Hostel

The 84-year-old Hostel has been completely rebuilt, with the generous help of Sanjay Narang ’81. The project was managed by his own contractors and completed in a record time of ten months. The updated building made generous use of the old building, as wood and other materials were salvaged and reused. Everything is upgraded and modern, with new furniture made of sheesham and sal wood, local trees with long-lasting strong wood.

There is a 25-meter heated swimming pool facing the Doon. The former swimming pool area was incorporated into the new building. It is all amazing and beautiful.

We celebrated with a dedication on Friday afternoon. Special guests were Ken and Regina Saum, who were Hostel supervisors in the 1970s when we were on staff and when Sanjay was a student. It was good to reconnect with these old friends and their adult children who accompanied them. A very special moment was when Sanjay was presented with an honorary diploma. One of his regrets in life was having to leave Woodstock before graduation in 1981. A very nice tea was served following the dedication ceremony.

Left to right: Sanjay Narang '81, Ken Saum, Thomas Chandy (Chair, WS Board), David Laurenson (Principal)

Saturday evening a fancy dinner and dance were held at the Hostel. The dinner was quite amazing, from multiple tandoor specialties to curries to South Indian to burgers and fries. Desserts were mostly Indian along with a thick dark chocolate mousse. It was a long walk back to Oakville, but needed after that banquet!