Blue was the theme of the day, under the clear blue sky at the mouth of the King’s College Circle, one of the hot sites during Homecoming events. By the tall glimmering gates, two of which were tied with blue ribbon, the past, the present and the prospective generations of U of T gathered Saturday morning to celebrate and witness the official opening of the Alumni Gates in honour of the 100th anniversary of the U of T Alumni Association.
“I now declare the Alumni Gates officially open,” announced President Robert Birgeneau as the replica blue ribbon was being gracefully cut. Once the UTAA (University of Toronto Alumni Association) truck ceremoniously opened and passed through the gates, other trucks followed, each containing a unique bevy of students representing academic programs, colleges, or, of course, the good old Varsity Blues. Each truck demonstrated its theme to the spectators and the judges of the parade before proceeding past the gates. From a powder-spewing wooden brigade to live music, the parade revealed diverse characteristics on campus. The common denominator in all was the united sense of euphoria carried by the trucks heading to Varsity Stadium, which permeated beyond the gate walls.
The Open Space Plan, a project to beautify the St. George campus, had been initiated by the Alumni Association. During planning stage, one of the dilemmas was whether the gates, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Alumni Association, should be located on Bloor and St. George Streets or King’s College Road and College Street. The latter was chosen. With the support of the Alumni’s donation of $400,000, the construction of the ceremonial gates began in mid 2001 to revitalize a rather dull-looking King’s College Road.
“The Alumni Gate is an official entrance to the university,” said Sarah Charlton (’92), one of the organizers of homecoming events, “there wasn’t ever one in the past … there was nothing here. It didn’t even look like an entrance. It was just a road into the campus.”
Found at the intersection of King’s College Road and College Street, the new stately threshold of U of T overlooks a tree-lined boulevard and the heart of U of T. Maureen Somerville (’59, ’70), one of the judges of the parade, agrees on the inviting charm of the statuesque Alumni Gates.
“I’ve been to Cambridge and Oxford and other campuses around the world,” she continued, “…[Alumni Gates] are open gates, they aren’t closed gates…I think our campus is beautiful, and I also love it because it is a part of the city.”
Barbara Bunting, an alumnus and one of the numerous donors, also agrees and added with a smile, “Yes I quite approve of it. I am glad I sent them some money.”
The opened Alumni gates seem to reflect not only the heartwarming generosity of the alumni, but also a promising sense of U of T’s lasting identity. In the words of Ivan McFarlane, past director of UTAA, “[they] will identify a growing community, a very significant community.”
