December 18, 2025

Vancouver, B.C. – On Thursday, December 18, 2025, at the Vancouver School Board’s (VSB) special public Board meeting, trustees voted for the formal closure of Sir Guy Carleton Elementary School (Carleton). No students are currently attending Carleton as it was severely damaged by fire in 2016 and has not been occupied since.

During a public meeting on June 26, 2023, the Board approved a motion to begin engagement regarding Carleton’s proposed closure in accordance with Board Policy 14 – School Closure. This process was paused to assess the impact of provincial housing changes and updated city zoning on student enrolment. 

In January 2024, Conseil scolaire francophone (CSF) requested to acquire the Carleton site from VSB. On May 23, 2025, the British Columbia Supreme Court, in CSF v British Columbia and VSB, 2025 BCSC 962, declared that: In addressing the [CSF]’s requests for underutilized or surplus sites and facilities, the [VSB] must reasonably consider and proportionately balance the importance of minority language education as a value underpinning Section 23 of the Charter.

In June 2025, updated enrolment projections confirmed that nearby schools can accommodate students now and in the future. Based on this information, the Board resumed public engagement on October 1 regarding Carleton’s proposed closure. More than 1,500 engagement touchpoints were made through various activities from October to December, reflecting both single and repeat participation. Email submissions and survey feedback, redacted for participants’ privacy, was shared online on December 3. The engagement summary report detailing public feedback was posted on VSB’s website on December 10. This input, along with enrolment projections and CSF’s interest in the site, were among the factors considered by the Board’s in making this decision.

“This was not an easy decision. The closure of Carleton reflects the Board’s responsibility to plan for the future while ensuring limited resources are used as effectively as possible for current students,” says Board chair Victoria Jung. “This decision also required us to consider how best to balance minority language education rights as a value underpinning Section 23 of the Charter when looking at VSB’s underutilized sites.”

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For more information about the proposal to close the school and the engagement process, visit: govsb.ca/carletonclosure
Review Board Policy 20: Disposal of Land or Improvements