The Mulroney Tapes and his 2004 memoir, Here Be Dragons: Telling Tales of People, Passion and Power. He has received a Companion of the Order of Canada, seven honourary doctorates, a National Newspaper Award and has been elected to the News Hall of Fame.

The Alumni Hall of Excellence located in the Wansbrough Building, is a vital corridor where many alumni trophies and awards are housed. Appropriately named the Alumni Hall of Excellence, this project embraces the spirit of the College, “Here Excellence is a way of Life”. The Alumni Hall of Excellence was founded in 2006 with the induction of 13 Honourees.