Bedford Road Collegiate is a public high school on the west side of the city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It is Saskatoon's second oldest high school, opened on February 12, 1923. It is also known as BRCI (Bedford Road Collegiate Institute), or Bedford. Bedford Road Collegiate is part of the Saskatoon Public School Division.The school is well-known for hosting the Bedford Road Invitational Tournament (BRIT), one of the largest high school basketball events in Western Canada. As an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, Bedford Road offers the rigorous IB Diploma Program, along with specialized courses such as Cadet Orientation Police Studies (COPS), Fire Introduction Recruitment Experience (FIRE), and Pre-Engineering. Additionally, the school provides various arts and technical programs, including Visual Arts, and Guitar and Amplifier Design. [2]
The Bedford Road Collegiate campus is in the Westmount neighborhood of Saskatoon, close to the downtown area. The school building itself is a mix of historic and modern architecture, reflecting its long history and continuous updates over the years. The main structure of the school features traditional brick architecture, which has been preserved to maintain its historical significance. The building has undergone several renovations to modernize its facilities.
The school includes science labs, computer labs, art studios, a library, and an auditorium used for school assemblies, theatrical productions, and community events. There is also a student commons area. Athletic facilities include a gymnasium, a fitness center, and outdoor sports fields.
In the early 1960s, an "Indian Head" logo was adopted as the sports team logo for the school in addition to the original "Lantern" logo. In the mid-1990s, a campaign was started to change the "Redmen" name and the "Indian Head" logo.[citation needed] Some First Nations academics and alumni consider the use of "Redmen" to be outdated and offensive.[3] In 1996, a student vote ended overwhelmingly in favor of keeping the name and logo.[4] The school has consulted[when?] with students, parents, community members, school staff, First Nations and Métis elders and leaders about the logo and team name on a number of occasions. Each time, the majority of the stakeholders wanted to retain the name and the logo. However, in 2011, the campaign against the logo was revived via Facebook,[5] gaining national media attention and causing the Saskatoon Public School Division to reconsider the logo.[6][7][8] In early 2013, protesters attempted to demonstrate at the Bedford Road Invitational Tournament, but they were blocked by teachers and police from entering.[9] A new logo was launched during the 2013 BRCI graduation. According to the school, the design changes were meant to represent various aspect of First Nation culture and heritage.[10]
In March 2014, the Saskatoon public school board passed a motion to have the school drop the name "Redmen" and use a new name by the beginning of the new school year in September.[11] The new name for Bedford Road, as chosen by a group of 70 staff, students, and alumni, was the Redhawks, drawing on the red tail hawk native to Saskatchewan.[12][13]
Student life
Athletics
Bedford Road Collegiate's sports teams are known as the Redhawks, and (although less commonly used today) "Lady Redhawks" for female teams. Athletic programs include football, cheerleading, wrestling, basketball, soccer, badminton, track & field, golf, and cross country. Bedford Road also hosts sports tournaments the Redhawks Classic and Redhawks Volley, along with the Bedford Road Invitational Tournament.
The Bedford Road Invitational Tournament (BRIT) is a prestigious boys' high school basketball tournament that has been held annually at Bedford Road Collegiate since 1968. Over the years Brit has hosted 133 teams, more than 1,400 players, and teams from seven provinces and three countries.[15]
