Public education advocate with proven track record for children and families
Melanie is a mom of three teenagers and a senior paralegal with over 20 years of experience in Estates and Trusts. For the past 10 years, she’s used her background in law, governance, and process to advocate for students and families in education planning at the district and provincial level. Her work has been recognized with a King Charles III Coronation Medal. As Chair of the Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council, Melanie worked has worked hard to protect public school land, strengthen parent voice, and push for transparent, accountable decision-making grounded in the needs of students and school communities.
See her community-powered track record.
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Track Record
2025 — Advocacy & Public Safety
Melanie led the campaign to Save Carleton Elementary, pushed for greater transparency, parent voice, and student safety.
- December 18, 2025 — Trustee Vote on Carleton Elementary — CityNews — Vancouver votes to formally close city’s oldest school
- December 17, 2025 — Vote to close Carleton — CBC — Vancouver School Board votes to close Sir Guy Carleton Elementary School
- November 24, 2025 — Discussion on City’s Oldest School — CityNews — Concerns over closing Carleton Elementary
- November 17, 2025 — Fleming basketball courts to become housing — CBC News — Request for consultation in respect of school land use
- November 13, 2025 — New Schools for Metro Vancouver — CTV News — Premier acknowledges more needed
- Nov 11, 2025 — Governance and Transparency Concerns — CityNews — High school student criticizes lack of transparency at VSB
- Nov 6, 2025 — Coal Harbour Elementary delays — CBC News — Concerns over construction delays and rising costs
- Nov 6, 2025 — Concerns with Board Transparency — Tyee — Response to policy amendments to limit civic engagement in Board proceedings.
- Oct 23, 2025 — Carleton Consultation — Radio-Canada — Coverage of Carleton school engagement process in Vancouver.
- Oct 21, 2025 — Save School Lands Rally — CTV News — Parents organize rally to oppose school site redevelopment.
- Oct 21, 2025 — School Lands Rally — CityNews — Parents push back against elementary school land deal
- Oct 21, 2025 — Rally for Student Seats — BCIT News — Parents and kids call for more classroom space across Vancouver
- Oct 18, 2025 — Public Education and Land Development — Buzzsprout Podcast — Discussion on Vancouver’s school land and housing policies.
- Oct 17, 2025 — AEDs for All Schools — Magazine 26 (YouTube) — Episode highlighting campaign for life-saving equipment in schools.
- Oct 5, 2025 — Short-Sighted Cash Grabs — Vancouver Sun — Parents protest sale and redevelopment of school lands.
- Oct 4, 2025 — Olympic Village School Rally — CTV News — Parents demand long-promised elementary school.
- Oct 3, 2025 — Parents Speak Out — Fairchild TV — Coverage of concerns over school land use and redevelopment.
- Aug 31, 2025 — CBC News — Report on health and safety concerns in Vancouver schools.
- Aug 8, 2025 — Students for AEDs — Global News — TV coverage on student-led advocacy that helped bring AEDs and naloxone kits to schools.
- Aug 4, 2025 — Students for AEDs — Vancouver Sun — Feature on BC’s new curriculum additions for CPR and naloxone, highlighting student efforts.
- Jul 24, 2025 — Safe & Caring Schools (SLO) funding — CityNews — Advocating for supports and accountability in school safety services.
- May 5, 2025 — Trustee backlash over “spam” remark — CTV News — Parents push back on dismissive comments; request for better engagement practices with parents.
- Apr 7, 2025 — Housing promises reactions — Vancouver Sun/MSN — Voter perspectives on federal housing pledges and affordability.
- Mar 2025 — Fairchild Magazine 26 interview — YouTube — Subdivision and rezoning of Fleming Elementary.
2024 — Seismic Safety & Governance
As Chair of the Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council, Melanie worked with parents and school communities to expose inequity in seismic upgrades and the closed door process of school land dispositions.
- Dec 7, 2024 — Developer lease follow-up — CBC News | CBC Lite — Scrutiny of a developer-lease approach on school land.
- Nov 22, 2024 — Meeting restrictions — The Tyee — Debate over public access and transparency at school board meetings.
- Oct 12, 2024 — Grading education promises — Vancouver Sun — Analysis of parties’ education platforms ahead of the election.
- Oct 2024 — CBC Radio interview — Listen — On school facilities, land use, and accountability.
- Sep 28, 2024 — Developer lease criticized — CBC News | Yahoo News — Public concerns about leasing public school property to private developers.
- Aug 4, 2024 — Seismic upgrades needed — Global News — Spotlight on urgent earthquake risks in high schools.
- Aug 2024 — 20,000 students at risk — MSN — Summary of a report on earthquake-vulnerable secondary schools.
- Jul 31, 2024 — EQ risk in high schools — Vancouver Sun — Reporting on infrastructure deficits and timelines.
2023 — Save Bruce Field
Melanie led the campaign to Save Bruce Field by uniting a community to stop the VSB’s plan to subdivide and sell off her local school’s soccer field. She made the VSB’s school facility planning national news.
- Sep 27, 2023 — Campaign success — CityHallWatch — Outcome and next steps after the community campaign.
- Sep 8, 2023 — Land sales context — The Globe and Mail — Bigger picture on school district land strategies.
- Aug 25, 2023 — Community fights to keep field — Global News — TV segment on parents and students organizing to protect play space.
- Jul 2, 2023 — Petition launched — CityHallWatch — Petition calling for protection of the school field.
- Jun 24, 2023 — Live broadcast from the Bruce Field — Global News — Reaction to subdivision/sale proposal.
- Jun 15, 2023 — Parents shocked by sell/lease idea — CTV News — Community concerns about losing green space.
- Jun 15, 2023 — Plan to subdivide raises fears — CBC News — Coverage of the land-disposal strategy.
- Jun 10, 2023 — Backgrounder on land-surplus move — The Breaker — Context on policy and financial drivers.
2016 — Fighting for Vancouver Schools
Melanie started the petition and she united with many people accross Vancouver to stop the closure of 12 Vancouver schools.
- Oct 18, 2016 — Parents Criticize School Board Dismissal — Global News — Petition calls on minister after board removal.
- Oct 18, 2016 — Parents Present 18K-Signature Petition — CityNews — Families urge province to stop Vancouver school closures.
- Sep 13, 2016 — Protest coverage — Vancouver Sun — Multi-generation turnout opposing school closures.
- Sep 12, 2016 — “Save Our Schools” Petition — CTV News — 11,000 sign petition to prevent Vancouver school closures.
- Sep 12, 2016 — Petitions delivered — Global News — A school bus carries signatures to the VSB.
- Sep 2016 — Community protest video — YouTube — On-the-ground footage from the school closure rallies.
- Aug 15, 2016 — Bruce Elementary profiled — Georgia Straight — Article highlighting Bruce Elementary’s community value.