"Save Bruce Field" was a community-driven, grassroots advocacy campaign from June to September 2023. The campaign was aimed at stoping the Vancouver School Board's plan to subdivide and sell or long term lease the only play field for Elementary students in the Bruce catchment, which is an area near Joyce Station in East Vancouver.
Bruce Field serves as a safe space for fostering diversity and inclusion, providing a place where people of all backgrounds can connect and engage in healthy, active lifestyles. The Bruce Field is vital for the school community, which has the highest concentration of visible minorities in Vancouver, below-average incomes, and less urban tree canopy and public space per capita compared to other parts of the city.
The campaign was led by a former Bruce student and Bruce parent, Melanie Cheng. Melanie worked tirelessly together with numerous other community leaders, groups and residents.
The campaign to Save Bruce Field successfully stopped the VSB's process to dispose of the Bruce Field.
The BIPOC (black, indigenous and people of colour) community members - including youth - were proudly instrumental in leading the successful effort to save Bruce Field, uniting various people and fostering collaboration, civic engagement, and lasting change.
The Save Bruce Field campaign also brought attention to the VSB's plan to subdivide other school fields and highlighted the need for improvements in the VSB's enrolment projection methodology. This collective effort has helped to advocate for future educational planning to more accurately address the needs of our growing communities for generations to come.
On September 17, 2024, Melanie was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal for her leadership in public education advocacy.
Melanie has dedicated this honour back to the community, emphasizing that when people play as a team for a common goal, they can score meaningful victories. The medal represents the need for civic engagement and the strength in community work.
Saving Bruce Field was a tough match, but the team pulled together to net the winning goal.
Great thanks to Adrian Dix, MLA, and many other players who made game-changing assists that led to this win.