Please be aware of this information shared at the Monday, March 7th GV School District Combined ED/OPPS Committee meeting: At the 57:00 minute mark of the meeting recording, Colin Roberts, Interim Deputy Superintendent, made a presentation on kindergarten/elementary enrolment projections. At 1:01:01, Ryan Painter asked him to address the Shelbourne corridor to get his comments re: enrolment as it relates to the pending Lansdowne sale. At 1:04:00 Colin Roberts states: "I am very confident our elementary schools in that neighbourhood will be able accommodate any growth in population we are likely to see in the coming decade."

These projections are apparently only looking 10 years out. We know that in 2007 SD61 proposed selling the entire property, then Richmond Elementary School, on the basis that it was "surplus to projected needs". 15 years later Richmond Elementary is now Lansdowne Middle School south and is critical to accommodate the full Landowne middle school population, as the north campus is at capacity. SD61 did not foresee this in 2007.

The projections are very short-sighted in this area slated for densification. Community members opposed the sale in 2007 and fortunately managed to save the property then. We need to do the same now.

JOIN US this Sunday, March 13th at 1 pm for Lie Down for Lansdowne, a community "Lie-In" at Lansdowne south campus to help bring community voices to bear on this. Let's reverse this short-sighted decision a second time!

(CRD image from 2018 CRD Regional Growth Strategy)