ABC and Greens vote to close down East Vancouver elementary school

Suzie Mah’s motion to put a pause on closing Carleton Elementary defeated by ABC, former ABC, and Greens school trustees

VANCOUVER – A motion from COPE Councillor Suzie Mah to put a pause on closing Carleton Elementary School in East Vancouver was defeated Wednesday evening at the Vancouver School Board. 

ABC, Green, and former ABC independent trustees voted to defeat Mah’s pause motion. On Thursday the final vote to permanently close this school and community hub in the Joyce-Collingwood neighbourhood passed by a margin of six to three. Much to her credit, ABC trustee Preeti Faridkot broke ranks and voted against the school closure. 

“What is the rush to make this decision? We should have taken the time to listen to the community and to work with the Province to bring this school back to the community,” said Suzie Mah.  

The pause motion from Trustee Mah, seconded by Trustee Jennifer Reddy, called on the VSB to urge the Minister of Education and the B.C. government to fund the repair, restoration, and seismic upgrading of Carleton for the school to be reopened. 

The pause motion would have directed the Board to consult with community organizations and the City of Vancouver on uses for the property that serve the residents of the area, and in particular, a focus on how it reflects the Vancouver Official Development Plan (ODP). The City’s new ODP, which includes language around uses of School Board land, is set to be finalized in Spring 2026.

“We’ve seen an alarming trend of ‘disposing’ of so-called surplus land held in trust for public education - like with the recent case of Bruce Elementary nearly losing half its soccer field or the loss of Fleming Elementary School’s basketball courts to a for-profit development,” added Mah. 

“This school is not surplus to the needs of that growing, underserved community in Joyce-Collingwood and that’s why I voted against the closure of Carleton Elementary.”