Although construction began the year before, Bishop Ryan Catholic Secondary School was officially opened on April 16, 1959, by Joseph Francis Ryan, then Bishop of Hamilton.[3] At that time, the school was located on Queenston Road.
On February 4, 1991, the students and staff started the second semester in the new location, a former public elementary school, on Albright Road. The old building on Queenston Road was demolished; a housing community called Ryan's Walk now occupies the land.
A third Bishop Ryan Catholic Secondary School building opened in January 2014 after delays in construction during late 2013.[4] The 73-hectare site is at 1824 Rymal Road East and Dakota Boulevard in the community of Hannon in Hamilton, Ontario. The school was designed by Svedas Architects Inc. and was built by Tambro Construction.[5] In September 2015, the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board transferred the site of the former school building on Albright Road to Ridgecrest Estates Inc.[6] The building has since been demolished and condominiums have been constructed on the site.[7]
The school is currently headed by principal Michael Lawlor.[8]
Enrollment
In 2017, just four years after the new building opened, the total headcount at Bishop Ryan was 1,753 students. The yearly student growth had increased by 15 percent over the past two years, meaning there was around an additional 263 new students entering.[9] As of 2022, the Ministry of Education lists Bishop Ryan's enrollment as 2,165.[2]
Co-curricular groups and teams
Bishop Ryan is home to a number of sports teams and co-curricular groups. Notable examples include the Bishop Ryan Xpression vocal ensemble,[10][11] Bishop Ryan wrestling team,[12][13] and the robotics team Celt-X-5406.[14][15] The school has been noted for its musical talent due to its vocal ensemble group.[16]
Feeder schools
Bishop Ryan has eight official feeder schools:[17]
