Court Orders BC to Pass Law Giving French School Board Expropriation Powers

The Law Courts building, which is home to B.C. Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, is seen in Vancouver, on Nov. 23, 2023. The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck

The B.C. Supreme Court has ordered the provincial government to pass a law within six months providing the Francophone School Board with powers to expropriate private property to build new French-language schools.

The court found that, unlike other school boards in B.C., the Francophone School Board is the only one without expropriation powers despite it having the “greatest need” for new schools.