Vancouver parents push back against elementary school land deal

A small but determined group of concerned parents rallied outside Vancouver City Hall on Tuesday.

They gathered to demand that the city, Vancouver School Board (VSB), and province ensure that school spaces keep pace with new housing developments.

The rally — organized by Build Schools Now — comes as the VSB plans to move ahead with a long-term lease of a portion of the Sir Sandford Fleming Elementary School property at Knight Street and 49th Avenue.

“It does not make sense to get rid of school land. We are completely out of space,” said Heman Mehta, PAC chair at Sir Sandford Fleming Elementary.

Mehta says Sir Sanford Fleming is already over capacity — currently sitting 422 students in a school built for 398.

And he fears losing even more space will mean no room for future portables, with the loss of playgrounds and green space.

“My grandkids in 20 years will not have any space whatsoever because all of the portables are going to sit on the soccer field.”

Mehta says two of the school’s basketball courts — the space they stand to lose permanently — have already been fenced off for more than two years during the subdivision process.

“So what we’re saying is give us back our basketball courts.”

“Our kids are coming home with bloody knees, they’re falling every day, and there’s no green space for them to play on.”

Meanwhile, Build Schools Now says Sir Sandford Fleming isn’t alone — warning other elementary school sites on Vancouver’s east side, like Sir Guy Carleton and Graham Bruce, are facing the same squeeze.

“Nowhere will you find a west side school in Point Grey, for example, where this would happen,” said Mehta.

“Because you know what? Parents will come out in droves opposing it. Unfortunately, parents in our schools have two jobs. They’re immigrants, they have language barriers, and so they’re not able to come out and rally and oppose this.”

Mehta says parents have collected more than 900 signatures on a petition opposing the proposed rezoning at Sir Sandford Fleming.

School board response

In a statement to The Leader Spirit, the VSB says it “acknowledges the concerns raised” and shares the goal of ensuring school infrastructure keeps pace with population growth.

The board adds that following public engagement and what it calls a “rigorous land disposition process,” it approved a 99-year lease for a rental housing development on a portion of Sir Sandford Fleming’s land.

The subdivision and disposal were also signed off by the province.

The VSB says the rezoning application is now in the hands of the city.

Mehta says he’ll be back at City Hall on Thursday to bring parents’ concerns directly to council during a public hearing for the proposed rezoning.