Homecoming 2025: Celebrating the past, embracing the future
Leisha LeCouvie in 1991 with Homecoming volunteer John Economides, BComm 41, LLD 98.
In 1990, Leisha LeCouvie was given a bold task as the newly-hired Homecoming coordinator — build Concordia’s alumni engagement program from the ground up and create a new tradition: Homecoming.
At the time, she couldn’t have imagined the legacy that would follow.
Having returned to Concordia in 2015 as senior director of Alumni Engagement, LeCouvie looks back on that first event with pride.
“There was a strong sense of community especially among alumni from of our founding institutions, Sir George Williams and Loyola, and they were ready to celebrate,” she recalls.
From reunion dinners hosted by the Rector and by the Chancellor, to elegant celebrations at the Ritz-Carlton, with music by jazz great and professor Charles Ellison, to popular science lectures and pancake breakfasts, those early years were big, bold — and laid the groundwork for the vibrant Homecoming culture we enjoy today.
At those formal dinners, class representatives would rise to offer a toast — moments that became powerful reminders of Concordia’s history and impact. LeCouvie remembers one in particular.
Trailblazer Rita Shane, BA 37, was the only woman in Sir George Williams’ first graduating class. Shane went on to earn a medical degree from McGill University — a remarkable accomplishment in an era when few women pursued such paths.
“She was a force of nature and an inspiration,” says LeCouvie. “Her story captured the spirit of ambition and resilience that continues to define our alumni.”
Over the years, LeCouvie heard many such stories — testaments to how education had changed lives. “What struck me most was the camaraderie,” she adds. “These graduates built lifelong friendships. Their deep appreciation for the university experience, even decades later, was incredibly moving.”
Through the years, Homecoming — now in its 36th year — has grown and evolved, just like the university itself.
In recent years, the program has shifted to embrace a wider range of Concordians through smaller, more personalized gatherings. These include department and faculty reunions, as well as community-focused events like Queer Homecoming and the Black Alumni Network Reunion. The heart of Homecoming, however, remains unchanged.
A legacy on the field
“The Homecoming Football Game is still the main attraction,” says LeCouvie. “It’s where you’ll find generations of alumni — especially former athletes — back on campus, proudly cheering on the Stingers with their families.”
Still the main attraction! Stingers fans circa 1991 at the Homecoming football game.
Last year’s supersized Homecoming launched Concordia’s milestone 50th anniversary, marking the merger of its founding institutions. This year, the celebrations come full circle — a fitting close to a year-long reflection on our roots, growth and community impact.
Join us on campus to toast the end of our anniversary year — and the beginning of our next chapter. Reconnect with old classmates and revisit campus memories.
Friday, September 26
- 50th Anniversary Community Celebration and Shuffle
- Class of 1995: Engineering and Computer Science 30th Anniversary Reunion
- Stingers Soccer Home Games
Saturday, September 27