Local Man Celebrates Family Reunion Anniversary After Early Separation

Local realtor and paralegal Colin Elsby went through most of his life without knowing his biological family but marked his two-year anniversary of reuniting with his sisters on Thursday.

During their first reunion, the siblings cooked and played board games as their first activities together at the Airbnb. Photo courtesy of Colin Elsby.

During their first reunion, the siblings cooked and played board games as their first activities together at the Airbnb. Photo courtesy of Colin Elsby.

He found his sisters through social media three years ago citing his biological aunt as a mutual friend that made the connection. He only had first names and birthdates as his only clues of his sisters.

“I did some digging and everything popped up. My sisters found the same aunt (we had) on Facebook 10 years prior to me finding her,” said Elsby. “ We didn’t know each other aside from first names and birthdates. I honestly never thought I’d meet and find them.”

He first connected with them when he saw a friend request from his sister on Facebook.

The 24-year old met his sisters for the first time at an Airbnb in Leamington, Ont. — since one sister lives in Windsor and the other in Tilbury, Ont. — where the experience was so overwhelming that the actual meeting was the opposite according to Elsby.

“It was such a calming and natural connection,” he said. “There was a possibility that we may not have clicked but it was surprisingly natural and it wasn’t super eventful, to be honest.”

Fran Reaume (left), Jennifer Reaume (middle) and Colin Elsby (right) all share the same biological mother. Photo Courtesy of Colin Elsby.

Fran Reaume (left), Jennifer Reaume (middle) and Colin Elsby (right) all share the same biological mother. Photo Courtesy of Colin Elsby.

The three often keep in contact with each other especially with the distance between their towns, the pandemic and busy lives. Both his sisters have children of their own and work in healthcare which occupies a lot of time says Elsby.

He was taken into the care of Children’s Aid Society (CAS) at five months old and officially adopted when he was three. He was born in Toronto, adopted in Cobourg and has been living in Peterborough for the past 15 years.

He is a realtor for EXIT Realty Liftlock Brokerage and a paralegal. Elsby is a board member for the Kawartha Haliburton Children’s Foundation for over two years.

He went to high school at Adam Scott Collegiate Vocational Institute before attending Fleming College to be a paralegal, graduating in 2019. He studied to be a real estate agent while getting his paralegal diploma. He currently is studying online at the University of London for his Bachelor of Law (LLB) to become a lawyer.

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A Bunch Of PCVS Basketball Alumni Reunited At Raider Dome For An Unforgettable Day Of Hoops

On Saturday (February 18th) on Family Day weekend, 38 former PCVS Raiders basketball players from classes gone by got together for an incredible afternoon of hoops at the school's "Raider Dome" in a reunion that had been long overdue.

Organized by 2002 grad Mike Hanley, the day featured a tournament format of teams broken down into age brackets.

Grads from as far back as the early 1980s up to 2010 suited up for a day that was less about winning a trophy and more about having fun in this iconic school which closed its doors as a high school five years ago in downtown Peteborough.

Coaches and teachers from the past even manned the benches, making the experience even more surreal for the alumni who gathered for this special day.

Spectators and family in attendance at Raider Dome

Size, speed, age and skill varied—with some NCAA and CIS standouts running the courts—but it didn't matter: This was about bringing back former comrades from close and afar to show that once you’re a Raider, you’re always a Raider.

After its success taking place on Family Day weekend, the plan is to make this an annual event to keep Raider basketball and pride going strong!

—by Aaron Elliott

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