CONCERNED VICTORIA HIGH SCHOOL PARENT FILES PETITION TO BC SUPREME COURT SEEKING ORDER AGAINST SCHOOL DISTRICT 61  

LEGAL CHALLENGE STEMS FROM ALLEGED IMPROPER TRANSFER OF VIC HIGH LAND THAT SCUTTLED DECADES-LONG EFFORTS TO BUILD COMPETITIVE ATHLETIC TRACK AT THE SCHOOL

VICTORIA, BC, April 13, 2023. Yesterday, April 12, 2023, Brit Forsyth, a concerned Victoria High School (Vic High) parent, filed a petition to the BCSupreme Court seeking an order to quash the statutory right-of-way (the "SRW") along the western boundary of Vic High. Two of Forsyth’s children graduated from Vic High, one is currently attending the school, and another who currently attends Central Middle School will soon attend Vic High.

“Over the past few years, I’ve been following and supporting the Friends of Vic High (FOVH) in their efforts to ensure equity rights for Vic High students, current and future. The FOVH have implored the SD61 School Board, City of Victoria (“the City”), and the Province to reinstate their commitment to the original Memorial Stadium Revitalization Project plans,” noted Forsyth.

The original plans include an 8-lane metric track, a turf field large enough to accommodate multi-sport play, including rugby, field lights, a new grandstand, and a field house.  The original yard track and stadium were constructed in 1951 to honour Vic High staff and students who died in WW2. 

“After more than 50 years of neglect, a revitalization of Vic High’s athletic infrastructure was long overdue,” added Forsyth.

Vic High is the oldest school west of Winnipeg and north of San Francisco, originally opened in 1876, with its current building having been designed in 1911 and opened in 1914.

Since 2007, the Vic High community has planned to revitalize the Memorial Stadium. In 2012, the four-phased plan received unanimous support from the SD61 School Board, and in 2014, the City pledged $250,000 in a matching grant. In all, hundreds of thousands in donations and secured funding have poured forth over the years to make the revitalization plan happen. The SRW forces modifications to these long-standing plans that were downsized without public knowledge or consultation, and the petition alleges, in violation of Ministry and SD61 policies and regulations.

“Because of my kids’ involvement in sports, I know first-hand the positive role that athletics play in the lives of students. Sports support the mental and physical health of children. Sports also aid in the development of life skills and self-esteem. Through participation in athletics and team sports, children learn the value of hard work, commitment, and discipline, skills they can transfer to other settings. We should be looking for ways to bolster these resources, not take them away,” Forsyth added.

Since 2020, the FOVH, a group of community advocates and Vic High alumni, have uncovered and catalogued documents and communications secured through Freedom of Information that validate their assertion that the SRW was improperly disposed. For years leading up to this legal challenge, the FOVH had engaged in discussions with SD61, the City, and the Province seeking to have the original Vic High Memorial Stadium Revitalization Project plans built and delivered as promised.

The group’s sole interest is to advocate for the rights of current and future Vic High students as it relates to this project and to ensure equitable treatment and opportunity. The FOVH raised funds to support the petition submitted by Brit Forsyth and retained the firm Mulroney Siver Law as his legal representative.

“Vic High has been disadvantaged compared to other schools for more than fifty years now due to government policy decisions that have directly contributed to ongoing systemic inequality,” said Stephen Dorsey, a Vic High alumnus, FOVH co-founder, and author of the book Black and White that excavates Canada’s history and ongoing challenges with systemic racism and inequality.

“Aside from the seismic upgrades that were long overdue at Vic High, when you compare the resource investments in Vic High athletic facilities over the past fifty years with investments in other schools, the second-rate treatment Vic High receives is plain to see. It pales in comparison to the resources invested in Oak Bay, including in its university-like athletic facilities. And now SD61 is supporting the plans of other schools like Spectrum and Esquimalt with a spirit of cooperation for their initiatives, which is truly great for their students. But what about Vic High kids? It’s hard to argue with what we’ve seen with our own eyes,” added Dorsey.

“The marginalization of Vic High students is nothing new. Vic High has experienced systemic inequality (based on socio-economic factors) for more than five decades now and this status quo mindset and approach has to stop,” commented Tak Niketas, a Vic High alumnus and co-founder of the FOVH. “That’s why we haven’t stopped fighting and why filing this petition is so important. It’s not just about the track — it’s about fair treatment. And it’s about the kids’ futures,” added Niketas.

About the Friends of Vic High:

The Friends of Vic High, formed by Tak Niketas and Stephen Dorsey, is a group of community advocates and Vic High alumni who are seeking to have the originally envisioned Vic High Memorial Stadium Revitalization Project built and delivered as promised. The group’s sole interest is to advocate for the rights of current and future students of Vic High as it relates to this project and to ensure equitable treatment and opportunity.

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/208406680932681

Petition to the Supreme Court of BC: https://www.dropbox.com/home/Brit%20F%20Petition%20to%20Supreme%20Court%20of%20BC%20-%20Public?preview=20230412+SIGNED+Petition.pdf

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All Media Inquiries: Contact / Spokesperson:

Stephen Dorsey, Vic High 1984 Alumnus

Co-Founder, Friends of Vic High (FOVH)

T. 647-938-5449. E. info@stephendorsey.com

 

Note: Stephen Dorsey will speak on behalf of Brit Forsyth on all related matters.