Overview: This is the second archival content piece. It examines the Francophone school, École des Deux Rives, and the benefits that could bring to Mission’s Immersion program.
In mid-1998, it was announced that Mission would become the home of a new Francophone elementary school, École des Deux-Rives. The Conseil Scolaire Francophone de la Columbie-Britannique (CSF), which is a public school board started in 1995 that offers educational programs and services for Francophone learners in British Columbia, purchased the building of the former Windebank elementary school which has sat empty since the school’s relocation in 1995.
The building, originally constructed in the early 1960s, was set to undergo a $1.2 million renovation before it would open its doors in September of 1998. Mission was selected as a central location for the school to serve Francophone families who live in Abbotsford, Mission and Maple Ridge, and expected to enrol approximately 130 students between Grades 1 through 7 before opening.
The City of Mission proved that it had a solid support structure in its community and a a passion for French language learning. The French Immersion program in Mission would be able to benefit tremendously from having a fully Francophone school in its community, as there would be several opportunities for cross-cultural learning between the Immersion programs and the Francophone school, as well as the opportunity to share French learning resources.
References:
“About.” Windebank Elementary School. Accessed March 23, 2021. https://windebank.mpsd.ca/ About/Pages/default.aspx#/=
École des Deux-Rives. Memory Book 2018-2019. Mission BC, 2019. Mission Community Archives, Mission, BC.
“Mission gets French school.” Mission City Record (Mission, BC), 1998.
Pamphlet from the Conseil Scolaire Francophone de la Colombie-Britannique. Mission Community Archives, Mission, British Columbia, Canada.