About Britannia community centre

Welcome to Britannia!

Our site is unique campus full of programs and services for community members of all ages in a vibrant center of the neighbourhood.

The Britannia Community Services Centre Society manages the 17.04 acre complex in collaboration with the Vancouver School Board, the Vancouver Public Library Board, the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, and the City of Vancouver.

We are excited to be celebrating 50 years in 2026, and look forward to many more years of service for our community!

01

dynamic cultural, economic, educational and recreational hub

12

Buildings

including community buildings, library, pool, ice rink, gyms, plus Elementary & Secondary schools

18

Acres

in the heart of the Grandview-Woodland neighbourhood

250

Staff

in the heart of the Grandview-Woodland neighbourhood

4000+

Visits

per day to our facilities

15

Committees

help focus our services

400+

Volunteers

supporting programs & events

Our dream:

The wellbeing, sense of belonging, joy, and empowerment of everyone in our community.

To realize our dream:

We are stewards of spaces that support social connection, creativity, recreation, reconciliation and the realization of the full potential of people and communities.
In partnership with our communities, we create integrated programs, services, and opportunities on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ / sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

What is the
Britannia site
today?

  • The heart of the community: a dynamic cultural, economic, educational and recreational hub with more than 250 staff, 1000+ students, and over 4000 visits per day.
  • Over 17 Acres in the heart of the Grandview-Woodland neighbourhood.
  • Britannia Secondary School established 1908, a public Cafeteria and the school gymnasium in 1955, and the science extension in 1967. Other community buildings, library, pool, ice rink and Elementary school were completed in 1976.
  • 70% of the land owned by the Vancouver Board of Education, 30% by the City of Vancouver.
  • Services provided in cooperation by Vancouver Public Library, Vancouver Board of Education, Vancouver Park Board, Britannia Community Services Centre Society, and many smaller groups and community partners.

OUR HISTORY

Crowd of community at the Opening Celebration of Britannia on Jun 5, 1976.

Britannia has its origin in cooperative community action in the 1970s. Local citizens and various civic agencies created the organization in 1974 to coordinate and integrate a wide range of human services to meet the interests and needs of residents. The official opening was Saturday, June 5, 1976.

Through a locally elected Board of Governance, the non-profit society provides a leadership role in developing and facilitating educational, recreational, library and social services for the communities of Grandview-Woodland and Strathcona.

Learn more about the history of Britannia

For the full story read A Great Idea: The Creation of Britannia Community Services Centre or pick up a copy the Info Centre.

Building the Info Centre.

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