Another casualty of the closure of the Rossland Secondary School program—one that will leave a huge hole in the community—is the loss of Mike Vanness.
The school’s vice principal will be losing his job once the program is closed in Rossland and moved down the hill to Trail’s J.L Crowe Secondary School.
Vanness’ value to the community and the young people of Rossland is inestimable. He was an energetic, bright and personable teacher, as enthusiastic about teaching as he was to live and work in the community he grew up in.
Vanness was the glue that held the student body together, and was part of the reason the facility felt like home to its students, not just a place of learning.
With the loss of Vanness the school also loses a legacy: both of Vanness’ parents attended and graduated from the school in the 1960s.
The human cost of the closure of the program can’t be measured on the school district ledger, but it will be felt for years to come with the absence of people like Mike Vanness.