On June 20, 2016, the Vancouver School Board (VSB) announces the names of 12 potential schools they plan to close by September 21, 2017. According to VSB chair Mike Lombardi, closing the 12 schools will save VSB $8.8 million dollars a year. The high operating costs of schools and the steady decline of students attending schools in Vancouver brought VSB to the decision of closing a number of schools to save costs (Global News).
In 2004, VSB conducted a seismic evaluation on the schools in Vancouver, where “each building was divided into seismic blocks as defined by the Vancouver Building Bylaw and then rated in terms of its seismic risk. A school can be made up of different blocks with different ratings, but the highest rated block is generally …show more content…
The closure of Britannia Secondary is particularly upsetting to Vancouver’s urban Indigenous community members because it is located in an area where a high population of Indigenous families live. Aboriginal Life in Vancouver Enhancement Society’s (ALIVE) executive director, Scott Clark states, the reason why Indigenous social housing was built in this particular area is because the east side of Vancouver historically was the cheapest land in Vancouver(qtd. in Hyslop). Clark further states, “for a population made vulnerable by systemic racism, colonialism, and poverty,” will have a devastating impact on Vancouver’s Indigenous community if Britannia closes …show more content…
On September 8, 2016, over 300 supporters (alumni, students, and politicians) rallied to support Britannia secondary, where a number of programs are available for Indigenous students and low-income families. Mike Evans, retired Britannia Community Services Centre employee and current volunteer, worries about what will happen to at-risk students who developed a connection and trust with staff and adult role models at Britannia, if the school is closed. He stressed, if the students who are most vulnerable are moved to Templeton, will be moved from a small class setting to a larger class setting, will be difficult for students who need a caring supportive environment will struggle
In 2004, VSB conducted a seismic evaluation on the schools in Vancouver, where “each building was divided into seismic blocks as defined by the Vancouver Building Bylaw and then rated in terms of its seismic risk. A school can be made up of different blocks with different ratings, but the highest rated block is generally …show more content…
The closure of Britannia Secondary is particularly upsetting to Vancouver’s urban Indigenous community members because it is located in an area where a high population of Indigenous families live. Aboriginal Life in Vancouver Enhancement Society’s (ALIVE) executive director, Scott Clark states, the reason why Indigenous social housing was built in this particular area is because the east side of Vancouver historically was the cheapest land in Vancouver(qtd. in Hyslop). Clark further states, “for a population made vulnerable by systemic racism, colonialism, and poverty,” will have a devastating impact on Vancouver’s Indigenous community if Britannia closes …show more content…
On September 8, 2016, over 300 supporters (alumni, students, and politicians) rallied to support Britannia secondary, where a number of programs are available for Indigenous students and low-income families. Mike Evans, retired Britannia Community Services Centre employee and current volunteer, worries about what will happen to at-risk students who developed a connection and trust with staff and adult role models at Britannia, if the school is closed. He stressed, if the students who are most vulnerable are moved to Templeton, will be moved from a small class setting to a larger class setting, will be difficult for students who need a caring supportive environment will struggle