Sandeep Bhangu was in Grade 2 when Queen Elizabeth Elementary School burnt down.
In March of 1987, firefighters were alerted of the blaze. Reports at the time suggested the fire was caused by arson - a culprit was never found.
But it's not the cause or the fire that stands out in Bhangu's mind when he thinks back to those days. For Bhangu, the most memorable thing about the day he lost his school was how the community leaned on one another for support.
Without a school in Queensborough, Queen Elizabeth students were shuffled around the district. The older students joined classes at elementary schools in New Westminster, while the younger kids, mostly kindergarten to Grade 2 students, divided their class time between the Queensborough Community Centre and the church.
"They were kind of shuffling us around everywhere, so when the elementary school opened up, it was a big day," Bhangu said. "My class got to plant the trees."
The trees that Bhangu, now 33, and his fellow classmates planted are still standing today.
They surround the new Queen Elizabeth school where Bhangu's five-year-old son attends kindergarten. They act as a reminder of the importance of community for Bhangu - a reminder of why he loves Queensborough.
