Brian’s Story

Amanda: This is Ryerson Rewind — a podcast featuring alumni, sharing their fondest memories from Toronto Metropolitan University.

Brian: I’m Brian Stewart, Journalism 1964. And I’ve always kept in touch with the University as much as I could and my daughter is now going here so, it’s a family matter right now. You know I left here field with dreams that Toronto Metropolitan University put in my head about making it in Journalism and really having an exciting time in Journalism. And it all really came true, and at the time it was wonderful. It was a three year course, a superb education for the profession I went into. It was really absolutely first rate. And I’ve often thought back and remembered Toronto Metropolitan University teachings and the rest of it. David Crombie, the former Mayor of Toronto, he was one of our teachers, couldn’t get a better teacher, so I’ve had tremendous sense of gratitude to Toronto Metropolitan University and tremendous emotion when I think back about what a good time it was. I mean I graduated four months after the Beatles first appeared in North America, that’s how long ago that was. So it was really, all the changes I ran into later with video coming along, with satellite television with 24/7 news all the time I still think Toronto Metropolitan University kind of fit us for that. Fit us for the challenges we faced. We were such an impatient generation to get out. The early ‘60’s, mid ‘60’s were just dying to get out into the world and Toronto Metropolitan University prepared us in a hurry to get out there to give us a very good grounding education. When I left Toronto Metropolitan University, ‘64, I paid some attention to it, but then I went overseas and I was an overseas correspondent, and I thought, you know, Toronto Metropolitan University, I don’t think it’s going to survive, because it’s right in the middle of the city that keeps kind of growing, I mean it’s going to be crushed, subsumed by the city, and guess what I come back and Toronto Metropolitan University is the one that keeps growing and growing. You know it’s amazing the success it’s had really. And it’s so delightful to see. I want to start coming down more often to it now because it's so inspiring  everytime I come down, I leave saying “My God, it’s getting better and better” I don’t know how they keep doing it, but they do! Never ever ever thought in my wildest dreams that you’d walk by the Maple Leaf Gardens one day and see Toronto Metropolitan University up there in you know. It was Ryerson Polytechnic was lucky to even get a notice a billboard, so I mean it's just. It’s been a wonderful marriage this building and Toronto Metropolitan University. I come now to some of the Ryerson University Ram games just because I love to sit there under that great roof which is exactly the same as it was in the Maple Leaf Gardens, and watch good hockey on ice. And it’s just a tremendous feeling. 

Amanda: This podcast is a production of the Ryerson University Alumni Association. I’m Amanda Cupido, a proud member of the board of directors, and the producer and editor of this podcast. For more stories like the one you just heard visit torontomu.ca/alumni.