New downtown catchment boundaries
Vancouver, BC – At its meeting on November 26, 2025, the 自拍流出 (VSB) approved new downtown catchment boundaries to accommodate the new school in Coal Harbour, which has received the name Seaside Elementary School and the gifted names c?w?as from x?m?θk??y??m (Musqueam) and s?lilw?ta? (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) and Ch’elxwá7elch Skwuláw?txw from S?wxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation).
This new elementary school will help meet the growing enrolment demand in downtown Vancouver. Initial enrolment planning has been completed in preparation for the school’s anticipated opening in the 2026–2027 school year. Approved changes to catchment boundaries will support effective planning for future years.
“We continue to see enrolment pressures in the downtown area,” says Jessie Gresley-Jones, executive director of facilities. “Updating these boundaries supports long-term planning and helps ensure students can attend a neighbourhood school close to home both now and in the years ahead.”
On September 17, 2025, at the facilities planning committee meeting, staff presented potential catchment options guided by Administrative Procedure (AP) 305 on school boundaries. VSB then reached more than 3,700 people to encourage them to participate in engagement activities during September and October. These included current and future students’ families in the Lord Roberts, Elsie Roy and šx?w?q???θ?t Crosstown catchments, staff in these schools as well as VSB’s formal stakeholder groups and inherent rights holders. Participants reviewed three proposed options and shared their priorities. More than 270 individuals took part.
Through stakeholder discussions, public sessions and an online survey, the third option (option C) consistently emerged as most supported. Participants said this option best balances school capacity, walkability and equitable access for downtown families.
Staff presented the engagement findings at the facilities planning committee and on November 26, 2025, at its public meeting, the Board unanimously approved option C as the new catchment boundary for the downtown area. The new boundaries will take effect starting the 2026-2027 school year.
“On behalf of the Board, I want to thank staff for their thorough and thoughtful work throughout this engagement process,” says Board Chair Jung. “I also want to thank the families and community members who took the time to participate in the engagement process. Your feedback helped shape the Board’s final decision”
Students currently enrolled in a downtown school may continue to attend their current school, even if their catchment has now changed. Families may also choose to enroll in their new catchment school, subject to available space. Those registering for kindergarten will be contacted by district staff directly to confirm their catchment school by the end of January 2026.
For more information about the catchment options visit govsb.ca/DTreview.
For more information about the engagement findings read .
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Media contact: communications@vsb.bc.ca