VANCOUVER, B.C.-  At last night’s Vancouver School Board (VSB) meeting Green Trustee Janet Fraser served a notice of motion to ensure that if the Queen Elizabeth Annex site is to be used by a public land-owner, it will be by lease only and not sale.

Last night the Vancouver School Board voted 7-2 to approve "surplussing" the Queen Elizabeth Annex (QEA) site on Vancouver’s west side. Fraser’s motion will be debated and voted on at their May 1st meeting.

“Greens believe that students come first,” said Green Trustee Janet Fraser. “We must consider their district-wide needs now, as well as the needs of future students when making decisions.

“We know the value of land in Vancouver and we want the VSB to keep ownership of this site for future generations of students, but we also need income now to provide today’s students with the best education and facilities possible.”

The VSB continues to face an underfunding crisis due to low per-student and capital funding from the Province. Green Trustees Janet Fraser and Lois Chan-Pedley are working to ensure VSB lands stay in the public domain to best serve Vancouver students and communities across our city.  

“We need to be doing everything we can to meet students’ needs while dealing with the current funding shortage from the Province. Leasing the QEA site will help us gain income now while preserving assets for future generations. If Trustee Fraser’s motion passes next month, we can also ensure VSB maintains ownership,” said Green Trustee Lois Chan-Pedley.  

In 2021, the Board approved a motion proposed by Trustee Fraser to ensure VSB land stays in the public domain.

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