PLEASE SUPPORT THE FRIENDS OF VIC HIGH LEGAL ACTION FUND TO CHALLENGE SD61’s IMPROPER TRANSFER OF VIC HIGH LAND: $25,000 GOAL- APRIL 2-30, 2022

DONATE TODAY: GoFundMe Campaign: April 2-30, 2022

The Friends of Vic High are fighting for equality and fairness for the students of Victoria High School (Vic High).  We believe a recent vote by the Board of Education of School District No. 61 ("SD61") to grant a Statutory Right of Way to the City of Victoria (on Vic High land) was an attempt to circumvent the Ministry of Education’s authority and SD61's obligations, to the detriment of current and future students of Vic High and the surrounding community.

Since 2007, Vic High has planned to revitalize the Memorial Stadium (built to honour staff and students who paid the ultimate sacrifice in WWII) with a standard, competitive metric track, a turf field, and a reimagined grandstand.

The Statutory Right of Way forces a modification of these long-standing plans that were downsized without public knowledge or consultation, and in violation of Ministry and SD61 policies and regulations. This 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. It has to stop!  

WE NEED YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO FILE A LEGAL CHALLENGE. $25,000 GOAL. THANK YOU.

DONATE TODAY: GoFundMe Campaign: April 2-30, 2022

Monies raised will be used to prepare our legal case, to file in BC provincial court, and if mediation does not achieve desired results, to fight our case in open court. Any monies that are raised but not used for this specific purpose will be donated to programs that support diversity, equity, and inclusion at Vic High. Your support is critical to our ability to continue to fight for the students of Vic High.

Our solicitors, Mulroney Siver Law, have already provided months of pro bono work to outline our position in a letter sent to the Minister of Education Whiteside on March 9, 2022. You can read it here. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1S9uozdRNZJQ7HLK9PAUFnY60VEx8SnIQ/view?usp=sharing

The Minister has yet to respond. If we do not get resolve from the Ministry in the weeks ahead (to stop the transfer, pending a requested investigation of SD61 in this matter), the Friends of Vic High intend to press forward with a legal challenge to SD61 in court. We believe this legal action will have broader ramifications for SD61 as it relates to the disposals of educational land beyond Vic High.

WE NEED YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL. $25,000. 

DONATE TODAY: GoFundMe Campaign: April 2-30, 2022

We have been fighting for the equality rights of Vic High Students for nearly three years as it relates to this matter. Meanwhile, we have seen SD61 continue to demonstrate a lack of accountability, transparency, and openness in dealing with systemic racism, systemic inequality, and fiscal management, and they have failed to effectively consult with parents, students, and community stakeholders on a number of related issues. 

IMPORTANT: THE FRIENDS OF VIC HIGH ARE NOT A REGISTERED CHARITY OR NON-PROFIT.  AS SUCH, WE CAN NOT ISSUE CHARITABLE RECEIPTS.
 

About the Friends of Vic High:

The Friends of Vic High, co-founded by Esther Callo, Tak 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 Friends formed as a result of, and to push back against, 50 years of neglect and resource disadvantage to Vic High, in addition to the well-understood systemic racism and inequality both at the Vic High and School District levels. 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 equality of treatment and opportunity.

DONATE TODAY: GoFundMe Campaign: April 2-30, 2022

Fundraising Committee Contact: 

Tak Niketas, Vic High 1983 Alumnus
Co-Founder, Friends of Vic High 
tniketas@shaw.ca

Media Contact / Spokesperson:

Stephen Dorsey, Vic High 1984 Alumnus
Co-Founder, Friends of Vic Highstephen@stephendorsey.com

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