NEW WATERFORD, N.S. — Breton Education Centre has started its first last day at its current location. Built to bring together students from three other ...
| Posted: 2 minutes ago | Updated: 2 minutes ago | 15 Min Read
Jim Kavanaugh, who started at Breton Education Centre in 1970 and was principal from 1990-2003, sits in his New Waterford home with many year books and Coal Bowl Classic programs. NICOLE SULLIVAN/CAPE BRETON POST - Nicole Sullivan A youthful Jenn Sheppard, in these photos from the BEC yearbook in 1990, the singer-songwriter's graduation year. On the left, Sheppard is playing Reno in the school production of"Anything Goes" and her graduation photo is on the right. NICOLE SULLIVAN/CAPE BRETON POST - Nicole Sullivan“It's weird,” said singer-songwriter Jenn Sheppard, who works behind the scenes with the Coal Bowl Classic basketball tournament.
“I've had constant exposure to that school since I graduated, so I do have kind of a love affair with it and it will be really sad and emotional,” Sheppard said. This photo from the 1982 Breton Education Centre yearbook shows school principal Bryden MacDonald, right, with a student at the grad show night. NICOLE SULLIVAN/CAPE BRETON POST - Nicole Sullivan
Kavanaugh said the students’ strengths first motto is the tone BEC’s first principal set for the school. “He certainly passed away far, far too early in life,” Kavanaugh said. “We certainly missed him, but he was an amazing individual, so we're extremely fortunate to have had Bryden and as principal, there's no question that he kind of set the tone.Art Timmons started teaching at the school in the physical education department when it opened. He also coached the girls soccer team, who became the first female squad from Cape Breton to win a provincial championship in 1973.
“I think there were six classes in the home economics department. … It was a very comprehensive program that offered a variety of study and activities, not just for the students that were academically going to go on to secondary studies.” In this file photo from the Coal Bowl Classic on Feb. 5, 2010, Colin Larade of the BEC Bears, left, goes for a layup during the semifinal game against the Charlottetown Rural Raiders. BEC lost the game, however, would go on to win the bronze medal. TJ COLELLO/CAPE BRETON POST FILES - TJ ColelloAnother school initiative that helped the community, the Coal Bowl Classic, also helped bring national recognition to BEC.
“There was a lineup outside and around the whole facility … there were, like, 500 people trying to get in," remembered Cormier, who coached the boys Division 1 high school basketball team at BEC from 1979-2000. “Bryden was very supportive of me and the basketball program and it was just a vibrant school. I think it's still a vibrant school, but the population has suffered greatly, for obvious reasons .”
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