Monthly Archives: February 2008

UBC Responds to VSB Facilities Review

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Over the past several weeks a variety of concerns and complaints have been expressed regarding UBC’s obligations toward building a new high school within the campus area. Some have argued that UBC is completely responsible to build any such schools west of Blanca. As previously noted, however, the responsibility for building schools is provincial and the local institution to do that is the Vancouver Board of Education.

Following a meeting with representatives of all of the affected UBC/Dunbar School Parent Advisory Councils Friday January 25th, Stephen Owen issued a letter outlining and clarifying UBC’s obligations. At the meeting itself (held in response to the parent’s earlier letter to Prof Toope) Mr. Owen was clear in expressing the desire of the University to work with all parties to facilitate a resolution to the current issues that can meet the very real needs of a school for children in the UBC area.

U Hill Students Organizing to Rebuild Their School

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Facebook | Rebuild U Hill

From the facebook group description:

The Vancouver School Board is in the process of reviewing schools in the UBC/Dunbar area of the schools district. Students living west of Blanca are terribly served by the Vancouver School Board.

We like our schools, but consider the following:

The elementary school is over capacity at 550 students. Nearly 200 additional elementary students have to be bussed to school.

The secondary school was built for 325 and has over 500 students in it. Nearly 150 students have been turned away! The building is in extremely poor condition.

The school board plan isn’t perfect, but it will address the needs of hundreds of children how toady don’t have the luxury of a neighbourhood school

We need new schools NOW!

Dunbar Residents’ Association Enters the Fray

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DRA News & Events � Proposed Closure of Queen Elizabeth Annex and Related Issues

Dear Vancouver School Board Trustees:

The Dunbar Residents’ Association is extremely concerned at the unreasonably short timeline given for public consultation on the proposed closure of Queen Elizabeth Annex and the other Phase 1 EFR proposals. These are proposals that will have a significant impact on all of the neighbourhoods involved and therefore require meaningful community consultation and a reasonable amount of time for citizens to gather information and respond in an informed way.

We understand that the Annex is to be closed and the property sold to provide funds for the provision of neighbourhood schools at UBC. The closure of Queen Elizabeth Annex will have an impact on our community at present and seems short-sighted for the future, given the City’s Ecodensity Charter and its predicted population growth.

The proposals raise a number of issues that citizens need time to assess and address, and the limited time given is difficult to understand in the context of what should be a desire by the VSB to engage in genuine community consultation. We urge that you engage in additional community consultation, extend the deadline for feedback for at least six months and postpone your decision accordingly.

Yours truly,

Susan Chapman
Co-President
Dunbar Residents’ Association