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.[1]
Following a 2013 seismic assessment that found several buildings needed replacement, the school undertook a campus redevelopment costing roughly $43 million.[2] 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.[3] Lannon Hall, housing the elementary school, was rebuilt by 2020, retaining the original 1924 cornerstone and heritage brick facade.[2]
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.[4] 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.[5] 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.[6] 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.[7][8] 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.[9][10]
Principals
| Year | Name[11] |
|---|---|
| 1922 - 1928 | Br. Michael Jerome Lannon |
| 1928 - 1930 | Br. Patrick Berchmans Doyle |
| 1930 - 1933 | Br. Michael Jerome Lannon |
| 1933 - 1939 | Br. Christopher Celestine Sterling |
| 1939 - 1945 | Br. Eamonn Bonaventure Walsh |
| 1945 - 1948 | Br. Martin Donal Cunningham |
| 1948 - 1954 | Br. William Celestine Penny |
| 1954 - 1960 | Br. James Cyril Bates |
| 1960 - 1966 | Br. Francis Rupert Finch |
| 1966 - 1968 | Br. John Benedict Clarkson |
| 1968 - 1975 | Br. Henry Louis Bucher |
| 1975 - 1977 | Br. James Cyril Bates |
| 1977 - 1983 | Br. Michael Joseph Maher |
| 1983 - 1985 | Br. Paul Patrick McNiven |
| 1985 - 1987 | Br. John Majella McHugh |
| 1987 - 1994 | Br. Kenneth Joseph Farrell |
| 1994 - 1998 | Br. Kieran James Murphy |
| 1998 - 2003 | Br. Anthony Murphy |
| 2003 - 2009 | Mr. David G. Hardy |
| 2009 - 2014 | Mr. John McFarland |
| 2014–2020 | Mr. Johnny Bevaqua |
| 2020–Present | Mr. Daryl Weaver |
Sports
The school competes in many sports, including:
- Badminton
- Basketball
- Cross country
- Downhill skiing
- Football
- Lacrosse
- Rowing
- Snowboarding
- Soccer
- Swimming
- Track and field
- Ultimate Frisbee
- Volleyball
- Wrestling
- Tennis
- Esports
- Golf
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,[12][13] 2022,[14] 2023,[15] and 2024.[16]
Notable alumni
- Jamie Boreham (born 1978), professional football player
- Bryan Chiu (born 1974), professional football player
- Christian Covington (born 1993), professional football player
- Bill Cunningham (1909–1993), photographer
- Peter Dyakowski (born 1984), professional football player
- Kevin Eiben (born 1979), professional football player
- Kevin Falcon (born 1963), politician and leader of the BC United party
- Sean Fleming (born 1970), professional football player
- Tony Gallagher (born 1948), journalist
- Philip Gilbert (1931–2004), actor
- Jacob Holt (born 2003), basketball player
- Bart Hull (born 1969), professional football and hockey player
- Manny Jacinto (born 1987), actor
- Rysen John (born 1997), professional football player
- Adam Konar (born 1993), professional football player
- Cal Murphy (1932–2012), professional football coach
- Greg Ng, film editor[17]
- Pete Ohler (born c. 1940), professional football player
- Finbarr O'Reilly (born 1971), photographer
- Tracy Pratt (born 1943), professional ice hockey player
- Marc Trasolini (born 1990), professional basketball player
- Angus Reid (born 1976), professional football player
- Philip Scrubb (born 1992), professional basketball player
- Thomas Scrubb (born 1991), professional basketball player
- Jai West (born 1976), actor
References
- 1."Our Campus". Vancouver College. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
- 2.[2.2]"Old meets new: rebuilt Vancouver College a piece of living history". The B.C. Catholic. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
- 3."Vancouver College celebrates new wing". The B.C. Catholic. November 20, 2018. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
- 4.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.
- 5."Mount Cashel's Continuing Saga of Abuse and Conspiracy". The Tyee. March 23, 2026. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
- 6."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.
- 7."Edward English, notorious Mount Cashel abuser, arrested by Vancouver police". CBC News. November 24, 2023. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
- 8."Frustration mounts as ex-Christian Brother remains uncharged, 1 year after his arrest". CBC News. December 5, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
- 9."Settlement reached in class action involving 2 Catholic schools". The B.C. Catholic. March 10, 2026. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
- 10.Cooke, Ryan (May 13, 2026). "No apology included in proposed $30M settlement for Christian Brothers abuse case". CBC News. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
- 11."Our Story - Vancouver College". www.vc.bc.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-06-01.
- 12.2019 BCSSFA | SR AAA Final - Lord Tweedsmuir vs Van College | Nov. 30, 30 November 2019, retrieved 2023-12-09
- 13.Stewart, Megan. "Vancouver College: Since 1966, football championship chances every decade". Vancouver Courier. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
- 14.2022 BCSS Football AAA Sr Varsity Final 🏈: Vancouver College vs GW Graham [Dec 3, 2022], 3 December 2022, retrieved 2023-12-09
- 15.2023 BCSS Football Championship 🏈 Varsity AAA Final: Vancouver College v Carson Graham [Dec 2, 2023], 2 December 2023, retrieved 2023-12-09
- 16."Football - Boys 2024 Provincial Champions". BC School Sports. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
- 17.Leung, Valerie (2025-04-04). "Film editor with Steveston roots shares behind-the-scenes of his role". Richmond News. Retrieved 2026-08-03.