111-year-old Yellow School House repurposed to teach kids Squamish language
Posted August 3, 2023 3:46 pm.
A 111-year-old bright yellow school house that was slated for demolition in Vancouver is finding new life.
Aptly named the Little Yellow School House, the small building will be used for early childhood education, including teaching of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim (Squamish language.)
The more than a-century-old building was due to be destroyed years ago to make room for a new elementary school. But thanks to the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), and with the help of the Vancouver School Board and Renewal Home Development, the building was physically moved from Kitsilano to the North Shore, to be repurposed for use by the Nation.
The building was raised from its perch near the Henry Hudson Elementary School Tuesday night, transported to a barge in English Bay, sailed under the Lions Gate Bridge Thursday afternoon, and later arrived at its new home near the Chief Joe Mathias Centre.
Squamish Nation elected Coun. Wilson Williams was among several in the community to welcome the school.
“You see some of our families sharing song and doing a little bit of ceremony to make sure the pathways are clear for this home,” he said.
What a sight this morning on and through our Xwemelch’stn village. The heritage home got a warm cultural welcome from our families, teachers & young students of the Language Nest. The new home for our preservation of our Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim and sacred teachings; our Snew̓ íyelh pic.twitter.com/wr8L9ZlbRO
— Wilson Williams (@Wilsonius19) August 3, 2023
Williams notes that the building will serve a vital role in passing on important values to the next generation.
“[It’s] very significant in our history to be able to find a home for our language and…a sacred space for us to emerge our children and our youth into our language,” he said.
“We can comfort our people that our language is being protected, preserved, but at the same time, our children are going to walk home, and go home and start teaching their family.”
“Our hope is this Little Yellow School House project will catch the attention and mobilize the imagination of developers and policy makers across the region. Over 800 high-value buildings and homes are demolished each year that can, and should, be relocated and repurposed. Machine demolition should be the last option, not the first,” Glyn Lewis, the owner of the Renewal Home Development, added.
