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Court orders B.C. to pass law giving French school board expropriation powers
- On May 28, 2025, a ruling from the British Columbia Supreme Court mandated that the provincial government enact legislation within six months granting the Francophone School Board the authority to expropriate property to facilitate the construction of new French-language schools in Vancouver and across the province.
- This decision comes after numerous lengthy and challenging legal battles since 1982 concerning the protections for minority language schooling under the Charter, acknowledging the Francophone School Board's distinct difficulties and highest priority for building new facilities.
- The court acknowledged that suitable land is scarce and that complex regulations affect school construction, while the Francophone Board faces refusals from other parties and is currently the only B.C. Board without expropriation powers.
- Board president Marie-Pierre Lavoie described the ruling as a partial victory giving access to better tools but criticized the government's latitude to remain reactionary and the court's refusal to order funding approval or property transfers, which may slow school openings.
- The ruling implies progress for francophone education in B.C. But leaves significant hurdles, with the board considering an appeal and ongoing efforts to analyze the judgment's complex impacts amid $268 million invested since 2017 in several communities.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Court Orders BC to Pass Law Giving French School Board Expropriation Powers
The B.C. Supreme Court has ordered the provincial government to pass a law within six months providing the Francophone School Board with powers to expropriate private property to build new French-language schools. The court found that, unlike other school boards in B.C., the Francophone School Board is the only one without expropriation powers despite it having the “greatest need” for new schools. The board says in a statement that the ruling po…
Chance to learn more about proposed Francophone secondary school
West Valley residents wanting more information on the proposed Francophone secondary school next to École Notre-Dame des Vallées are invited to an information night on June 2. .captiontext { font-size:90%;font-style: italic;margin-right:20px; } West Valley residents seeking more information about the proposed Francophone secondary school next to École Notre-Dame des Vallées on Quigley Drive are invited to a public information night on June 2. Th…
Court orders B.C. to pass law giving French school board expropriation powers – Energeticcity.ca
VANCOUVER — The B.C. Supreme Court has ordered the provincial government to pass a law within six months providing the Francophone School Board with powers to expropriate private property to build new French-language schools. The court found that, unlike other school boards in B.C., the Francophone School Board is the only one without expropriation powers despite it having the “greatest need” for new schools. The board says in a statement that t…
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