School History
Our school is named after David Oppenheimer, (1834 - 1897) Vancouver’s second mayor. A bronze statue (at the Beach Avenue entrance to Stanley Park) commemorates him for preserving the forest and beaches of Stanley Park.David Oppenheimer immigrated from Frankfurt, Germany, to the United States in 1848 with his four brothers. He later left from California to British Columbia in 1858, the time of the gold rush.
Years later, David Oppenheimer was responsible for the growth of Vancouver into a city. Under his administration, sidewalks, bridges and roads were constructed; the YMCA was established, the city’s water supply was organized and the Electric Inter-Urban Transit and Street Railway companies were formed. David Oppenheimer was an insightful businessman and a broad-minded administrator who earned a well-deserved title as "Father of Vancouver".