History of ICS

ICS is over 80 years old.

In 1926 the Jesuit Fathers founded and opened Immaculate Conception Parish, as the church now stands, in what was then the hinterland of the city of Vancouver. Immaculate Conception School, run by the Religious of the Sacred Heart sisters, first opened its doors in the basement of our Church in September of 1926, with 41 students from Grades 1 to 7. By 1932 IC Parish established a separate building for the School, where the IC Parish Centre now stands. Change continued at ICS over the decades.

In September 1954 our present school building was opened and was then staffed by the Sisters of St. Ann. Immaculate Conception School then had over 200 students including many children from the neighbouring Musqueam First Nations Band, beginning the rich shared history of ICS with the Musqueam people.

In September 1965 the first elected school board, similar to the present Parish Education Committee, took office. In 1980 the Sisters of St. Ann withdrew from the School and in 1984 the Jesuits withdrew from the Parish both due to lack of manpower in their religious orders.

Our Parish and School are forever in debt to the founding Jesuits and the Religious Sisters who made the establishment of a faith community and the priority of a school their life’s work. In September 2005 IC School began using the beautiful Parish Centre and Gym, built through the generosity and sacrifice of Immaculate Conception parishioners, carrying on the work of the founders of our IC Parish and School.

We are all grateful.