Shawnigan Lake School
| Shawnigan Lake School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
1975 Renfrew Road , , Canada | |
| Coordinates | 48°39′26″N 123°38′20″W / 48.6573°N 123.6390°W |
| Information | |
| School type | Private boarding and day |
| Motto | Palmam Qui Meruit Ferat (Let whoever has deserved the palm bear it) |
| Founded | 1916 |
| Headmaster | Richard 'Larry' Lamont |
| Staff | 250 |
| Grades | 8–12 |
| Enrollment | 550 |
| Language | English |
| Colours | Black and gold |
| Mascot | The Stag |
| Endowment | CA$32,000,000 |
| Website | www |
| Last updated: March 17, 2026 | |
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent and co-educational boarding school located in Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia, Canada. The school was founded in 1916 by Christopher Lonsdale, an educator from Cumberland, England, and partly modelled after the Westminster School in London, England.[1] It is Canada's largest co-educational independent boarding school.
Originally an all-boy's school, it became fully co-educational in 1988. The school has produced many notable alumni, including several artists, athletes, diplomats, politicians, scientists, and businesspeople.
The school's Latin motto, Palmam Qui Meruit Ferat, means "Let whosoever deserves the palm bear it."
Students
As of September 2025, the student body at Shawnigan Lakes School consists of 540 students representing 30 countries, with 440 students residing on campus in boarding houses, the largest number of full-time boarders in Canada. Day students constitute 18 percent of the student body. Students come from all over the world, with 50 percent from British Columbia, 15 percent from other Canadian provinces, 15 percent from the United States, and 20 percent from other international locations.[2]
Current campus
Shawnigan Lake School occupies a wooded 270-acre (1.1 km2) near the village Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia. There are approximately 80 buildings on the site:
The Main Building, built in 1926, sits adjacent to the quadrangle, which houses the school's chapel (built 1928), dining hall (Marion Hall), and the Bruce-Lockhart Centre for Creativity (built 1934, formerly the Hobbies Building). Other facilities include classroom buildings, dormitories and staff housing, a theatre, a music building, an astronomy observatory, a recording arts studio, a growing dome, a salmon hatchery, and a robotics lab.
Athletic facilities include the Charlie Purdey Arena, a rowing crewhouse, the Hyde-Lay Rugby Pavilion, two gymnasiums, six tennis courts, eight squash courts, and seven sports fields, including Canada Field, often used by Rugby Canada and other international teams.
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Shawnigan Lake School Campus
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Shawnigan Lake School's Olsen and Craig buildings
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Shawnigan Lake School's Jim and Kathryn Shaw Library
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Shawnigan Lake School's Stag Statue
School life
Student Body & Boarding Houses
The school is primarily a boarding school, with approximately 82 percent of its students attending the school as boarders. The school has 10 boarding houses: five for boys in grades 9-12 and four for girls in grades 9-12, as well as Samuel House, a dedicated Grade 8 boarding house with separate wings for boys and girls, which opened in 2024. Each boarding house has a full-time House Director and an Assistant House Director, who are assisted by other staff members, along with student Heads of House and House Prefects in the management of house duties and issues. Each year, houses compete against each other in an annual intramural competition for the House Cup, determined by a variety of events throughout the year as well as academic achievement.
Shawnigan's student government consists of Round Tables from Grades 8 to 11, with the highest position of student leadership being School Prefects, who are appointed in their final year. The Prefects are led by the Co-Heads of School, who are elected from within the incoming Prefect group at the end of each academic year.
Boy Houses:
- Lake's House (1927)
- Ripley's House (1927)
- Copeman's House (1929)
- Lonsdale's House (1968)
- Duxbury House (1999)
Girl Houses:
- Groves' House (1927)
- Kaye's House (1989)
- Renfrew House (1996)
- Strathcona House (2007)
Co-Ed (Grade 8):
- Samuel House (2024)
Academics
Shawnigan's academic program is university preparatory. It was ranked by the Fraser Institute in 2017 as 11th out of 253 British Columbian Secondary Schools based on a score of 9.3/10 for academic achievements.[3] The school provides 25 Advanced Placement (AP) courses offered by the College Board, as well as a Dual Dogwood Diploma program for French Immersion students.
Fine Arts
Students are required to try a variety of fine arts and activities, known as the 360 program, selecting from a list of 30 or more options.[4] Notable programs include recording arts, robotics, musicals, Model United Nations, astronomy, woodworking, search and rescue, and various bands and music groups. The theatre program includes at least one large-scale production each year, which is usually performed in the McPherson Playhouse in Victoria.
Athletics
Shawnigan has official partnerships with Rugby Canada and Rowing Canada, with both national teams using the school's training facilities on a regular basis. In 2014, Shawnigan joined the Canadian Sport School Hockey League.[5] Sports offered at the school include rowing, rugby, ice hockey, squash, tennis, basketball, soccer, golf, volleyball, field hockey, and cross country. Shawnigan's sports rivalries include those with Brentwood College School, St. George's School, and St. Michaels University School.
From 2009 to 2013, Shawnigan's Boys First XV Rugby Team won an unprecedented five provincial championships in a row.
Headmasters
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 1916–1952 | C. W. Lonsdale |
| 1952–1958 | G. Peter Kaye |
| 1958–1967 | Edward R. 'Ned' Larsen |
| 1967–1968 | Lachlan Patrick 'Pat' MacLachlan, acting |
| 1968 | Brian S. Powell |
| 1968–1972 | Lachlan Patrick 'Pat' MacLachlan |
| 1972 | The Rev. Canon William Hamilton Horace McClelland, M.B.E., acting |
| 1972–1975 | Hugh C. Wilkinson |
| 1975–1978 | The Rev. Canon William Hamilton Horace McClelland, M.B.E. |
| 1978–1983 | Darrell John Farrant |
| 1983–1984 | Derek William Hyde-Lay, acting |
| 1984–1989 | Douglas J. 'Doug' Campbell |
| 1989–1990 | Derek William Hyde-Lay |
| 1990–2000 | Simon C. Bruce-Lockhart |
| 2000–2018 | David Robertson |
| 2018–Present | Richard 'Larry' Lamont |
School athletic championships
Rowing |
||
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Canadian Champions | Jr. Men's Eight |
| Jr. Men's Coxed Four | ||
| 2011 | Canadian Champions | Sr. Men's Lwt. Eight |
| Sr. Men's Lwt. Pair | ||
| 2010 | Canadian Champions | Sr. Women's Double |
| 2009 | Canadian Champions | Sr. Women's Eights |
| Sr. Men's Four | ||
| Jr. Women's Lwt. Pair | ||
| 2008 | Henley Royal Regatta | Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup[6] |
| Canadian Champions | Sr. Men's Eight[7] | |
| Sr. Men's Four | ||
| 2007 | Canadian Champions | Jr. Men's Eights[8] |
| 2006 | Canadian Champions | Jr. Men's Eights[9] |
| 2005 | Canadian Champions | Sr. Women's Four[10] |
| Sr. Men's Four[10] | ||
| Sr. Men's Eight[10] | ||
| 2004 | Canadian Champions | Sr. Men's Four[11] |
| Sr. Women's Four[11] | ||
| Sr. Men's Eight[11] | ||
| 2003 | Canadian Champions | Jr. Men's Four[12] |
| 2002 | Canadian Champions | Sr. Women's Pair[13] |
| Jr. Men's Eights[13] | ||
| 2001 | Canadian Champions | Sr. Men's Four[14] |
(Note: championships exist pre-2001 to the founding.)
Rugby union
BC AA Girls Rugby Champions - 2023
BC Boys AAA Rugby Champions - 2022
BC Boys AAAA Rugby Champions – 2019
BC Boys AAAA Rugby Champions – 2017
BC Junior Boys AAA Rugby Champions – 2017
Junior Boys Rugby 7s Champions – 2016
BC Junior Boys AAA Rugby Champions – 2016
Senior Boys CAIS Rugby Champions – 2016
Girls CAIS Rugby Champions – 2016
BC Girls AA Rugby Champions – 2016
BC Boys AAAA Rugby Champions – 2016
BC Boys AAA Rugby Champions – 2015
BC Boys AAA Rugby Champions – 2013
BC Boys AAA Rugby Champions – 2012
BC Boys AAA Rugby Champions – 2011
BC Boys AAA Rugby Champions – 2010
BC Boys AAA Rugby Champions – 2009[15]
Boys CAIS National Rugby Champions – 2008[16]
BC Boys AAA Rugby Champions – 1998[17]
BC Girls AA Rugby Champions – 1997
BC Girls AA Rugby Champions – 1996
[18][19][15]
Field hockey
BC Girls AAA Sr. Field Hockey Champions – 2014
BC Girls AA Field Hockey Champions – 2011
Ice hockey
CSSHL Midget Varsity Champions – Boys' Midget Varsity – 2016
CSSHL Midget Varsity Champions – Boys' Midget Varsity – 2015
(Note: championships existed pre-1996 to the founding.)
Notable people
Notable alumni
Artists
- Robert Stewart Hyndman – Artist
- Peter Saul – Artist[20]
- Brendan Tang - Visual Artist, Judge on The Great Canadian Pottery Throw Down[21]
Athletes
- Eloise Blackwel – New Zealand Black Ferns[22]
- Brett Beukeboom – Rugby Canada and Cornish Pirates player
- Hannah Darling – 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, 2015 Pan American Games gold medalist, Rugby Canada player[23][24]
- Bryan Donnelly – Team Canada rower, 2000 Olympic Games[25]
- Eddie Evans – Rugby Canada player, prop for Canada national team, 1987, 1991, 1995 Rugby World Cups
- Josh Jackson – Rugby Canada player[26][27]
- George Hungerford – 1964 Olympic gold medalist, coxless pair[28]
- John Lander – 1928 Olympic gold medalist, coxless four
- John Lecky – 1960 Olympic silver medalist, eight[29]
- Kristopher McDaniel – 2005 & 2007 World Championship bronze medalist, coxless four and pair[30]
- Djustice Sears-Duru – Rugby Canada player[31]
Business
- Jim Shaw – CEO of Shaw Communications
Entertainment
- Mark Hobson - Artist [32]
- Jon Kimura Parker – Officer of the Order of Canada, concert pianist[33]
- Mike Little - Juno Award-winning musician [34]
- Noah Mills - Model
- Tara Spencer-Nairn – Actress, Corner Gas[35]
Military
- Lt.-Commander Cornelius Burke - Royal Canadian Navy[36]
- Rear Admiral Michael G. Stirling – Royal Canadian Navy
- Lt.-Commander T.E. Ladner - Royal Canadian Navy[37]
- Rear Admiral Richard H. Leir – Royal Canadian Navy
- Lt.-Commander Douglas Maitland - Royal Canadian Navy[38]
Politics
- The Hon. Henry Pybus Bell-Irving – 23rd Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia[39]
- Nick Coghlan - Diplomat[40]
- Peter Ladner – Vancouver City Councillor[41]
- The Hon. Nicholas Milliken – Alberta Minister of Infrastructure and Member of the Legislative Assembly
- Robert Murdoch - Executive Assistant to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
- The Hon. Stephen D. Owen – Federal cabinet minister and Member of Parliament[42]
- M. John Sloan - Canadian Ambassador to Russia, Uzbekistan and Armenia [43]
- Anthony Vincent – Canadian Ambassador to Peru[44]
Scholars and scientists
- Graham Anderson – Scholar[45]
- Dr. Barry F. Cooper – Political Scientist[46]
- Dr. Steve Deering – Computer Scientist
- Dr. Roger Stanier – Microbiologist[47]
Notable staff
- Tom Brierley – Cricketer
- James Robertson Justice – Actor
- Laura Russell - Canadian national team rugby player [48]
- Leonard Wilde - Educator, Founder of Neuchâtel Junior College[49]
- Jeff Williams - Canadian national team rugby player[50]
Affiliations
- The Anglican Church of Canada, diocese of British Columbia
- CAIS – Canadian Accredited Independent Schools
- NAIS – National Association of Independent Schools
- TABS – The Association of Boarding Schools
- FISA BC – Federation of Independent School Associations in British Columbia
- ISABC – Independent Schools Association of BC
References
- ^ "C. W. Lonsdale". Our History. Shawnigan Lake School. Archived from the original on February 13, 2005. Retrieved 2008-06-10.
- ^ M, Lauren. "Shawnigan Lake School At a Glance" (PDF).
- ^ "Shawnigan Lake Shawnigan Lake British Columbia Academic school ranking". Britishcolumbia.compareschoolrankings.org. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
- ^ "Fine Arts at Shawnigan". www.sls.bc.ca. Archived from the original on 6 December 1998. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
- ^ "Canadian Sport School Hockey League (Design, Hosting, Registration & Administration tools by esportsdesk.com)". Csshl.ca. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
- ^ "Race Results". 2008 Henley Royal Regatta. Henley Royal Regatta. 2008-07-07. Archived from the original on 2008-07-06. Retrieved 2008-07-07.
- ^ "Race Results". CSSRA 63rd Annual Regatta. Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Association. 2008-06-01. Archived from the original on 2008-06-04. Retrieved 2008-06-10.
- ^ "Race Results". CSSRA 62nd Annual Regatta. Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Association. 2007-06-03. Archived from the original on 2008-06-01. Retrieved 2008-06-10.
- ^ "Race Results". CSSRA 61st Annual Regatta. Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Association. 2006-06-04. Archived from the original on 2008-06-01. Retrieved 2008-06-10.
- ^ a b c "Race Results". CSSRA 60th Annual Regatta. Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Association. 2005-06-05. Archived from the original on 2006-06-21. Retrieved 2008-06-10.
- ^ a b c "Race Results". CSSRA 59th Annual Regatta. Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Association. 2004-06-06. Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2008-06-10.
- ^ "Race Results". CSSRA 58th Annual Regatta. Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Association. 2003-06-01. Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2008-06-10.
- ^ a b "Race Results". CSSRA 57th Annual Regatta. Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Association. 2002-06-02. Archived from the original on 2008-02-08. Retrieved 2008-06-10.
- ^ "Race Results". CSSRA 56th Annual Regatta. Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Association. 2001-06-03. Archived from the original on 2008-02-08. Retrieved 2008-06-10.
- ^ a b "Rugby Champions | Shawnigan Lake School". Archived from the original on 2009-06-12. Retrieved 2009-06-02.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2008-04-21.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "British Columbia Secondary Schools' Rugby Union". Archived from the original on 2008-07-06. Retrieved 2008-04-17.
- ^ "4th Straight Provincial Title! | Shawnigan Lake School". Archived from the original on 2012-10-26. Retrieved 2012-09-20.
- ^ "Sr. Boys AAA Provincial Rugby Champions! | Shawnigan Lake School". Archived from the original on 2010-06-14. Retrieved 2010-06-07.
- ^ J Hoberman in The Point 29 Dec. 2020, https://thepointmag.com/criticism/shock-value-peter-saul/
- ^ https://shawnigan.myschoolapp.com/page/news-detail?pk=1393954&siteId=1021&ssl=1
- ^ "Eloise Blackwell | allblacks.com". All Blacks. Retrieved 2018-08-23.
- ^ "Google". Google.ca. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
- ^ "Hannah Darling". Team Canada – Official Olympic Team Website. 10 June 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ https://bbk12e1-cdn.myschoolcdn.com/ftpimages/589/misc/misc_234709.pdf
- ^ "Josh Jackson | Rugby Union | Players and Officials". ESPN Scrum. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
- ^ "Canada reveals Rugby World Cup squad". The Globe and Mail. 13 July 2007.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-26. Retrieved 2007-06-20.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). www.sls.bc.ca. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ [1] Archived 2008-08-16 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ https://www.shawnigan.ca/news-detail?pk=1063237
- ^ https://www.shawnigan.ca/news-detail?pk=891000
- ^ "Mad about Mozart". Archived from the original on 2011-06-04. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
- ^ https://www.shawnigan.ca/news-detail?pk=891000
- ^ "Corner Gas Online :: Who's Who". Cornergas.com. Archived from the original on 2017-03-30. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
- ^ https://cowichanvalleycitizen.com/2016/11/09/remembrance-day-august-1945-brought-good-news-and-bad/
- ^ https://cowichanvalleycitizen.com/2016/11/09/remembrance-day-august-1945-brought-good-news-and-bad/
- ^ https://cowichanvalleycitizen.com/2016/11/09/remembrance-day-august-1945-brought-good-news-and-bad/
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-06-20.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ https://www.shawnigan.ca/news-detail?pk=1091929
- ^ [2]
- ^ https://www.shawnigan.ca/news-detail?pk=1014935
- ^ https://www.shawnigan.ca/news-detail?pk=820975
- ^ "MUN Remembers Anthony Vincent '57 (Groves')".
- ^ "Meet the Teachers". www.sls.bc.ca. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Media Coverage". David Orchard. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
- ^ Stanier, R. Y. (1980). "The Journey, not the Arrival, Matters". Annual Review of Microbiology. 34: 1–48. doi:10.1146/annurev.mi.34.100180.000245. PMID 6776882.(subscription required)
- ^ https://www.shawnigan.ca/news-detail?pk=1245730
- ^ https://bbk12e1-cdn.myschoolcdn.com/ftpimages/1183/misc/misc_206332.pdf
- ^ "Shawnigan Lake School Rugby".
Bibliography
- Rough Diamond: An Oral History of Shawnigan Lake School (ISBN 0-9696005-0-X) by Jay Connolly.
- The Handbook of Canadian Boarding Schools, by Lafortune, Sylvie, Thomson, Ashley, p. 115
External links
- Official website
- The Association of Boarding Schools
- Shawnigan Lake School - profile by TopPrivateSchools.ca