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Message FRACTURED DISCOURSE AND DISRUPTION: THE STATE OF CANADIAN POLITICSWhere is political discourse in this country headed? Newly minted MP for Toronto Centre Evan Solomon ’87 and four alumni working in the Canadian political arena oer their perspectives. Page 16A Magazine for the Alumni of Crescent SchoolSummer 2025A Magazine for the Alumni of Crescent School
Page 24Luke Connell ’03 founded a company that uses natural processes to remove carbon from the environmentA River Runs Through ItPHOTOGRAPHY BY SHLOMI AMIGA
Crescent School Alumni Magazine 1Page 28Petr Schumacher ’16 credits Crescent teachers with turbocharging both his careersHigh FlyerPHOTOGRAPHY BY SHLOMI AMIGA
Words from the AlumniWhat Makes a Good Leader?With two recent snap elections in Ontario and Canada, respectively, I’ve been thinking a lot about political discourse lately. Every day, I’m surrounded by boys and young men who are absorbing messages from the world around them. It shows me how the character-centric work we do at Crescent has never been more important.In this issue of Past & Present, our article “Fractured Discourse and Disruption: The State of Canadian Politics” features insights from several alumni who work in the political arena. Within a broader climate that was already showing signs of divisiveness, we ask our alumni experts whether civil discourse is a thing of the past.You’ll also hear from Petr Schumacher ’16, who developed a passion for ying after getting a ight simulator at age 12. Today, he’s a pilot for Porter Airlines. If that wasn’t enough, he’s also a rising star in the electronic music scene as a DJ and producer. Following his own winding career path, Luke Connell ’03 worked in non-prots before co-founding CarbonRun, a company that uses limestone to remove carbon from water, soil, and the atmosphere.If you haven’t done so already, take a seat in your favourite chair and prepare to be entertained by the stories and accomplishments of your Crescent Brothers.Warm regards,Jamie Lougheed ’87 P’18Chief Advancement OfcerPast & Present is published twice a year by Crescent School’s Advancement Department to help all alumni stay connected with the Crescent community.Cover Photographer: Shlomi AmigaEditor: Kristin Foster Editorial Committee: Kristin Foster, Wendy Jacobs, Lynda Torneck Editorial Board: Spencer Belyea ’13, David Bruser ’95, Bert Fielding ’13, Philip Lloyd ’09, Myles Slocombe ’92Design Agency: Aegis Design Inc.Senior Designer: Sabrina Xiang Writers: Naomi Buck, Kristin Foster, Pat Morden, Lynda Torneck Photographers: Shlomi Amiga, Karenna Boychuk, Carmen Cheung, Illustrator: Jesley LauComments and suggestions about Past & Present are always welcome. Reach us at: Alumni Relations Oce, Crescent School 2365 Bayview Avenue, Toronto ON M2L 1A2e: alumni@crescentschool.orgt: 416.449.2556 ext. 204
Crescent School Alumni Magazine 3Students Strike “Coyote Gold” Crescent’s Grade 4 Maple Syrup Club came to a delicious conclusion this spring as the 22 maple tree taps the boys had installed around campus nally lled the buckets with sap. Approximately 450 litres of sap were collected, producing 11 litres of maple syrup. The log cabin behind the school was a perfect spot for the club to make its syrup. Boiling pans were set up at the end of March, transforming it into a sugar shack and drawing in curious students and staff from across campus.Upfront / Experiences010208 100903040506 0701— 03 Boys measure, tap, and install buckets on trees04—07 The boiling process takes time but smells wonderful!08 —10 Finished bottles of Coyote Gold
Past / 1993Boys play rugby on Innes Field. Rugby has been a beloved sport at Crescent for decades.
Take Our Kids to Work Day at CIBC For Take Our Kids to Work Day, two students—Jack Garbedian ’28 and Rais Ebrahim ’28—spent the day on the CIBC trading oor with Crescent alumni Scott Fletcher ’08 (Director, Equity Research), Kelvin Ng ’08 (Executive Director, Global Markets), and Michael Yelavitch ’11 (Director, Investment Banking).Rais Ebrahim ’28, Scott Fletcher ’08, and Jack Garbedian ’28Ebrahim, Michael Yelavich ’11, and GarbedianGarbedian, Kelvin Ng ’08, and EbrahimJesse Berger ’02Remi Ojo ’08Patrick Blais ’19 Jason Spevack ’15Crescent School Alumni Magazine 5Upfront / Alumni on CampusWill Christodoulou ’13, Remi Ojo ’08 and Patrick Blais ’19 were guest speakers for Crescent’s four-day Coyote’s Lair Camp, focusing on helping educate and inspire students who have an interest in entrepreneurship. Jason Spevack ’15 and Jesse Berger ’02 educated students on Bitcoin and capital markets during the Money Moves Camp.Intersession Week Brings Guest Speakers to CampusWill Christodoulou ’13
Young Alumni Excellence Award Will Christodoulou ’13 is co-founder of Cyder, an end-to-end loyalty platform that allows credit unions to seamlessly issue, redeem, and integrate white-labelled rewards into everyday banking. Cyder initially focused on helping banks analyze loyalty data but pivoted after recognizing the unmet needs of credit unions in the loyalty space. Will and his Cyder co-founder were featured on Dragons’ Den in 2023, where they landed a $250,000 deal from businesswoman, investor, and television personality Arlene Dickinson. As of May 2025, Cyder had raised $1.5 million from California’s Berkeley SkyDeck, MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund, nancial services co-operative Desjardins, Calgary’s Aperture Group and Arlene Dickinson. Will’s degree in engineering at Western, Master of Data Analytics from Ivey Business School at Western University, and diploma in Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies at UC Berkeley positioned him well for his work in the nancial technology industry.The Young Alumnus Excellence Award honours Crescent alumni who have graduated in the past 15 years and who have already distinguished themselves in their careers, personal endeavours, and community service.Alumni Excellence Award André Charoo ’99 is a founder and general partner at Maple VC, a San Francisco-based venture capital rm focused on pre-seed and seed-stage startups from founders with Canadian roots. In 2021, Maple VC secured US$16.5 million to support Canadian entrepreneurs, including Clay, Neo Financial, AutoLeap, Patch, All Day Kitchens, and DNK. André is also an Emerging Manager Partner at Inovia Capital, another venture capital rm anchored in Canada. Before his work at Inovia, André was the VP of Strategic Development at Hired, where he was one of the rst 15 employees. He was one of the rst 25 employees at Uber and was instrumental in launching into the Canadian market. André is an Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School, collaborating with Prof. Reza Satchu on The Founder Mindset and Founder Launch courses in the Entrepreneur-ial Management unit. André has also participated in the Alumni Mentoring Programs, sharing his expertise and advice with his Crescent brothers.The Alumni Excellence Award honours Crescent alumni who distinguish themselves in their professional careers, personal endeavours, and community service.Alumni Community Leadership Award Sco McGregor ’06 and Nick Warwick ’06 have been giving back to Crescent since the day they graduated. In addi-tion to their roles as representatives for the Class of 2006, they have given back to the Crescent community through speaking engagements at the school, mentorships, committee involvement, international outreach, and fundraising. In so doing, they con- tinue to enhance the Crescent experi-ence for their fellow alumni and the student body. In 2024, Nick and Scott turned their attention to supporting Student Financial Assistance through their class fund. After making leader- ship gifts themselves, they contacted every member of their class and suc- ceeded in raising $220,000 for their fund, growing it to be the third-largest class fund in the school’s history. They have not only set an example of what a young alumni class can achieve, but have also made themselves available to speak with reps from other classes to inspire similar actions by others.The Community Leadership Award honours Crescent alumni whose tireless commitment has enhanced the overall Crescent experience for students and other alumni.Alumni Recognition / Wall of HonourRecognizing Extraordinary AlumniCongratulations to this year’s Alumni Recognition Award recipients. These awards shine the spotlight on Men of Character for their exceptional achievements and service to the community.
Coyote Conversations: Season Two is a Wrap!The full second season of Coyote Conversations is now available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Hear from alumni in aviation, major league sports, politics, medicine, and more! Faculty and student spotlights share experiences at Crescent through a different lens.Do you know an alumnus who would make for a good podcast host or guest? Please send submissions to alumni@crescentschool.org. To listen to the podcast, use this QR code.Jason Steel ’93 and Kieran Quinn ’01Steel and Fraser Macdonald ’04Retired faculty Michael Jansen, Paul Craig, Greg Michalski and Stuart CumnerCrescent School Alumni Magazine 702Upfront / Alumni on CampusAlumni Recognition / Wall of HonourCrescent’s Highest HonourThe Wall of Honour is Crescent’s highest recognition. It celebrates outstanding alumni who represent all that Crescent endeavours to foster in its students. Wall of Honour inductees exemplify the qualities of outstanding leadership, courage, innovation, community service, and generosity.Wall of HonourBrian Saunderson ’80 is MPP for Simcoe—Grey, having been elected to his second consecutive term in February 2025. He serves as the Parliamentary Assistant to both the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, and the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Brian began his political career in municipal politics in 2014 as Deputy Mayor of Collingwood and was elected Mayor in 2018. As mayor, he championed scal respon-sibility and the integrity of municipal governance, striving to improve transparency and accountability. As MPP, his riding has received over $500 million in critical infrastructure investment since 2022 to enable much-needed housing growth.Before his time in politics, Brian practiced law for 22 years and was also a member of the Canadian National Rowing Team, competing at two Olympic Games and three World Championships.
A Visit to Google Middle School students taking Technology and Digital Citizenship were treated to a Q&A with Sean Cunningham ’02, Head of Industry for Telecom, Technology and Entertainment at Google, during a special trip to Google’s Toronto headquarters on January 16. The boys were hosted by Meg Jansen, Enterprise AI Specialist for Google Cloud and sister of Crescent faculty member and alumnus Grin Bush ’06. They learned how the major players in AI are addressing issues of energy and water consumption used to power the tech-nology, and various forms of sustainability.David Ferris ’14, entrepreneur and product engineer at Playground, spoke to the Senior Entrepreneurship Business ClubEconomist Peter Hall ’80 (not pictured) and investment banker Will Higgs ’15 were special guest lecturers for the Investment teamActor and singer Stevie Joffe ’09 hosted an interactive workshop with Upper School drama studentsMyles Hollenberg ’14 gave guidance about making good rst impressions with résumés and interviewsAidan Solala ’12 spoke to the boys about career options as a mechanical engineer and his work in global supply developmentMax Bennett ’18, a solutions architect at Validere, visited the Middle School Digital Citizenship class8 Past & Present / Summer 2025Upfront / Alumni on CampusIt’s not unusual for Crescent alumni to give back to their alma mater by pro- viding current students with an inside look at careers or elds that interest them. That was especially true through the winter and into spring this year.Sharing Expertise with Students
Crescent School Alumni Magazine 9Building a thriving institution and driving meaningful change rarely stem from a single groundbreaking initiative. Rather, it’s about steady, thoughtful steps that build on each other, creating real momentum over time.This spirit of steady progress leading to trans- formative excellence is at the heart of Break-through 2030, Crescent’s new ve-year strategic plan. The plan was unveiled at a special parent assembly on May 14. Breakthrough 2030 is the third strategic plan developed under the tenure of Headmaster Michael Fellin. Each one reects a unique phase in Crescent’s evolution and mission fulllment. “In 2015, we set out to evolve the school’s mission from an aspirational statement to a guiding frame- work that informs every aspect of a Crescent education. In 2020, we sought to deepen the impact of our mission,” says Fellin. “Now, we turn our attention to sustaining this momentum.”The plan outlines twelve strategic initiatives across four pillars: Academics, People, Commu- nity, and Campus. These initiatives aim to deepen what Crescent does best, rene areas for improve- ment, and boldly explore future possibilities. The strategic plan informs our annual goals and tactics, shaping the School’s direction and student experience. The School will report on the progress of the strategic plan at the end of each of its ve years.Learn more about Crescent’s ve-year strategic plan by visiting breakthrough2030.ca.Upfront / Crescent NewsMomentum Builds Mastery: Crescent Unveils Breakthrough 2030 Intensify Our FocusWe will double down on what makes Crescent exceptional and positions us as a global leader in boys’ education.Optimize the FundamentalsWe will apply fresh thinking to improve foundational aspects of our school, ensuring we deliver on our mission and vision more effectively. Reach Beyond the Horizon We will prepare Crescent and our boys for an ever-changing world by thoughtfully balancing tradition with innovation to ensure future readiness.
The Upper School production of Newsies ran from February 5 to 8 and attracted over 600 attendees with its bold performances, tight choreography, and live music played by a 12-member student and staff pit band. This large-scale project involved students, faculty, and staff from across Crescent, as well as friends from Havergal. Their months of practice and rehearsal paid off, and every performance drew cheers from their audience and ended in standing ovations.Crescent Teams Triumph at CISAA Crescent teams were dominant on the tennis court, the rugby eld and the ultimate frisbee eld at the Conference of Indepen- dent Schools of Ontario Athletic Association (CISAA) this spring. Junior Tennis players won gold, while two U14 Ultimate teams won silver and gold, respectively. To add to their impressive accomplishments, the Junior Golf team came home with CISAA silver after a very tight competition that saw them nish within one stroke of the championship.The Junior Rugby team showed their strength and teamwork at CISAA and earned the championship after an undefeated regular season. Despite their outstanding record, the team approached the competition with a sense of nervous anticipation. An early try by Appleby sharpened their nerves into determination, and the Junior team emerged victorious. “The boys rallied around each other,” says Upper School faculty member and rugby coach Alex Johnston. “Their condence was also boosted by strong performances from their older, more experienced teammates.”Newsies Turns Passion Into PerformanceAdvancing Our Way Forward: The 2023/2024 Impact Report Crescent School recently published the 2023/2024 Impact Report, Advancing Our Way Forward, high-lighting the generosity of our com-munity and the transformative power of philanthropy. This report celebrates the incredible support Crescent received—including $5.3 million in major gifts, $3.7 million in total cash and pledges realized, and $1.1 million in parent annual giving—during the 2023/2024 school year.The impact of our community’s generosity are evident. To name one example, the School’s endow- ment supported 47 boys with $1.2 million in Student Financial Assistance. This helps Crescent continue to progress toward the goal of reaching 60 students by 2030 and eventually becoming “needs-blind” to accommodate students regardless of their nancial circumstances. For more details and to hear from featured donors, read the full report by using the QR code.10 Past & Present / Summer 2025Upfront / Crescent News
Student Voices Shape School Culture Crescent’s four student research groups gather student feedback about school life and formulate recommendations, which are shared with the senior admin-istration. This year marked the debut of the Middle School Research Team.For their rst project, the team examined whether switching from a traditional paper agenda to a digital format would create a more streamlined schoolwork management process and con-tribute to student organization.The group falls under the purview of the Crescent Centre for Boys’ Education and is over-seen by Trish Cislak, Research Consultant, and Dr. Sandra Boyes, Executive Director of Profes-sional Learning and Research.Team 610 Celebrates 25 YearsCrescent celebrated the 25th anni- versary of Team 610 in tandem with the 2025 robot reveal at a party on Saturday, February 22. Former and current team members, faculty, staff, and past parents had the chance to reconnect, share stories, and pay tribute to those who founded and ran the program over the years. Director of Robotics Marcella Fioroni thanked the audience for “the unwavering support and care of the community” that she has experienced since arriving at Crescent in 2013. This support has been particularly impactful over the past ve years as the team was sidelined by pandemic restrictions and closures. As far as the future is concerned, Fioroni is optimistic. After spending recent years rebuilding, “we’re almost there,” says Fioroni, making this celebration all the more signicant.The 2024–2025 Team 610 robotLeft to right: Matthew Lang ’14, Ian Donaldson ’14, Joseph Kachura ’15, Ryan Tam ’14, Matthew Riley ’15, and former Crescent robotics engineer Rob StehlikDavid Grant (left), retired faculty member and co- founder of Team 610, addresses the audience with Jamie Lougheed ’87, Chief Advancement OcerA group of Team 610 supporters, including current and former robotics faculty, past parents, and alumniOwen Fong ’27, Ryan Liu ’25 and Jackson Ding ’25 demonstrate the 2024–2025 robotCrescent School Alumni Magazine 11Upfront / Crescent News
Crescent’s campus construction is in full swing and, despite a messy water main break, the transformation of our campus continues to unfold. In December 2024, crews struck an old, unmarked pipe, common on heritage sites where utility records are often out-dated. The break delayed work for hours and required significant cleanup.Demolition of the dining hall wrapped up by January, clearing the way for site excavation. To prevent the surrounding ground from collapsing, engineers installed temporary shoring to support the soil.Crews then poured concrete footings, the most critical part of the foundation. These footings are designed to distribute the building’s weight evenly, preventing future settling or shifting. The footings support 16-foot concrete walls. Once they cured, the main floor slab was poured, completing the foundation phase of construction.Follow the construction progress at ourwayforward.ca.Progress Continues on Our Way Forward ConstructionCRESCENT THENBoys enjoy the spring sunshine during recess in this undated photo.12 Past & Present / Summer 2025Upfront / Crescent News
I’ve been thinking about the days after big moments. Not the events themselves —not the applause, the pictures, the perfor- mance—but the quiet, strange days that follow. The day after you hit ‘submit’ on your last university application. The day after our final FNL. The day after we get the acceptance letter from our university.We expect euphoria. What we often get is silence. And that silence is not failure. It’s the moment the world asks a harder question: Now that you’ve done it, what will you do with it?And that’s what this speech is about. Not just how we got here, but what this moment demands of us.Today is a celebration—but also some- thing more. It’s a moment to ask ourselves what comes next. So instead of just applause and reflection, I want to offer three pro-vocations. Three ideas that challenge the stories we’ve been told: The Illusion of Arrival, The Importance of Purpose, and The Act of Falling Forward.Use the QR code to read Dario’s complete speech.Words from This Year's Valedictorian: Dario Danieli ’25CRESCENT NOWLower School boys have some hot chocolate and a chat before school starts on Pyjama Day during Spirit Week.Retirement News Mr. Bogdan Hirniak, the supervisor of our evening Facilities team, retired in April after 36 years of dedi-cated service. He helped prepare Crescent’s campus for school every day. His commitment and hard work have made a lasting impact, and the entire community wishes him the best in his well-deserved retirement.Crescent School Alumni Magazine 13Upfront / Crescent News
Present / 2025Crescent's Varsity Rugby team faced o against Trinity College School at FNL on May 9.
These are challenging times to lead—whether governing a country, running a corporation, or guiding a school. Public discourse has become increasingly polarized, with opposing factions entrenched in their views, unwilling to listen or seek understanding. Respectful debate is often replaced by personal attacks, aggression, and a disregard for differ-ing perspectives or a person’s dignity.Independent schools across North America are not immune to this climate. Today’s educational landscape is shaped by rising litigation, debates over class-room instruction on sensitive topics, and heightened scrutiny from parents and lawmakers. Schools must navigate these complexities while staying true to their mission of fostering personal growth and character development.A coalition of educators, supported by the Edward E. Ford Foundation, recently introduced a framework to help institutions reect and engage with controversial issues thoughtfully. At its core are three pillars of academic pluralism: 1) expressive freedom for students, ensuring they can voice their perspectives, 2) disciplined nonparti- sanship from faculty and staff, foster-ing an environment of open inquiry rather than ideological alignment, and 3) intellectual diversity, encouraging students to analyze rigorously, listen generously, and develop independent conclusions.At Crescent, we are inspired by this approach and are exploring ways to further embed these principles into our curriculum development and pro-fessional learning. Student voice and agency have always been central to our educational philosophy, and in today’s world, these qualities are essential. Our goal is to cultivate the next genera-tion of independent thinkers—curious, critically minded individuals who can engage thoughtfully in a pluralistic society. More than ever, our role as a school is to assist our boys in learning how to think, not what to think.Our feature story delves into the current political climate, proling alumni who have ventured into the political arena. They share their perspec- tives on how governance has evolved, the challenges of public service today, and its impact on democracy. It’s a complex and timely conversation—one for which Crescent has undoubtedly prepared them.Michael Fellin P’24HeadmasterLeading in Challenging TimesCrescent School Alumni Magazine 15Perspective from the Headmaster
We live in interesting times. The unprecedented threat from Canada’s long-time ally and foremost trading partner has triggered profound chang-es in our political landscape; in the last year, Ontarians have lived through not one but two snap elections. But even before President Trump began referring to Canada as the 51st state, there were changes afoot. Political observers have been warning of a rise in po- larization, foreign interference, and disinformation. Civil dis- course has been in decline, as people have become increas-ingly entrenched in the echo chambersof social media. Where is political discourse in this country headed? Who better to ask than Crescent alumni working in the Cana-dian political arena?Brian Saunderson ’80 did not start his career in politics, but rather found himself “backing into” it. In 2001, Saunderson moved from Ottawa, where he had been working for the national law rm Borden Ladner Gervais, to Collingwood. He was drawn to the smaller community and proximity to Georgian Bay: a place where he could ood a backyard rink for his three young sons and enjoy a semi-rural existence. →Brian Saunderson ’80 at Queens Park, Toronto
FRACTURED DISCOURSE AND DISRUPTIONWritten by NAOMI BUCK Photography by CARMEN CHEUNGTHE STATE OF CANADIAN POLITICS
But when the municipality was rocked with a series of scandals involving the questionable sale of the town’s public power utility, murky procurement prac- tices, and conict of interest in the mayor’s oce, Saunderson got pulled in. He served as deputy mayor and then mayor of Collingwood before running as the Conservative candidate for Simcoe—Grey in the provincial election of 2022, and again last February. He won both elections with comfortable majorities. Saunderson has experienced rsthand the difference between the two levels of government. While municipal politicians, who ocially wear no party stripes, tend to be collaborative, Saunderson witnesses the cut and thrust of provincial politics at Queen’s Park. But he nds that behind the scenes, the provincial parties work well together, particularly on social issues like human tracking and intimate partner violence. Nonetheless, Saunderson is troubled by rising levels of public anger since the pandemic, and, over recent decades, the growing emphasis on individual rights and identity politics, which, he believes, highlights difference rather than unity. “Polarization was the word of the year in the U.S. last year, and we’re seeing some of this culture of contempt in Canada as well,” he says. “If we have contempt for opposing views, we’ve lost the thread.” Saunderson also laments the increasing focus on party leaders over issues and policies, which he attributes to the inu-ence of American politics and media. But overall, Saunderson is optimistic. He considers Canadians’ outpouring of concern for more vulnerable citizens during the pandemic evidence that our communities are still anchored in empa-thy. Politicians, he believes, need to work to overcome cynicism, rather than fuel it. “We should be aspirational,” he says, “not negative and inammatory.”
“Polarization was the word of the year in the U.S. last year, and we’re seeing some of this culture of contempt in Canada as well. If we have contempt for opposing views, we’ve lost the thread.” —Brian Saunderson ’80Fraser Macdonald ’04 is less concerned about political polarisation in Canada than the attempts to combat it. A lawyer by training, the Toronto-based political strategist has worked on political campaigns at all three levels of government and is now a Principal with the government relations and man-agement consulting rm StrategyCorp.“In historical terms, I don’t think we’re really that polarized,” he says, referring back to a 19th-century political culture in which newspapers were overtly partisan, and slander reached heights that are unknown today. Macdonald served as deputy communi- cations director on Rob Ford’s 2010 mayoral campaign in Toronto and policy director on Jean Charest’s 2022 campaign to head the federal Conservative party. He acknow- ledges that the political conversation in Canada has become less civil in recent years but considers this part and parcel of democracy’s inherent messiness. “I think it’s great to be respectful,” says Macdonald. “But tone-policing is a political tactic. It’s typically used by the left to shut down debate, to frame its own positions as morally superior.” He is more concerned about efforts to sow division, citing former Prime Minister Trudeau’s decision to im- pose vaccine mandates on the eve of the 2021 snap election as a deliberate effort to split the Conservative vote and to heighten tensions in an already tense population. Overall, Macdonald feels that Canadian politics are in a healthy state, and avoiding the dangerous tendency, evident south of the border, to disregard or deny baseline facts. He believes that this negative exam- ple, combined with the threats posed by the U.S. administration, will serve to unite Canadians and possibly to boost political civility. And he dismisses claims that the Conservative party is borrowing from Trump’s playbook. “Canadian politicians may spin,” he says. “But they don’t detach from reality.” To the contrary, Macdonald sees Prime Minister Mark Carney’s tilting to the right in the most recent election cam-paign as evidence that Canada’s two main parties are not as far apart as they may seem. Likewise, he believes Canadians to be far more united than our neighbours to the south. “Canadians don’t move to neighbourhoods based on how people vote there,” he says. “Canadians don’t hate their political opponents.” →Whether or not students have a particular interest, they nearly all have an awareness of—and opinions about—the state of politics both locally and globally. Upper School teachers Alicia Hawryluk and Dr. David Calverley teach social science courses and both play an impor- tant role in how student opinions are formed. In their classrooms, students exhibit varying levels of interest in politics, with some deeply invested in specic par- ties and others more detached, yet all engage in robust debates. The key to teaching, they say, is arming students with the skills to examine information and think critically—and not to impart their own opinions as teachers. “I don’t tell them what they should and shouldn’t think,” says Hawryluk, who teaches Grade 12 Canadian and Interna-tional Politics. “I try to present facts with no bias, let them talk and think critically, and have an open dialogue.”In his Grade 10 Civics and Citizenship class, Calverley teaches students about media bias, outlining how each news- paper has a political slant. He advises students to examine editorials to piece together the angle of a newspaper’s politics. “They each lean in their own direction, but that doesn’t mean they’re wrong,” he says. “I tell students to be aware of the fact that news organizations take a particular perspective on things.”Critical Thinking Shapes Student ViewsPHOTOGRAPHY BY CARMEN CHEUNGPHOTOGRAPHY BY KARENNA BOYCHUKCrescent School Alumni Magazine 19
Jonathan Telch ’05 believes that the external threat facing Canada may well foster a greater bipartisan spirit. He hopes it does. With a decade of experience in government relations and political consulting, Telch feels that political discourse has been changing in “signicant and scary ways.”Telch is currently the Vice President of PayIt, an American software company that sells digital payment systems to governments. Previously, he worked as a Toronto-based public relations consultant on issues ranging from environmental protection to First Nations education.Over the years, working with every established political party in Canada and at multiple levels of government, he says he has witnessed a decline in willingness to cooperate for the greater good. “The tradition of reaching across the aisle is eroding,” he says. “There’s much more of: ‘I’m on side A and therefore I oppose anything coming from side B.’” Telch cites a piece of federal legislation that he worked on with a First Nation, which failed to pass in parliament simply because, he says, the opposition did not want to support a government-sponsored bill. “This attitude does not serve the public interest,” he says, calling minority parliaments in this climate “the enemy of getting things done.”Aggravating matters, Telch says, is a media culture that disregards facts and promotes grandstanding. “We live in a world of: ‘If I say a thing, it is therefore true,’” he says, “All you need is a 20-sec-ond sound bite on social media.” He also sees parliamentary privilege, which is de-signed to protect freedom of speech in the House of Commons, being used by parlia-mentarians to “provide political cover” while they say whatever they think will work best on X (formerly Twitter). But Telch is not only a cynic. “Peo-ple don’t generally enter politics with malice,” he says. “Most want to improve things. It’s a noble calling.” He believes Canadian politics would be strengthened by more young, energized voices and by giving the public service the latitude to act more boldly.“We do have to react to all these changes. The Ministry always wants to be on the right side.” —James Parry ’07 “People don’t generally enter politics with malice. Most want to improve things. It’s a noble calling.”—Jonathan Telch ’05PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARMEN CHEUNGThe civil service is where James Parry ’07 has spent his career to date, now acting as strategic advisor to the Chief Adminis-trative Ocer of Ontario’s Ministry of the Solicitor General. When it comes to politics, he takes his commitment to non-partisan-ship seriously. “My job is to move with the political winds,” he says.But this doesn’t mean that political temperaments and trends don’t affect his work. In March, as the trade war with the U.S. escalated, Parry was anticipating a new procurement advisory at any moment. The Ministry of the Solicitor General, which manages the province’s law enforcement, policing, forensics, correctional and de-tention services, is the biggest operational ministry in the government, and Parry is responsible for procuring its equipment —weapons, vehicles, tactical gear, surveil- lance software, and drones—much of which comes from the U.S.“Things are very delicate at the moment,” he says. While government, with its division of powers, is designed to be non-reactionary, 20 Past & Present / Summer 2025
Parry has watched major disruptions like the current Trump administration, the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement ripple through the civil service. “We do have to react to all these changes,” he says. “The Ministry always wants to be on the right side.”It’s an interesting dance, and Parry is fascinated by the interface between the political and bureaucratic sides of govern- ment. While the civil service is intended to serve as a constant and apolitical resource for governments of all stripes, Parry says there’s no question that each government has its own anities, and that Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives have been well aligned with his ministry, with its mandate to preserve law and order.When it comes to the broader political climate, Parry believes that growing wealth disparity has served to kindle polarization, which in turn has been supercharged by social media. Ever more entrenched in their political opinions, people are less interested in consensus than alternatives. Parry sees President Trump as a product of an appetite for radical change.“He’s not tied to the norms of political operation,” Parry says. “And we’re seeing the downstream effects of that.” →
In the last few months, Evan Solomon ’87 has migrated from the political periphery to its core: from his position as publisher for the global affairs news site GZERO Media, based in New York City, to Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre. He is also in cabinet as the Minister of AI and Digital Innovation and the Minister of Federal Development for Southern Ontario. For someone who has been both a political journalist and run media com- panies, it is a big change to be on the other side of the microphone, but it’s one that Solomon didn’t hesitate to take after being asked by Liberal leader Mark Carney to run for oce. He went on to win his riding.“This is the right ght,” he said on the eve of his departure from New York City last March, preparing to throw himself into the shortest election in Canadian his-tory. There was no guarantee of success, but Solomon, master of rhetorical ourish, had found a metaphor for his political mission. Likening the increasing incivility of political debate to a kind of ecological destruction, Solomon said he was enter-ing the fray to “protect the wetlands” of Canadian decency. “I entered to help ght Trump, protect our core services like public health, and build a better, stronger Canada.”
“Every generation thinks that politics has changed. But for this generation, the change is unique. It’s like we’ve gone from conventional to nuclear war.” —Evan Solomon ’87Solomon’s voice and face will be familiar to most Canadians. Beginning in the early 2000s, he was a host and news anchor for CBC television and radio, ulti- mately helming the inuential political talk show Power & Politics and the weekly political affairs show The House. He went on to host CTV’s political affairs program Question Period, as well as his own epony- mous radio show that aired nationally on stations in the Bell Media network, before moving to New York in 2022 to join the senior management team at GZERO, a geopolitical media company owned by Eurasia Group. Solomon knows that he is entering the arena at a particularly fraught moment. “Every generation thinks that politics has changed,” he says. “But for this generation, the change is unique. It’s like we’ve gone from conventional to nuclear war.” Tech-nological change, he says, has reshaped the political universe in profound and com- plex ways. The democratization of media, which Solomon celebrates in principle, has gone hand in hand with a decline in factual standards, a rise in disinformation and an increase in social segmentation.“We used to talk about two solitudes in Canada. Now we have potentially 40 million solitudes,” he says. Solomon regards the weaponisation of distrust by broligarchs like Elon Musk as a cautionary tale, and vows to build his political authority on facts, skill and talent.“We need to protect Canada and our values,” he says. “‘Sorry’ is not a bad thing,” he says, referring to Canadians’ reputation for politeness. “It’s not a sign of weakness.” PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHLOMI AMIGASpencer Belyea ’13, a Desk Ocer for Global Aairs Canada, sees less polarity in Canada’s political discourse compared to the United States. “There has de-nitely been polarization here,” he says. “That makes it harder to work together in a bipartisan manner, which is often important to get things done.” Belyea says tari threats from the U.S. helped unify Canadians, and there’s reason to feel hopeful. “There are still lots of rational con-versations happening between people.”Rohan Jain ’18 has been involved in politics since he was 17, initially through internships where he worked on law reform and policy projects. Most re- cently, he was the Youth Co-Communications Chair for Prime Minister Mark Carney’s national leadership campaign. Jain believes that people should look to the future and stop relying on mis-information and hate to drive a campaign. “Let’s start having nuanced discussions and focus on who has the best evidence- driven policy to get us out of this mess,” he says.What Is Happening to Political Discourse?Three young alumni working in politics weigh inZack Barnes ’21 is the Executive Assistant to Minister Stephen Lecce and is also studying for his BA in Interna-tional Economics and Finance at TMU. Barnes says that political discourse is becoming more tense and dicult, and those working in politics should lead with respect in order to address it. “Everybody sets a tone,” says Barnes. “Respect should be across party lines and the general public. It's just kind of crazy to me that things dissolve into disrespect and anger. I understand and appre- ciate passion, but there are boundaries that shouldn’t be crossed, no matter how strongly you feel about an issue.” Crescent School Alumni Magazine 23
24 Past & Present / Summer 2025
A RIVER RUNS THROUGH ITSome people dedicate years to advancing causes they care deeply about in the non-prot sector, while others pursue impact and innovation in the for-prot world. Luke Connell ’03 has found a unique path that bridges both: He has transformed his passion for climate action into a viable business, the carbon removal company CarbonRun. The future looks bright, for him and for the planet. →“ Written by PAT MORDEN Photography by SHLOMI AMIGACrescent School Alumni Magazine 25
Connell grew up in Toronto, joining Crescent in Grade 9. He admits that he wasn’t academically inclined and revell- ed in the opportunities to play a variety of school sports. But it was the teachers who made Crescent such a unique experience for him. “They had an unwavering belief in the goodness of every boy, and that kept a lot of us on the straight and narrow,” he says. “Crescent gave me the condence to believe in my own abilities, despite the fact that I wasn’t a great student.” After Crescent, he attended St. Mary’s University in Halifax, completing a degree in international development. From 2009 to 2017, he worked with Omega Foundation Canada in its SmartSaver program. Smart- Saver was designed to help low- and modest- income households access the Canada Learning Bond (CLB) and other grants for post-secondary education. The number of students beneting from the CLB increased from 200,000 in 2010 to 1.6 million by 2020. Connell became executive director of Omega and convinced the board to pivot to the issue of climate change. A new program, EcoSaver, was launched to help modest-income households access pro-grams that provided nancial assistance for improved home energy eciency. But Connell wasn’t satised. He saw that changing human behaviour to address climate change was a time-consuming process with uncertain results. Mean-while, dire reports from the United Nations and other bodies said that humans had overshot emissions reduction targets and would need to do more than limit emis-sions. “We needed to nd a way to put the toothpaste back in the tube—to remove carbon from the atmosphere,” says Connell. “So, I started looking around.”What he found was an academic paper about a process called enhanced rock weathering, which accelerates the natural process of rocks bonding with carbon. Initially used to reduce acidity in lakes and oceans, enhanced rock weathering is also a powerful way to remove and sequester carbon. Says Connell, “It’s sim-ple, it’s low energy, it’s a natural process, and it has co-benets.” Connell contacted the paper’s author, who directed him to two researchers work- ing in Nova Scotia. Omega made several small grants to support the research and eventually CarbonRun took shape.The company’s process involves feed- ing crushed limestone into rivers. There, the limestone dissolves rapidly, converting carbon dioxide from the water, soil, and atmosphere into bicarbonate and minerals like calcium and magnesium. The rivers carry the bicarbonate to the ocean, where the carbon is stored for millennia. Connell says the process has been used for 60 years to reverse the impacts of acidication, improve water quality, and boost local sh populations. The climate impact is a bonus. CarbonRun had a “world-transforming” technology, but initially, no existing market. Then in 2022, Frontier Climate was created by a group of companies that included Stripe, Alphabet, Shopify, Meta, McKinsey, and others. The goal was to develop carbon removal technologies by guaranteeing future demand. CarbonRun became one of 20 companies in the Fron-tier portfolio, with a $25 million contract. The company also raised conventional venture capital. The potential, says Connell, is huge. To meet climate targets, the world must remove 10 billion tons of carbon from the atmosphere each year by 2050, creating a billion-dollar industry. But for the Carbon- Run team, that’s not the point. “Making money is like the tenth thing we talk about,” he says. “We’re pretty genuine in terms of what we’re here for, and that’s made us attractive to investors and buyers.”The company’s 18 employees have launched projects in Canada and Scan-dinavia. “We have the capital and the demand we need,” says Connell. “Now the clock is ticking and we’re working at a pretty crazy pace to make it all happen.”Running a start-up like CarbonRun means being comfortable dealing with uncertain outcomes, Connell says. His advice to others considering a similar leap into the unknown? “Think about a prob-lem that bothers you and nd a way to solve it,” he says. “But make sure it means something to you beyond the money, or you’ll lose motivation and your company won’t have a compelling story.” 26 Past & Present / Summer 202501 & 02CarbonRun technicians collecting data and samples03 An upcoming project site in eastern Canada04 & 08 Luke Connell ’0305 CarbonRun Co-founder Dr. Eddie Halfyard06 L to R: Connell with co-founders Drs. Shannon Sterling and Halfyard07West River, Pictou, Nova Scotia, the site of CarbonRun's pilot project09 CarbonRun’s team and investors at a site visit“Think about a problem that bothers you and find a way to solve it. But make sure it means something to you beyond the money, or you’ll lose motivation and your company won’t have a compelling story.”—Luke Connell ’03“Making money is like the tenth thing we talk about. We’re prey genuine in terms of what we’re here for, and that’s made us aractive to investors and buyers.”—Luke Connell ’03
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHLOMI AMIGA01 020305 060708 0904Crescent School Alumni Magazine 27
Written by PAT MORDEN Photography by SHLOMI AMIGA
I love the amount of brain work it takes to operate a plane—you’re doing so many different things at once. And then there’s the immense beauty and awe you experience. To this day, it amazes me that we can get a 100,000-pound machine into the sky and back down again safely.” Petr Schumacher ’16 ies high as a commercial airline pilot while juggling a second career as an up-and-coming electronic music producer and DJ.Russian-born Schumacher was adopted by Susan and John Schumacher when he was three, joining their son, Mike, and two daughters, Katrina and Laura. Once he was old enough, his parents wanted him to join his brother at Crescent. He remembers studying hard to prepare for the enrolment process and having an interview at the School when he was in Grade 3. A week later, his father took him to Cirque du Soleil and out for dinner to celebrate his admission. He considers it a life-changing moment. “I got a great education, but what really made Crescent special was the mentorship and support of the teachers,” he says. “They were so good at understanding our personal needs and goals and helping us to be successful.”His interest in music took ight at Crescent. In Upper School, he found a dusty, strange-looking instrument, the valve trombone, in one corner of the instrument room. He played the instrument in jazz and concert bands. His teachers, recognizing his advanced musicianship, collaborated with him to hone his skills and enhance the music program. In his graduating year, he successfully lobbied for a piece of music from the movie Whiplash. “It’s a dicult track—learning it was frustrating but in the end, we gured it out.” When he grad-uated, he received the Ronald Memorial Upper School Music Award. 01 & 02Schumacher deejaying03 & 04Schumacher in his role as a commercial airline pilot“I got a great education, but what really made Crescent special was the mentorship and support of the teachers. They were so good at understanding our personal needs and goals and helping us to be successful.” —Petr Schumacher ’16Drama was also a strong interest. He worked with the backstage crew on several big shows, including Rent and Anything Goes, eventually becoming the stage manager. He credits that experience with helping to prepare him for his role as a pilot. “When you’re a stage manager, you have to be organized, stay calm under pressure, and always be a step ahead. It’s the same with ying.”Aviation has been a passion since he arrived in Canada as a small child. At 12, he got a ight simulator and spent many hours teaching himself to use it. He began ight training at 16. After Crescent, he completed a degree in the Business Admin- istration (Aviation) program at the Univer- sity of the Fraser Valley. The program gave him an opportunity to earn all his licenses for commercial ying and his instructor’s rating. He spent two years teaching ying 020103“30 Past & Present / Summer 2025
in Abbotsford, then moved back to Toronto, where he worked with a charter company ying a single-engine private aircraft. After a short break to work in charter sales, he took to the skies again in 2024. Now a rst ocer with Porter Airlines, he expects to upgrade to captain in the next year and then hopes to move into a training role.Just as he was starting his university program, Schumacher discovered a com- peting passion. Electronic music production is the process of making music using elec- tronic instruments and software. Already a long-time fan of the music, his interest in production was ignited when a friend introduced him to the software. Two years later, he also started DJing under the name Vortac, eventually landing a gig opening for top DJ Ilan Bluestone, who would be- come a mentor to Schumacher. His rst big show was in front of 1,000 Bluestone fans in Montreal. His aviation career gives him 12 to 14 days off every month, time he spends producing music. But he’s not yet ready to choose music over ying. “The point I might make that shift is when I know I can be nancially stable with music,” he says. “I’m surrounded by successful producers who are giving me lots of insights—I’ll know when I’m reaching their level.” He points out that two other Crescent alumni, Cody Hull ’10 (Weska) and Daniel Sanchez ’19 (Paper Skies), are successful music pro-ducers. In the meantime, he loves his day job and the team at Porter.Schumacher has always been driven but advises today’s Crescent students to slow down and enjoy the journey. “Focus on the now,” he says, noting that his career direction changed unexpectedly when he discovered electronic music production. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. Do one thing at a time.” “The point I might make that shi is when I know I can be financially stable with music. I’m surrounded by successful producers who are giving me lots of insights—I’ll know when I’m reaching their level.” —Petr Schumacher ’16PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHLOMI AMIGA04Crescent School Alumni Magazine 31
Expert AdviceFive critical steps to secure capital for your start-upILLUSTRATION BY JESLEY LAUBy Asher Weiss ’14Asher Weiss ’14 is an entrepreneur and consultant with a proven track record in tech start-ups, fundraising, and the sports industry. He raised over $3M for Tixologi, his block-chain-based ticketing start-up, and has helped other start-ups secure capital. Before Tixologi, Asher spent two years working for the Golden State Warriors and two with the Orlando Magic.Rene Your Value PropositionBefore diving into fundraising, outline the key details of your round and how it will be structured. Determine the round size (the amount you are raising), valuation (what the company is worth, which will be inuenced by the market), and structure (e.g., priced round where $X gets you X%, SAFE or convertible note where a promise for future equity is made). Decide on your funding sources: venture capital, angels, or both, and establish a timeline.After years of start-up fundraising for my own companies and advising other founders, I've learned that raising startup capital is more art than science. It requires a mix of strategic networking, a compelling pitch deck, and the ability to identify the right investors. This process is as much about building relationships as it is about presenting your business in the best light. These are what I believe to be the ve most critical steps to secure capital for your start-up.Build a Strong Pitch DeckA compelling pitch deck is crucial to attract investors. Key elements include: a clear problem statement with data, your unique solution and competitive edge, a market opportunity with evidence of traction, a strong team with relevant expe-rience, and realistic nancial projections. Keep the deck concise, visually appealing, and data-backed to capture investor attention and excitement.Identify the Right InvestorsIdentify and target investors who specialize in your industry and stage of growth. Research their past investments, focus areas, and preferences to ensure a good t. This personalized approach increases your chances of getting their attention and securing meaningful discussions about your start-up.Leverage Your NetworkNetworking is the foundation of start-up fundraising. Investors back founders they trust, and trust is built through relationships. Warm connections—friends, colleagues, or mutual acquaintances—open doors that cold emails can’t. These connections will help you reach the right investors and provide the credibility needed to close deals.Be Prepared for Due DiligenceOnce an investor shows interest, they will likely conduct thorough due diligence. Be prepared with detailed nancials, legal documents, and data to validate your claims. Additionally, practice reverse diligence by researching the investor's past deals, repu- tation, and values. This ensures a strong partnership t and demonstrates your com- mitment to making an informed decision.32 Past & Present / Summer 2025
Expert AdviceSelf-care techniques for TMJ and headachesILLUSTRATION BY JESLEY LAUBy Merrill Ong ’06Merrill Ong ’06 attended McMaster University and nished with an Honours Bachelor of Kinesiology. He received his Doctorate in Chiropractic in 2015 and has been working alongside Dr. Sidney Lisser, the co-founder of The Jaw & Facial Pain Centre in Toronto, Ontario, for the past 10 years.Many patients present to our clinic with jaw pain or headaches. The causes may be muscular, nerve- or joint-related, or can sometimes be the result of ligament injuries. Treatment programs and frequencies are unique to the patient and vary based on the diagnosis. In addition to clinical therapy, there are several self-care techniques that may prove benecial:For TMJTarget the cheeks, along the temples down towards the front of the ears on both sides, and the area under the chin and jaw on both sidesBring your ear to your shoulder. You can use your hand on top of your head to apply slight pressure for a deeper stretchFor headachesTarget the back of your neck and head, where the skull meets the neck, as well as the templesLook into your armpit. You can use your hand on the back of your head to apply slight pressure for a deeper stretchThese tips are meant to help, but not treat injury. Every patient requires an accurate diagnosis and an individualized treatment plan. Please seek medical attention if you are experiencing these conditions.Address stress by taking a 15- to 30-minute walk, enjoying a 30- to 60-minute workout or yoga routine, practicing deep breathing, or listening to musicIt is also important to have proper posture, diet, hydration, and restIce the painful area for three minutes at a time, twice per dayIncorporate self-massage, using light to medium pressure for about one and a half minutes on each areaDo neck and shoulder stretches, holding each stretch for 30 seconds and stretching each side three to ve timesCrescent School Alumni Magazine 33
Social LifeIt’s always a good time when Crescent Brothers get together. For more photos and upcoming event listings, go to crescentalumni.org.Together AgainAlumni Fathers and Sons BreakfastAt Crescent, family connec-tions run deep. Currently, 49 alumni dads collectively have 63 sons attending the school, with one family rep-resenting three generations of Crescent boys. These families were honoured on April 4 for an Alumni Fathers & Sons Breakfast to cele-brate their shared Crescent experiences.34 Past & Present / Summer 2025
Social LifeAlumni Return for Rugby FNL Jersey CeremonyOver 40 alumni who played rugby during their time at Crescent joined the 2025 Varsity Rugby team for a jersey ceremony on May 8 in ad-vance of the May 9 FNL game. The alumni represented the Classes of 1980 to 2024. Varsity Rugby team captain Thomas Vesey ’25 shared a few words about his passion for one of Crescent’s signature sports: “In the decade I have spent at Crescent, I have never felt more proud to be a member of this com- munity than when I put on a jersey and play alongside people I am lucky enough to call brothers.”Past Faculty & Staff Catch Up at BBQFamiliar faces and old friends returned to campus on May 9 for the Past Faculty & Sta BBQ. After-wards, they headed to Innes Field, joining the rest of the Crescent community to cheer on the Varsity Rugby team at their spring FNL game.Crescent School Alumni Magazine 35
Social LifeCrescent Celebrates Its First 50th Reunion!Alumni from the Classes of ’75, ’80, ’85, ’90, ’95, ’00, ’05, ’10, ’15, ’20 gathered on campus on May 10 to reconnect and raise a glass in honour of one another. The Class of ’75 and Class of ’00 gathered in the Drawing Room for a tie ceremony to mark their respective 50th and 25th reunions, the former repre-senting the rst graduating class to celebrate this milestone in Crescent’s history. Former faculty and sta John Tansey, Rob Cranston, Nick Florian, Greg Michalski, and Dick Howard joined in the celebration. (Howard taught the Class of ’75!)36 Past & Present / Summer 2025
Social LifeDentonia Alumni ReuniteTo honour the rich history of Crescent alumni from the Dentonia campus era (1933–1970), a special lunch was held on June 4 in the Manor House Drawing Room. Over 20 alumni gathered to share memories and reect on their decades of brother-hood, tradition, and enduring connection. Alumnus Fraser McKee ’37 (third from left) was honoured with a cake for his 100th birthday.A Celebration of LeadershipA unique group of alumni gathered in the Lati Commons on May 28 for a special evening where they were recognized for their contributions to their alma mater and broader com-munities. The group comprised current and former Head Boys, alumni committee and board members both past and present, as well as Alumni Award winners and Wall of Honour inductees from 2024 and 2025.Crescent School Alumni Magazine 37
Life After CrescentMilestones and Celebrations Have family or career news to share? Send your Life Aer Crescent updates to alumni@crescentschool.org.1960sClassmates Jim Percival ’68 and Wayne Addison ’66 reunited in False Creek Marina in Vancouver in August 2024.Alumni from the Class of ’96 got together for FNL Rugby and to cheer on the Leafs in game 3 of the second round of playos. Left to right: Munir Ajani, John Clark, Chris Frost, Aleem Janmohamed, Alex Nicholson, Neil Oddette, Pat Osler, Mark Pooley, David Resnick, Grant Spence, Cam Weir.Alumni in Hong Kong gathered for their annual cross-class reunion. Guests included Donald Leung ’94, Bernard Wai ’93, Fritz Chen ’90, Simon Lee ’94, Andrew Chiu ’90, John Poon ’94, Jason Chan ’95, Gilbert Wong ’96, Jo Lo ’96, Winston Wu ’98, Jensen Lau ’90, Jonathan Tse ’98, Peter Poon ’90, and Adam Wyprysky ’06.Tyler Macleod ’97, Chris Wong ’97, Ben Wong ’00, David Dattels ’97, Tyler Skillen ’97, David N.-Sebald ’97, Sean Fleming ’97, Andres Gutierrez ’98, and David Singer ’97 P’28 enjoyed their annual ski trip to Kicking Horse, B.C., in January.1970sBrian Posluns ’78 announced his retirement in January from his career as a nancial advisor. 1980sWarren Lo ’84 started a new position as a discretionary portfolio manager at National Bank Financial in February.Frank Haverkate ’86 published his second book, BREATHE: An Allergy Sufferer’s Guide to Buying or Renting a Home.Generative AI for Trading and Asset Management by Ernest Chan ’84 was published in May, while his AI startup PredictNow. AI has been nominated by Sequoia Capital for the Forbes AI 50 List 2025. Evan Solomon ’87 was elected as a Member of Parliament for the Toronto Centre in the 2025 Federal election. Following his election, Evan was appointed as the Minister of AI and Digital Innova-tion and the Minister of Federal Development for Southern Ontario.1990sJason Leung ’90 received the inaugural BSS Volun- teer Service Award in June. Ali Ebrahim ’92 graduated from the YPO/ Harvard Presidents’ Pro- gram at Harvard Business School in January. Jesse Wente ’92 was appointed the Indigenous storyteller-in-residence at Saagajiwe, The Creative School’s hub for Indigenous creativity and storytelling at Toronto Metropolitan University, in April.Scott Cryer ’93 started a new position as Medallion’s Chief Financial Ocer in September 2024.Bram Belzberg ’98 was appointed to the Board of Governors for Huron University in March.Cyrus Zahedi ’99 started a new position on the Institutional Sales team at Corpay in April.38 Past & Present / Summer 2025
Life After Crescent2000sWill Nelson ’01 and his wife Leah wel-comed baby boy Carter on October 4, 2024..In June, Kieran Quinn ’01 was awarded the presti-gious Early Researcher Award from the Govern-ment of Ontario for his research on heart disease in older adults.Faizal Sultanali (Kara) ’04 and his wife, Ambreen, welcomed their son Amaan Sultanali in July 2024.Scott McGregor ’06 and his wife, Polly, welcomed their rst baby, daughter Eva, on January 31..Vitali Bourchtein ’07 started a new position as Managing Director at Investcorp in January.Justin Kwong ’07 and his wife, Christine, welcomed their son, Logan Kwong, on November 5, 2024. Justin recently joined the Department of Surgery at Markham Stouville Hos-pital as a Urologist with a focus on men's health, minimally invasive surgery and oncology.Andrew Miller ’07 started a new position as Manag- ing Director at RBC Capital Markets in January.James Parry ’07 and Hannah ter Weeme were married on March 22 in the presence of loved ones, including Crescent alumni. .Charles Payne ’07 started a new position at the Ministry of Energy and Mines as the Manager of Issues and Legislative Aairs in fall 2024.Steven Tysall ’07, his wife Aishah, and son Killian welcomed baby girl Kaiya to the family on May 7. .Justin Krieger ’08 was selected as one of The Peak’s 2025 Emerg-ing Leaders in the Sales category. William Stuart ’08, wife Leah, and big brother Bennette welcomed baby Henry to the family on December 28, 2024. .Daniel Turk ’09 started a new position as Vice Pre- sident at Pike Street Capi-tal in November 2024. In May, Jake Graham ’09 had one of his photos selected by the Prime Minister’s Oce to be featured as the cover for King Charles’ Throne Speech for the 45th session of Parliament.Toye Ojo ’09, his wife Sarah, and son James welcomed their second son, Thomas, in January 2025.2010sDarren Chu ’10 started a new position as Head of BizOps & Strategy at Rootly in October 2024.Jeff McFarland ’10 and his wife, Stephanie, welcomed baby Kathryn on March 10..Jeremy Gilchrist ’11 started a new position as Director of Modern Workplace & AI Growth at KPMG Canada in January. Jay McConnell ’12 started a new position as Man-ager of Advisor Services at Creaghan McConnell Gould in August 2024.Dustin Ashley ’11 and Brodie Kirsh were married on March 16..Jonathan Brickman ’12 and his wife, Meghann, welcomed their rst child, a beautiful baby girl named Jovie, on May 20..Graham Rotenberg ’12 started a new position at Paul Hastings in New York City in November 2024.In February, Spencer Belyea ’13 joined Global Aairs Canada in Ottawa as a Foreign Service Ocer, where he is responsible for managing Canada’s relations with ve West African countries.Jeff Carlin ’13 and his wife, Myranda, welcomed their daughter Eden Paige on February 28..Sam Davison ’14 started a new position as VP of Financial Diligence at Audax Private Equity in Boston in December 2024.Myles Hollenberg ’14 started a new position as Associate Account Ex-ecutive at Marsh Canada Limited in January.Jordan Abramsky ’16 started a new position as Associate Vice President at ENCOR Advisors in May.Keshiv Kaushal ’18 was selected as one of The Peak’s 2025 Emerging Leaders in the Finance and Investing category.Thomas Johnston ’19 was selected as one of The Peak’s 2025 Emerging Leaders in the Media, Entertainment and Sports category. Coulson Wiggan ’19 received his Chartered Investment Management certicate from the Cana-dian Securities Institute in May.2020sNicholas Robinson ’20 started a new position as a Financial Analyst at Brookeld Asset Manage-ment in January.Zack Barnes ’21 started a position as the Executive Assistant to the Energy and Electrication Minis-ter in August 2024. Matthew Lampard ’20 started a new position as an Analyst at KEWA Financial Inc. in March.Matthew Javier ’24 earned one of four qual-ifying spots for the RBC Canadian Open in June. Matthew is one of the youngest golfers to ever compete in this event.Eric Mao ’24 and Tom Zheng ’24 launched Linkd, the world’s rst search algorithm designed around human interac-tions, in February and were accepted into the X25 Class at Y Combinator.Crescent School Alumni Magazine 39
Catching Up With...Ross Turvey: Creating ConnectionsRoss Turvey taught Upper School English at Crescent from 1990 to 2011. Aer Crescent, he lived in Zurich for 10 years and is now “loving life” in Montreal. Dave Bruser: What brought you to Crescent?Ross Turvey: I spent my rst four years teaching elementary school with the TDSB, followed by a decade at Royal St. George’s College. Crescent had approached me a few times, but the timing was never right. But in spring 1990, they needed an Upper School En-glish teacher—perfect for my honours English background—so I nally said yes. I planned to stay three to ve years; 21 years later, I was still there.DB: What were your initial impressions of Crescent?RT: One of the reasons I stayed so long was the collegiality of the staff. The English department was fantastic. John Tansey had this wonderful ability, a skill really, for seeing talent. He hired great people who were committed to working hard and then let them do their job.DB: Do you ever hear from your students about your impact on them?RT: That’s one of the joys. Occasionally, I bump into students, wherever that may be, and I’m still shocked that they remember me. They’ll say, “I remember when we did this short story, or I re-member when we were working in the drama unit, or on a tableau.”Of the many Upper School produc-tions staged by [retired Head of Drama] Aldonna Stremecki, I was lucky enough to co-direct 10 with her. Quite a few of our students continued acting, directing, and producing in lm, TV, and theatre. That feels wonderful, that we were able to foster and develop their passion for the arts and have them go on to become professionals in the entertainment world. We’re still in touch with a lot of those people.DB: What do you think your legacy is as a teacher?RT: Legacy is such a weighty word; it sounds very grandiose. A big part of what I was hoping to do was to create a connection, to foster a relationship. Whether you’re teaching biology, music, or drama, what you’re really teaching is how to behave and interact. How do you comport yourself? How do you deal with people? So yes, I was trying to teach the curriculum. Hopefully, I was also being a good role model.DB: Were there any surprises during your time at Crescent?RT: At the end of Grade 11, students used to choose staff members to be their Grade 12 mentor. Teachers were assigned three or four mentees, and I was often surprised by which boys chose me. Quite often they were jocks, and I was an artsy. I remember asking my good friend Jeff Mitz, who was then head of Guidance and University Place-ment, why. And he said to me, which I thought was quite prescient, “I think they see something in you that is not in them, and they gravitate towards that.”DB: What did you learn from teaching?RT: I had this saying when someone was talking too much in class: There’s a reason we are born with two ears, two eyes, and one mouth. And I would think, do I always follow that myself? In my last ve years teaching at Crescent, I think I gured it out. I really did try to do more listening.DB: You left Crescent in 2011. Did you retire?RT: My partner had a job opportunity in Zurich, so we moved there. It was a huge step to make at that stage of our lives, but the travel and experiences we had were so enriching, so fantastic. Moving to another country, being out- side your comfort zone, and relying on your wits was nice for me. So while I was not necessarily ready to leave teaching, I was ready for the next chapter.DB: What advice would you give to alumni today?RT: My advice, for anybody, is that if you get any opportunity, any chance, to go global, take it. Learn as many languages as you can and travel. By Dave Bruser ’95 40 Past & Present / Summer 2025Dave Bruser ’95 is Editor, Investigations at the Toronto Star and sits on the Past & Present editorial board. Ross Turvey taught Dave English in Grades 11 and 12.This interview has been edited for length and clarity. You can listen to the full interview on the Coyote Conver- sations podcast.PHOTOGRAPHY BY KARENNA BOYCHUK
Some Legacies Walk the Halls Others are Written in WillsTo learn more, contact Angela van Straubenzee, Development Offi cer.Call 416-449-2556 x276 or email avanstraubenzee@crescentschool.org.There’s more than one way to leave your mark on Crescent. Through Legacy Giving, you can create a future gift—often as part of your will—that helps ensure the values and experiences that defi ne Crescent continue to shape generations of boys to come.Join the Susan Denton Massey Society, a community of forward-thinking donors who are helping secure Crescent’s tomorrow through Legacy Giving. Leaving a planned gift is a tribute to your story and an investment in theirs.THE SUSAN DENTON MASSEY SOCIETY
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