Cedarbrae Secondary School was granted by the then-Scarborough Board of Education in 1958 at a cost of over $3,500,000 on the hillside overlooking the site of Peter Secor's grist mill of 1830, on the west side of the Markham Road. Architects Hugh L. Allward and George Roper Gouinlock was commissioned for the Cedarbrae project. The building was built in 1959 opened for classes in September 1961 as Scarborough's seventh collegiate as well as the first composite hybrid academic and vocational high school. Cedarbrae was built to ease overcrowding at R. H. King Collegiate Institute, West Hill Collegiate Institute and the two-year-old David and Mary Thomson Collegiate Institute. John Grabb served as its founding principal and Francis S. Jennings was its inaugural vice-principal. The school adopted its present name Cedarbrae Collegiate Institute later on. Cedarbrae C.I. celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1986 and its 50th Anniversary on May 27, 2011 The school was featured in the 1999 film Detroit Rock City.
Campus
The school is by area the largest in Scarborough consisting of 16 acres located on Markham Road, south of Lawrence Ave, north of Eglinton Ave and one of the largest schools by area in the former Scarborough Board of Education. The 254,765 square foot facility includes 48 conventional classrooms, eight science labratories, a gymnasium which can be partitioned into three smaller gymnasiums, a pool, 2 auto technology shops, 2 wood shops, a film studio, a fitness room and dance studio next to it, a cafeteria with a serving room on the southwestern side, 2 home economics classrooms, the main and guidance offices on the north and a library. Cedarbrae also has a 400m track behind the school facing west and is one of the few schools in Toronto which still has a performance theatre stage in its auditorium which was named "John Grabb Theatre" after its founding principal. Cedarbrae also has a unique layout in which the Technology Department is separated form the rest of the school. Cedarbrae is located on a hill-like landscape which causes the schools' two wings to be at different elevations; because of this the academic side is known as floors 1, 2, and 3, while the technology wing is known as floors 4 and 5. Lockers are usually painted aqua green, silver, yellow, red, and blue. The school has 14 fire exits.
Specialty programs
Immersion and Extended French
The immersion and extended French programs give enrolled students a chance to broaden their learning of French as a second language but must remain in their chosen program until graduation to maintain status. Cedarbrae requires students enrolled in such programs to exhibit good attendance and a good academic performance or will risk being dismissed from the program. Immersion students require 11 French credits in order to receive their Honours Certificate of Bilingual Studies in French Immersion. Extended French students require 8 French credits to receive their Honours Certificate of Bilingual Studies in Extended French. French credits can be obtained by taking available courses in French such as: French, Geography, Gym, Art, History, Math, and Civics & Careers.
Special Arts
Starting in grade 9, students will study in depth how the elements and principles of design are applied to various art forms. In this program, students study the ideas, techniques, and attitudes of the professional artist by learning how to use the tools of the trade such as current computer hardware and software in courses like "Computers in Art". Students who wish to enroll in Cedarbrae's Special Art Program must complete an admission test, provide a letter of recommendation from an art teacher, and submit a copy of their transcript to student services.
In the news
June 23, 2010 Fire
At approximately 10:30 pm June 23, 2010, emergency crews responded to a fire in the office area of the school. A young man was charged, with reports that he was a former student. The fire resulted in the postponement of final exams scheduled for June 24.
Cedarbrae Collegiate Institute in Scarborough was placed on lockdown Wednesday after a shooting in the area. The lockdown was lifted late Wednesday afternoon. Around 1:11 p.m., Toronto police received multiple reports of gunshots heard near the school at Markham Road and Lawrence Avenue East.
