Vancouver College History

Since 1922, Vancouver College has served its Mission, following in the tradition of the Blessed Edmund Rice and the Christian Brothers, to provide today’s young Christian men with an educational experience that will lead to the development of their whole persons - culturally, emotionally, intellectually, physically, socially, and in particular, spiritually.

The Early Years (1922 - 1939)
The history of Vancouver College began in 1906, when the rector of Holy Rosary Cathedral, Fr. Welch, applied to the Congregation of Christian Brothers, then known as the Congregation of the Brothers of the Christian Schools of Ireland (FSCH: Fratres Scholarum Christianarum de Hibernia), to establish a school for boys in Vancouver. The application was turned down at this time and further application in 1912 was also turned down. The reasons were not given, but applications of this sort are usually turned down due to lack of availability of Brothers at that particular time.

Further applications were made by Archbishop Casey, then Archbishop of Vancouver, to the Superior General of the Brothers, Br. Hennessey, and this request received a positive response. Four Brothers, Lannon, Reid, Murtagh, and Keane, were missioned to Vancouver and began what was to be Vancouver College at the downtown site on Richard's St. known as Rosary Hall. The first classes numbered 91 boys, and classes began in the fall of 1922. The first principal was Br. Jerome Lannon.. More ... The Early Years (1922 - 1939)

The Middle Years of Vancouver College began with something of a disaster. On December 5, 1946, a major fire destroyed the upper part of McCormack Hall, causing an estimated $50,000 in damages. That would probably translate into the million dollar range in today's currency. Boarders had to be housed out, and the generosity of the various families who took in these students for an extended period of time until the wing was refitted is to be commended. Classes were minimally disrupted during this difficult time.

Over the Middle Years of Vancouver College, among the Principals of Vancouver College there appeared a number of forward-looking and innovative individuals who made their contribution to College in a number of ways. The academic and spiritual aspects of school life at Vancouver College were well attended to. The large number of students who attended post-secondary institutions of learning was most encouraging over those years. Little Flower Academy students attended classes at Vancouver College during this period, starting in 1967.

As to expansion, 1957 saw the opening of Mackin Hall, under the guiding hand of Br. J. C. Bates, a well-known and much-respected Principal of Vancouver College. The Middle Years (1940 - 1976)

The school population at this time was approximately 1000 students, with a large contingent of feeder-school applications each year. The school has provided a very competent academic program for its students, evidenced by the large number of graduates who attend universities and colleges upon graduation. In recent years, enhancement of this program has been evolving.

Of special note is the emergence of a very strong Religious Education and Spirituality program incorporating the Encounter program which was initiated during the tenure of then-Br. Ken Farrell. The administration of Vancouver College saw the formation of Vancouver College Limited as a corporate entity and the formation of a Board of Directors to oversee Vancouver College Limited. Vancouver College Foundation was formed in the mid-eighties with the purpose of fundraising in order to underwrite capital projects. The Recent Years (1977 - Present Day)