Yaletown parents camp out for kindergarten spots

Parents trying to enrol their kindergarten-aged children in downtown Vancouver's Elsie Roy Elementary will finally be given the opportunity Monday morning, after some waited in line since Friday night.

Registration for 44 kindergarten spots opens at 8 a.m. Monday, and some parents in the densely populated Yaletown area are pulling out the stops to sign up.

"We're No. 13 on the list now," said Nadine Nickull, one of the parents waiting in line for days. "The grandparents are coming over to look after the kids so mom and dad can keep spelling each other off."

After camping out in the snow and rain since Friday, parents were finally invited indoors on Sunday.

The provincial government, which pays to build the schools, is only required to build them to fit the number of students in the area at a given time.

With the Lower Mainland's recent housing boom, population in the area increased suddenly, but the schools still accommodate the number of children living there five years ago.

Patty Bacchus, chair of the Vancouver School Board, said the problem is a hard one to address.

"It's difficult to get approval for projected growth."

Spencer Herbert, MLA for Vancouver-Burrard, said a forward-looking plan is needed.

"You plan for the future, that's what the government should be doing. When you plan for the present, that's when you fall behind."

The current arrangement is leaving many area residents frustrated, as some have not been able to get their children enrolled for as many as eight years.

"With all the amenities they built downtown, I think they should have anticipated there were going to be [more] families in Yaletown," said Gillian Howden.