Association continued to fundraise for original Memorial Stadium Revitalization Project after agreeing to downgrade track and field facilities. $160,000 raised and held in trust now in dispute.
VICTORIA, BC, February 8, 2021 – The Friends of Vic High (FOVH) went public today with their request that the Victoria High School Alumni Association (VHSAA) freeze $160,000 in donations, which they hold in trust on behalf of VHSAA and other donors who gave in support of the original Memorial Stadium Revitalization Project (MSRP). The original MSRP would see Vic High students benefit from an 8-lane metric track and multisport field, comparable to facilities at other schools in the region.
Documents obtained through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests reveal that the VHSAA endorsed the City of Victoria’s (the City) modified revitalization plan on June 5, 2019 and endorsed School District 61’s (SD61) additional modifications on August 27, 2020. The combined changes reveal a proposal to reduce the promised 8-lane track to a 2-lane walking track and to downgrade the current field to a small pitch incapable of supporting traditional sports such as rugby - a sport synonymous with Vic High’s rich heritage.
However, the VHSAA continued to promote the original project on its website and accepted donations through to October 2020. The VHSAA only publicly disclosed its endorsement of SD61’s downgraded plan in late October 2020, after the FOVH had already made the plans public.
“We’ve been sifting through stacks of documents only available to us through FOI requests that clearly show how the VHSAA and SD61 communicated with the City and each other regarding modifications to the original project – changes that would see Vic High students, current and future, disadvantaged in terms of athletic facilities,” commented Esther Callo, co-founder of the FOVH.
The VHSAA’s communications with the City and SD61 suggest it knew they planned to lease Vic High land for other uses, which would force the cancellation of the long-promised 8-lane track and multisport field on school grounds.
The FOVH believes that the VHSAA leadership has not been fully transparent with its members and donors. “During public consultations in 2019 about land use at Vic High, the VHSAA did not inform its members about the potential impact of the proposed lease of Vic High land on the original project plans,” added Callo.
“As a result of our review, we have uncovered facts that show the VHSAA may not have had complete information from SD61, the City, and the Capital Region Housing Corporation (CRHC) as to the overall consequences of agreeing with these changes to the original project,” noted Callo.
“I can’t think of any other non-profit association that undertook a decade-long fundraising effort only to set aside its original plans without consulting its constituents and donors,” commented Stephen Dorsey, co-founder of the FOVH and a Vic High alumnus.
Mr. Dorsey’s sentiment is apparently shared by other alumni and donors, including Dr. Richard Hunt, a globally renowned Indigenous artist, dancer, and ritualist, and himself a Vic High alumnus.
Dr. Hunt had pledged one of his artistic works to the fundraising efforts for the original project. He is now pausing his support pending more clarity about the project, citing his disappointment with the VHSAA, the City, and SD61, and their plans to use land intended for the educational needs of Vic High students for other purposes.
“What bothers me the most is that the current and future kids of Vic High are the ones that may once again be disadvantaged by not having the adequate sports facilities that kids at other schools take for granted,” commented Dr. Hunt.
Since October 2020, the FOVH have sought to find common ground with the VHSAA. On January 11, 2020, the Friends sent a letter to the Alumni Association specifically asking them to state their position as to SD61’s plan to lease Vic High land, a plan that would clearly compromise the original project. The VHSAA’s response on February 1, 2020, is included in the links below.
The FOVH are asking the VHSAA to freeze any use of the $160,000 in donations it has raised to date, until alumni and donors have been formally consulted, with a view to reaching a consensus on their future use.
Sample documents secured under FOI can be viewed at this link.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6o81qugvbr5othl/AAAT8F5D9FKRCc2O-sqUn7qqa?dl=0
VHSAA Response Letter to FOVH: https://www.dropbox.com/s/524pst3ns7w1q39/response%20to%20Jan.%2011th%20letter.pdf?dl=0
About the Friends of Vic High:
The Friends of Vic High, (FOVH) formed by Esther Callo, Taki Niketas and Stephen Dorsey, is a group of community advocates and Vic High alumni who are seeking to have the originally envisioned Memorial Stadium Revitalization Project for Vic High built and delivered as promised. The group’s sole interest is advocating for the rights of current and future students of Vic High as it relates to this project and to ensure equality of treatment and opportunity. https://www.vichighsaee.ca/
Share and sign the petition: https://www.change.org/savevichightrack