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Bernie Custis Recognized as the New HWDSB Secondary School Name

Bernie Custis

Hamilton, Ontario – September 17, 2018: Bernie Custis, local sports legend, educator and pioneer in race relations, is the name proudly given to the new north secondary school by the Board of Trustees, confirmed at the September 17^th Board Meeting. Bernie Custis Secondary School is being built in the stadium precinct at 1055 King Street East and expected to open in September 2019.

“Trustees are honoured to name the new north secondary school after Hamiltonian Bernie Custis, a leader, educator, and trail-blazer, whose achievements crossed borders and whose name will continue to inspire students for generations,” said Todd White, Chair of the Board.

Bernie Custis’ inspirational story has many connections to sport, education and the city of Hamilton. The following achievements credit Bernie Custis as:

• the first African-American quarterback to earn the job of regular starter for a professional football team — not just in Canada, but in North America — when he took over command of the Ticats on Aug. 29, 1951
• an all-star in his first season with Hamilton moving to halfback playing three more seasons to win the 1953 Grey Cup
• a teacher and principal in the former Wentworth County Board of Education
• a leader in breaking down racial barriers
• a coach for the McMaster Marauders where he spent eight seasons registering a 31-23-1 record and named Canadian university football’s top coach in 1982

On June 11, 2018, Trustees approved a motion to consult with students from Delta and Sir John A. Macdonald secondary schools on five names: Bernie Custis Secondary School, Nikola Tesla Secondary School, Scott Park Secondary School, Shannen Koostachin Secondary School, and Trillium Secondary School.

Bernie Custis Secondary School is designed to accommodate 1,250 pupils in approximately 160,000 square foot secondary school with surrounding amenities. The three-storey school includes green space and a unique partnership with the City of Hamilton that provides state-of-the-art physical education opportunities for students.

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Media Contact:

Shawn McKillop, APR
Manager, Communications and Community Engagement
T: 905.527.5092 x2941 | C: 905.515.6227 | E: [email protected]