Vancouver College

Vancouver College
Vancouver College Crest
Location
5401 Hudson Street

Vancouver
,
British Columbia
,
V6M 3A5

Canada

49°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
Roman Catholic
Founded1922
Little Flower Academy
School board
CISVA (Catholic Independent Schools of the Vancouver Archdiocese)
SuperintendentSandra Marshall[citation needed]
PresidentDaryl Weaver
GradesK-12
GenderBoys
Enrolment1060 (2015–2016)
LanguageEnglish
AreaShaughnessy, Vancouver
ColoursPurple and Gold   
MascotFighting Finnegan
Team nameFighting Irish
Websitewww.vc.bc.ca

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 president is Daryl Weaver.

Campus

Vancouver College's campus is built around three main buildings: Lannon Hall, Manrell Hall, and Blessed Edmund Rice Hall, housing the elementary, middle, and senior schools respectively.

Following a 2013 seismic assessment that found several buildings needed replacement, the school undertook a campus redevelopment costing roughly $43 million. Manrell Hall, the middle school building, was completed and blessed by Archbishop J. Michael Miller in October 2018; it was named for the Manrell family, who contributed to its funding. Lannon Hall, housing the elementary school, was rebuilt by 2020, retaining the original 1924 cornerstone and heritage brick facade.

Abuse allegations and litigation

Since 2021, Vancouver College has been a defendant in a class action lawsuit alleging decades of physical and sexual abuse by members of the Christian Brothers who taught at the school. The suit was filed by former student Darren Liptrot, who alleges he was abused by teacher Edward English between 1980 and 1985; English had previously been convicted and imprisoned for abusing children at the Mount Cashel Orphanage in St. John's, Newfoundland, before being transferred to British Columbia along with several other Christian Brothers implicated in that scandal. In March 2023, the Supreme Court of British Columbia certified the case as a class action covering students who attended Vancouver College between 1976 and 2013, and by 2025 more than 200 former students had come forward as claimants. English was separately arrested by the Vancouver Police Department in November 2023 in connection with allegations involving two Vancouver College students, though as of December 2024 no criminal charges had been laid. In March 2026, Vancouver College, along with St. Thomas More Collegiate and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vancouver, agreed to a proposed CAD $30 million settlement to resolve the claims. However, the agreement does not include an admission of liability or a formal apology, which survivors have criticized, and remains subject to court approval as of mid-2026.

Principals

Sports

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 1967, 1992, 1994, 2010, 2019,[failed verification] 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Notes

Notable alumni

References

  1. ↑ "Contact Us". www.vancouvercollege.ca. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  2. ↑ "Our Campus". Vancouver College. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  3. 1 2 "Old meets new: rebuilt Vancouver College a piece of living history". The B.C. Catholic. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  4. ↑ "Vancouver College celebrates new wing". The B.C. Catholic. November 20, 2018. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  5. ↑ Kshatri, Shaurya (March 9, 2026). "$30M settlement reached in class-action over alleged abuse at 2 Metro Vancouver Catholic schools". CBC News. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Mount Cashel's Continuing Saga of Abuse and Conspiracy". The Tyee. March 23, 2026. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Mediation falls apart in B.C. Christian Brothers case after more than 200 students come forward". CBC News. January 22, 2025. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Edward English, notorious Mount Cashel abuser, arrested by Vancouver police". CBC News. November 24, 2023. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Frustration mounts as ex-Christian Brother remains uncharged, 1 year after his arrest". CBC News. December 5, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Settlement reached in class action involving 2 Catholic schools". The B.C. Catholic. March 10, 2026. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  11. ↑ Cooke, Ryan (May 13, 2026). "No apology included in proposed $30M settlement for Christian Brothers abuse case". CBC News. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Our Story - Vancouver College". www.vc.bc.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-06-01.
  13. ↑ 2019 BCSSFA | SR AAA Final - Lord Tweedsmuir vs Van College | Nov. 30, 30 November 2019, retrieved 2023-12-09
  14. ↑ Stewart, Megan. "Vancouver College: Since 1966, football championship chances every decade". Vancouver Courier. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
  15. ↑ 2022 BCSS Football AAA Sr Varsity Final 🏈: Vancouver College vs GW Graham [Dec 3, 2022], 3 December 2022, retrieved 2023-12-09
  16. ↑ 2023 BCSS Football Championship 🏈 Varsity AAA Final: Vancouver College v Carson Graham [Dec 2, 2023], 2 December 2023, retrieved 2023-12-09
  17. ↑ "Football - Boys 2024 Provincial Champions". BC School Sports. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  18. ↑ "Movies Filmed at Vancouver College — Movie Maps". moviemaps.org. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
  19. ↑ Leung, Valerie (2025-04-04). "Film editor with Steveston roots shares behind-the-scenes of his role". Richmond News. Retrieved 2026-08-03.