The Greater Victoria Board of Education has approved the sale of 7.3 acres of land on Lansdowne Middle School’s 25-acre site to the Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique (CSF) for $15 million.
The Government of B.C has provided $15 million to the CSF to purchase this property. The CSF plans to use the property to build the new École Beausoleil to meet the needs of Francophone families in the community.
In the spring, public consultation on the potential sale of the site occurred. The public was invited to attend an online information session with an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback. Written input submissions were also welcomed from April to June, 2021.
For the past six years, the CSF leased and operated École Beausoleil at the former Sundance Elementary location from the Greater Victoria School District. Sundance Elementary was recently reopened to meet the Greater Victoria School District’s growing enrolment. Francophone students will move into temporary modular studios adjacent to Braefoot Elementary School while the new school is being built.
The CSF is a public school district with more than 6,400 students and 47 schools across the province, offering a curriculum from kindergarten through grade 12.
Quote: SD61 Board Chair, Ann Whiteaker
“This exchange of land is a win-win partnership for all involved, optimizing the use of surplus lands to improve public education for local Francophone students while providing revenue that will flow directly back into improving Greater Victoria School District schools.”
Quote: Minister of Education, Jennifer Whiteside
“It is vital that Francophone families have access to K-12 education in both of Canada’s official languages, which is why I’m excited to see space in Victoria now in place for a new École Beausoleil. Our government has provided $11.3 million for the CSF to build a temporary school for Beausoleil, and we are working with the CSF on funding plan to build a new permanent facility. We expect to have more to say in the near future.”
Quote: Murray Rankin, MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head
“This is a great step forward for Ecole Beausoleil students as we continue our work to bring them a permanent facility that can benefit Francophone students in our community for generations to come. I am proud to have advocated for this project and I can’t wait to see students in a brand new school as soon as possible.”
Quote: CSF Board Chair, Patrick Gatien
“We are delighted that the agreement regarding the purchase of the Lansdowne school property has been approved by the GVSD following the district’s consultation with its school community. This is excellent news, which the families of current and future students at École Beausoleil have been eagerly awaiting, and we look forward to continuing the work on building them a new, modern school where they will be able to grow, learn, and thrive.”