School Expansion Program

Apr 5, 2024

Projects for school expansions are underway in the City’s west end, and there are plans for expansion at the Olympic Village neighbourhood.

West End School Expansion

The Vancouver School District trustees approved a plan that BC Hydro, a Crown utility, will finance the construction of a new elementary school in the city's West End and support the replacement of another, in exchange for building a substation under school board property.

The substation would be located under the current Lord Roberts Annex site, and BC Hydro has agreed to buy the rights to the ground under the school "at fair market value" while the school district retains the rights to the property above ground.

Funds from the sale of the below-ground parcel are dedicated to building a new elementary school in the Coal Harbour neighbourhood. The Vancouver School District students from Lord Roberts Annex would move to the new Coal Harbour elementary school while the annex is demolished and rebuilt on the same site.

The Coal Harbour school is currently under construction. Within the lower three levels of the mixed-use building, the Coal Harbour elementary school will span over 42,000 sq. ft. for up to 340 students. There will be a childcare facility on the fourth level and the remaining levels will be dedicated to 60 units of social housing, with an emphasis on family-sized housing at 58%.

New Olympic Village School

The recent commitment by the Provincial Government to build an elementary school in Olympic Village provides a pathway to a long-term resolution to some of the enrolment challenges in the Hamber family of schools and at False Creek elementary (Kitsilano family of schools). Vancouver City Council and the Vancouver School Board have approved entering into a 99-year ground lease for a site.

Past Projects

Collingwood Neighbourhood Annex

Crosstown Elementary

Elsie Roy Elementary

Norma Rose Point Elementary

Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary