A Night for Bright Minds 2026
On Tuesday, June 23, we proudly hosted our annual flagship event – A Night for Bright Minds, welcoming Cohort 2026 of the Beedie Luminaries Scholarship Program.
The evening, attended by more than 1,200 guests, was a celebration of joy, inspiration, and community. We are deeply grateful to the families, mentors, partners, supporters, and volunteers who joined us – your presence made the night truly unforgettable.
The students of Cohort 2026 represent 34 municipalities across British Columbia, from as far north as Hudson’s Hope to communities as small as Cache Creek. From Grade 12 students, single parents, refugees and immigrants, graduate students, and aspiring trades professionals, each recipient brings resilience, determination, and extraordinary promise.
The scholarships, ranging from $20,000 to $50,000, help remove financial barriers to higher education and provide wraparound services, including mentorship, student success advising, and peer support.
During the evening’s remarks, Ryan Beedie, OBC, CBHF, LL.D., President of Beedie and Founder of Beedie Luminaries, announced the launch of the Family Practice Medical Degree Award, recognizing the urgent need for family physicians across the province. Valued at $50,000 per student, the Award welcomes 33 aspiring family doctors at the University of British Columbia School of Medicine and SFU Stephens Family School of Medicine.
With this addition, we are proud to welcome 310 students across six programs, our largest cohort to date – a testament to the vision and generosity of our Founder, who was himself honoured with two honorary doctorates this year. Thank you, Dr. Beedie! Since 2019, Beedie Luminaries has awarded over $59 million in scholarships to more than 1,300 students making it one of the largest and most-comprehensive scholarship programs in Canada.
We extend our deepest gratitude to our keynote speaker and Graduate Studies student, Queen Alexis, whose address left every person in attendance feeling seen, and reminded us all that our aspirations are well within reach.
We also wish to express our sincere appreciation to our presenting sponsor RBC, and to recognize the exceptional creative talents who brought the evening to life: Chelsie Del Rosario, Mar Andersons, Kevin Lim, Shades Portrait Studio, and the outstanding production team at Inventa.
Congratulations and welcome, Cohort 2026!
