Vancouver College (abbreviated informally to VC) is an independent K-12 university-preparatory Catholic school for boys located in the Shaughnessy neighbourhood of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1922, it is the only independent Catholic all-boys school in British Columbia. Despite the school's Catholic denomination, it is open to students of all religions. The current president is Michelle Rupp (interim) and the principal is Daryl Weaver.

Vancouver College
Vancouver College Crest
Address
Map
5401 Hudson Street[1]

, ,
Canada
Coordinates49°14′11″N 123°08′09″W / 49.2363°N 123.1359°W / 49.2363; -123.1359
Information
School typeIndependent
Motto"Semper Fidelis"
(Always Faithful)
Religious affiliation(s)Roman Catholic
Founded1922
Sister schoolLittle Flower Academy
School boardCISVA (Catholic Independent Schools of the Vancouver Archdiocese)
SuperintendentHenk Luyten
PrincipalDaryl Weaver
GradesK-12
GenderBoys
Enrolment1060 (2015-2016)
LanguageEnglish
AreaShaughnessy, Vancouver
Colour(s)Purple and Gold   
MascotFighting Finnegan
Team nameFighting Irish
Websitewww.vc.bc.ca

New campus buildings

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Lannon Hall

Vancouver College's Campus consist of three buildings: Lannon Hall, Manrell Hall, and Blessed Edmund Rice Hall. The Lannon Hall building is newly rebuilt with construction from 2018 to 2020. Today, it consists of Vancouver College's main and administrative offices, the elementary school (Kindergarten to Grade 6), the Blessed Edmund Rice Chapel in its west wing, and an elementary gym. VC's Kindergarten at Lannon Hall is located in the east wing and has 2 adjoining classrooms connected to an outdoor multipurpose play area. Grades 1-6 are located on the second floor with grades 1-3 in the primary section and 4-6 in the intermediate corridor. Located in the centre is the library overlooking the corridor and a secondary floor view towards the elementary gym.

 
VC Courtyard

Manrell Hall

Manrell Hall opened in September 2019 and is located on the west side of the campus. It consists of Vancouver College's middle school, cafeteria, learning commons, and the Wellness Centre. The learning commons on the first floor consist of the Middle/Senior school library, a multipurpose learning space, and breakout rooms. It is connected to both the TLC (The Learning Centre) and The Wellness Centre) both providing student services. The school cafeteria and dining hall are also located on the first floor run by Canuel Caters and connect to the founder's atrium opening out with views of the courtyard. The second floor consists of two grade 7 classrooms, six grade 8 classrooms, breakout learning rooms, an art room, and the robotics/computer lab centre. The third floor consists of six grade 9 classrooms and administrative offices overlooking the campus and an outdoor patio overlooking Cartier Street in the West. The building was named after Mr. Manrell, who donated $5 million to the "Our Next Century" campaign. The facilities were blessed by The Most Rev. Michael Miller, Archbishop of Vancouver on October 23, 2019.

Blessed Edmond Rice Hall

The Blessed Edmund Rice Hall consists of Vancouver College's senior school (grades 10 to 12), alumni and Christian Brothers gyms, the High-Performance Training Centre, The Irene Manrell Theatre, the science lab, and the music department. The Alumni Gym is used as a multipurpose space for major sporting events, school-wide masses, and special events. Overlooking the Gym is the Alumni Room, a multipurpose space. The gym is connected to the wrestling room and the Christian Brother's Gym rededicated by Dave Hardy in 2017. Overlooking the Christian Brothers Gym is the High-Performance Training Centre (HPC) It is a two-floor workout room with the first level consisting of cardio machines and the second floor for weight-lifting and strength training. The Vancouver College Theatre is a full-sized theatre used for the school's annual theatre production, as well as assemblies and talks. The science wing and laboratory are located on the south side of the building. In addition, the music department is located on the west side of the building and consists of two band rooms.

The Holler Family Science Centre

On November 2, 2007, Vancouver College officially opened the Holler Family Science Centre and the new South Gym. The facilities were blessed by The Most Rev. Raymond Roussin, SM, the former archbishop of Vancouver. They consist of four brand-new science classrooms, a "super" laboratory, a greenhouse, a new gymnasium, and several offices and classrooms serving the school's curricular and extra-curricular interests.

On January 30, 2008, construction had finished on the school's High Performance Fitness Centre. The Centre consists of two floors, the first being a cardiovascular training area containing Indoor Rowers, stationary bicycles, treadmills, and a stair climber. The upper floor functions as a weight-training facility where the athletics teams get weight training. The facility is known to be one of the best gyms in the lower mainland. The Fitness Centre is attached directly to the new South Gym, serving as an athletic complex for its students and staff. Following this, the Kutcher Centre for the Performing Arts opened in December 2008. The centre is a large underground theatre with complete audiovisual systems.

On September 26, 2009, Vancouver College celebrated the Blessing and Rededication of O’Hagan Field, featuring an all-weather synthetic field. Other changes to O'Hagan include a track and a new playground for Elementary students.

The new South Gym was named the Dave Hardy Gym after David G. Hardy, the first lay principal of the school. On November 7, 2015, Vancouver College celebrated the rededication and renaming of the Dave Hardy Gym to the Christian Brothers Gym.

The school is now considered the Senior School as the old building has since been demolished and rebuilt. The elementary students go to the newest school located south of the Science Wing.

Principals

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Sports

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The school competes in many sports, including:

 
O'Hagan Field

The competitive teams are known as the "Fighting Irish".

The Fighting Irish Varsity football team have won the BC provincial title in 1992, 1994, 2010, 2019,[3][4][failed verification] 2022,[5] and 2023.[6][7]

Notes

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Notable alumni

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References

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  1. ^ "Contact Us". www.vancouvercollege.ca. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  2. ^ "Our Story - Vancouver College". www.vc.bc.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-06-01.
  3. ^ 2019 BCSSFA | SR AAA Final - Lord Tweedsmuir vs Van College | Nov. 30, 30 November 2019, retrieved 2023-12-09
  4. ^ Stewart, Megan. "Vancouver College: Since 1966, football championship chances every decade". Vancouver Courier. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
  5. ^ 2022 BCSS Football AAA Sr Varsity Final 🏈: Vancouver College vs GW Graham [Dec 3, 2022], 3 December 2022, retrieved 2023-12-09
  6. ^ 2023 BCSS Football Championship 🏈 Varsity AAA Final: Vancouver College v Carson Graham [Dec 2, 2023], 2 December 2023, retrieved 2023-12-09
  7. ^ "2019 Provincial Champions". Football - Boys. BC School Sports. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  8. ^ "Movies Filmed at Vancouver College — Movie Maps". moviemaps.org. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
  9. ^ Tsumura, Howard (21 October 2015). "Life's simple recipe: VC, LFA quartet take muffins, coffee and conversation to the streets". The Province. Archived from the original on 12 August 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
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