Parents in Victoria West and Abbotsford will finally be able to count on access to a Francophone school for their children, after several years of advocating for quality education that meets the needs of these two growing communities.
With the acquisition of these two sites in the neighbourhoods of Royal Bay in Victoria West (Colwood) and Ten Oaks in Abbotsford, the Conseil scolaire francophone (CSF) is beginning a process that will lead to the construction of two modern schools. These schools will not only accommodate students and teaching staff, but will also become gathering places and venues for dialogue for the Francophone communities of these two cities. A place where relationships are built, and where the transmission of French language and culture comes to life in a friendly and unifying atmosphere.
The Fédération des parents, at the forefront of these struggles which led to the acquisition of new Francophone schools*, including schools in Burnaby and Pemberton recently, has done everything possible to support the efforts of the Conseil scolaire francophone (CSF) in achieving these very welcome results, and congratulates the parents for their tireless commitment to this cause.
Let’s recognize that the children of parents who have been fighting for many years often don’t benefit from these new schools, due to the long and complex processes surrounding each new construction. The investment of the parents’ time and energy is offered altruistically to ensure an adequate education for all children, and for the continuity of the Francophone community.
These parents’ legendary resilience deserves to be highlighted and encouraged. The Fédération des parents celebrates parents each year at its annual conference, awarding the Martine Galibois-Barss Award to the parents’ association of the year, as well as certificates of recognition to parent volunteers who have distinguished themselves through their exceptional contributions.
*The Fédération des parents was a co-plaintiff alongside the Conseil scolaire francophone (CSF) in the legal case which concluded in 2020 in favour of the Francophone community. On June 12, 2020, a landmark judgment by the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in favour of the Conseil scolaire francophone (CSF), the Fédération des parents francophones de Colombie-Britannique, and the co-appellant parents in the lawsuit concerning the equivalence between French-language schools and English-language schools. For more information: https://fpfcb.bc.ca/cause-juridique/
