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Shawnigan Lake School is a private boarding school, located in Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia, Canada. It was founded by Englishman, Christopher Windley 'C.W.' Lonsdale in 1916, and partially modelled on his own English public school, Westminster School.

Location

Shawnigan Lake School is on the shores of Shawnigan Lake and occupies a wooded 290-acre (1.2 km) property. It is located just a few minutes away from Shawnigan Lake, the village, and is 45 minutes north of Victoria, British Columbia on Vancouver Island.

History

Shawnigan Lake School was founded in 1916 as an independent (private) school for boys by Christopher Windley Lonsdale (1886-1952). A clergyman's son, Lonsdale was born in Cumberland and educated at Westminster School, London. He immigrated to British Columbia in 1907. Two years later, having worked at a variety of jobs on the lower mainland and northern Vancouver Island, he settled in Duncan, where he operated a dairy business.

During the Edwardian years, Duncan attracted many genteel settlers from the United Kingdom, Eastern Canada, and the overseas empire. Many of these immigrants were alumni of prestigious British public schools and understandably they wished to provide a similar education for their sons. Appreciating this fact, Lonsdale gave up his milk route and seized the opportunity to take over the facilities of a failed girls boarding school near Shawnigan Lake, south of Duncan. Located on 140 acres (0.57 km) of heavily-wooded, lakeside property, Lonsdale’s “Shawnigan Lake Preparatory School” was launched in 1916.

Shawnigan Lake School (SLS) was modelled on Westminster School, London (established 1540). SLS was divided into "houses", each under the supervision of a housemaster and student prefects. The school colours of Westminster were adopted, as were many of its rituals and traditions. Spiritually, the school adhered to the tenets of the Church of England; academically, it emphasized classical studies, liberal arts, and applied sciences. Like Westminster and its counterparts throughout the British Empire, SLS also promoted sports and organized games, as a means of developing boys' character.

The school opened with an enrolment of fewer than a dozen students: within a decade, it boasted almost a hundred pupils, a well-equipped gymnasium, and a growing reputation for scholarly excellence. In December 1926 the school was all but destroyed by fire. Undaunted, Lonsdale had his boys housed in the Cadboro Beach Hotel in Victoria for the remainder of term and set about raising funds for a new building programme. Thanks largely to the support he received from pupils' parents in the Cowichan Valley area, he succeeded, and in 1927 the rebuilt school re-opened.

On 17 February 1928, Shawnigan Lake School was incorporated as a non-profit foundation. The objects of the foundation, according to its charter, were to

"Maintain the school as a fabric founded to endure in all future time and ordered to the intent that it shall exercise a continuing influence upon the lives of the boys and so contribute towards the welfare of the Dominion of Canada...."

Soon after, the school added a new chapel, playing fields, dormitories and laboratories. Enrolment increased to over two hundred - a number that included the sons of some of the most prominent families in the West.

The following years, however, were difficult for the school. The international financial crisis of 1929 made it impossible for the school to maintain its fee structure, while the threat of Japanese invasion in 1942 prompted many parents to remove their sons from the Pacific coast. Although the school survived both the Great Depression and World War II, it was apparent by the early 1950s that SLS was in decline. Enrolment had fallen and many of the school buildings were in great need of repair. The headmaster's health was also failing and in 1952 the SLS Board of Governors persuaded him to retire.

C.W. Lonsdale's successors - Peter Kaye, an English-born financier from Vancouver, and E.R. ("Ned") Larsen, an SLS Old Boy and Rhodes scholar - revitalised the school, modernised its facilities, philosophy, and curriculum, and placed it on a sound financial footing. Enrolments and endowments increased accordingly as the school regained its enviable scholastic and athletic reputation.

In 1988 the school made the decision to become co-educational; the first girls were enrolled in September 1988.

Current Campus

Currently Shawnigan Lake School has approximately 35 buildings on its 290+ acre site ranging from classrooms, staff housing, athletic and maintenance buildings.

Main Building: Currently located in the centre of the property was built 1927. In a devastating fire that destroyed most of the original buildings on campus, the founder, C.W. Lonsdale, rather than giving up, took this as an opportunity to build the school of his dreams. Within a week of the fire, he had hired Duncan architect, Douglas James, to design a new facility. Construction began February 16, 1927, and the new building was occupied on May 13. This building is currently occupied by the accounting, admissions, school administration and socials studies departments.

Hobbies Building: Originally built in 1937 and completely rebuilt in the late 90's, this building hosts the school's fine art programme. This building has a woodshop, several art rooms, a pottery room, a computer lab and a photography lab.

Marion Hall: Built in 2002 This is a A 500-seat dining hall and food services facility. It uses local timber extensively and has etched concrete flooring.

Olsen Building: Built in 2001 and named for Bruce Charles Olsen former student and board of governors member, this building currently houses the languages department.

Craig Building: Generously donated by Mr and Mrs Cyril Craig in 1962, and formerly known as the Craig Block, the building was moved to its current location beside the Olsen building in 2001.

Shaw Centre for Science: Located on the North west shore of Lake Omar, generously donated by the Shaw family and Jim Shaw, this state of the art building which host the Science department was opened in 1999.

Current Houses

The school is primarily a boarding school with 90% of its students attending the school as boarders. The school currently has 9 boarding houses on campus, five residences for boys and four residences for girls. Each boarding house has a house director (formerly called the housemaster) as well as an assistant house director, whom are assisted by student house prefects in the management of house duties and issues.

Lake's House: Is one of the two original houses, “Lake’s” was founded in May 12, 1927. “Lake’s” was named after Harry John Lake, its first head of house, who later became a colonel in the Canadian Army. Col. Lake's uncle, Sir Percy Lake, was first Chief of the Canadian General Staff and served as Chairman of the Board of Governors, while the Colonel's father was Sir Richard Lake, sometime Lieutenant-Governor of Saskatchewan.

Ripley's House: Is one of the two original houses,“Ripley’s” was named after Alexander 'Alec' B. Ripley, who was its first head of house, and who later became a lawyer in California.

Groves' House: Founded in September 1927, “Groves’” was named after Jocelyn James Douglas Groves, its first head of house, rose to the rank of lieutenant-colonel in the British Army. Groves’ was converted to a girls' residence in 1992. Groves’ House was rebuilt in 2005.

Copeman's House: Founded in September 1929 and named for John Y. Copeman, a Victoria lawyer, who was Chairman of the Board of Governors for many years. The original building, which housed 90 boys and had its own kitchen and dining room, burned to the ground in one night in the autumn of 1968. The building which replaced it was replaced with a further new structure in 2005.

Lonsdale's House: Founded in September 1968 and named for Christopher Windley Lonsdale, Shawnigan's first and founding headmaster. “Lonsdale’s” moved into a new building in March 2007.

Strathcona Lodge School House: Founded in 2007 and named to mark Shawnigan's long association with Strathcona Lodge School, a defunct girls’ school in Shawnigan Lake which closed its doors in 1977. Shawnigan has since adopted the former 'Old Girls' of 'Strath' as honorary Shawnigan alumni to incorporate earlier generations of women from Strathcona Lodge School alumnae within the ranks of Shawnigan's current alumni.

Kaye's House: Founded in September 1989 as the second girls’ house, it was named to honour G. Peter Kaye, the school's second headmaster, whose sons and grandsons also attended the school.

Renfrew House: Established in September 1996 in order to expand the space for girls wishing to enrol at the school.

Duxbury House: Founded in September 1999 and named for Frank Duxbury, a teacher who was senior master at the school during the 1950’s and early ’60s.

Former Houses

School House: Founded in September 1988 as the inaugural girls’ residence in the School, named after its unique position in a refurbished wing of the School’s main building, School House was replaced in 2007 by Strathcona Lodge School House.

Headmasters

Academics

Shawnigan's academic programme is university preparatory; the curriculum is based on British Columbia Ministry of Education standards. Shawnigan Lake School also provides an Advanced Placement Programme to its students which is administered by the College Entrance Examination Board in Princeton, New Jersey.

Fine Arts & Athletics

The Fine Arts play a vital role in the development of all Shawnigan students. Within the Arts, emphassis is placed on personal growth and the development of life-long skills. Students are encouraged to try a variety of Fine Arts, selecting from a list of twenty options. Students must choose one activity for the duration the year.

The athletics programme at Shawnigan Lake School is an extension of the School's mission statement: "through athletics, we lead young people in the pursuit of personal excellence.” Shawnigan's goal is to develop the athletic potential of each student. Every student enrols in one sport each term. The school's programmes stress sportsmanship and respect for others at all times. Rugby and rowing are the cornerstones of the school's sports programme, each with its own traditions of excellence and opportunity.

Notable Alumni

• Akio Tyler - Canada National Rugby Union Team (Sevens)
• George Hungerford - Gold Medal Olympian - Rowing
• Graham Anderson - Scholar
• The Hon. Henry Pybus Bell-Irving - Lt. Governor of British Columbia
• John Lecky - Silver Medal Olympian - Rowing
• Dr. John W. Madden - Rhodes Scholar
• Jon Kimura Parker - Order of Canada, Concert Pianist
• Jim Shaw - CEO Shaw Communications
• Rear Admiral Michael G. Stirling
• Rear Admiral Richard H. Leir
• Stephen D. Owen - Member of Parliament
• Dr. Steve Deering - Computer Scientist
• Tara Spencer-Nairn - Actress, Corner Gas

John Mackie - World War II RAF fighter pilot

Notable Staff

James Robertson Justice - Actor
Mark A. Hobson - Wildlife Artist
Tom Brierley - Cricketer

References

1. http://www.sls.bc.ca/pdf/july991-6.pdf
2. Rugby Canada : Player Profiles
3. https://www.law.ubc.ca/files/pdf/alumni/magazine/Alumni_Mag_spr07.pdf
4. Meet the Teachers
5. http://www.boardoftrade.com/events/presentations/BellIrvingobitVanSun24sep02.pdf
6. rcaug2003
7. Tara Spencer-Nairn Biography at Cornergas.com
8. vol 12 num 2

• 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

• Shawnigan Lake School Website

• Boarding schools in Canada
• Private schools in British Columbia
• High schools in British Columbia
• Preparatory schools in Canada
• Educational institutions established in 1916
• Members of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference