Bedford Road Collegiate

Story

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.Currently its feeder schools are Caswell Community School, Henry Kelsey School, King George Community School, Mayfair Community School, Princess Alexandra Community School, and Westmount Community School.CampusThe school is shaped in the form of 2 concentric squares on top of each other, with the lower floor containing the gymnasium, auditorium, offices, as well as the music department, shop classroom and general purpose classrooms. In the lower square's center, the library is located. The upper floor contains the science department, art department, computer labs and general purpose classrooms.Redmen name and logoIn 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 claiming they are a "human rights violations." Some First Nations academics and alumni consider the use of "Redmen" to be outdated and offensive. In 1996, a student vote ended overwhelmingly in favor of keeping the name and logo. The school has consulted 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, gaining national media attention and causing the Saskatoon Public School Division to reconsider the logo. In early 2013, protesters attempted to demonstrate at the Bedford Road Invitational Tournament, but they were blocked by teachers and police from entering. A new logo was launched during the 2013 BRCI graduation. According to the school, the design changes are meant to represent various aspect of First Nation culture and heritage.