Shawnigan Lake School

Shawnigan Lake School is a co-educational independent boarding school located on Vancouver Island in Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia, Canada. It was founded by Englishman Christopher Windley "C. W." Lonsdale in 1916 and was partly modelled after the Westminster School in England.

Located on 270 acres of lakefront property, the campus has 35 buildings including 11 boarding houses, an observatory, an ice arena, a crew house, grass rugby pitches, water-based field hockey turf, a Growing Dome, and a fish hatchery.

The school's Latin motto, Palmam Qui Meruit Ferat, means "Let whosoever deserves the palm bear it."

Location
Shawnigan Lake School was built along Shawnigan Lake and occupies a wooded 270 acre property. It is near the village Shawnigan Lake.

Students
As of September 2021, the student body at Shawnigan Lakes School consists of 520 students representing 27 countries with 430 students residing on campus in the boarding houses, making it a boarding school with the largest number of full-time boarders in Canada. Day students constitute 10 percent of the student body. Students come from all over the world, with 20% from International locations, 15% from the United States, 15% from other Canadian Provinces and 50% of students being from British Columbia.

Current campus
Shawnigan has approximately 35 buildings on its campus which includes classrooms, dormitories (and staff housing), a theatre, an ice hockey arena, and several sports fields.

Boarding Houses
The school is primarily a boarding school with 90% of its students attending the school as boarders. The school currently has 6 residences for boys and 5 residences for girls. Each boarding house has a house director (formerly called the housemaster) and an assistant house director, who is assisted by student house prefects in the management of house duties and issues.

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, mysteriously burned to the ground one night in the autumn of 1968. The current dorm was built in 2005.

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

Groves' House: Founded in September 1927, “Groves’” was named after Jocelyn James Douglas Groves, its first head of the house, who 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 2004.

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.

Lake's House: One of the two original houses, “Lake’s” was founded on May 12, 1927. “Lake’s” was named after Harry John Lake, its first head of the house, who later became a colonel in the Canadian Army. Col. Lake's uncle, Sir Percy Lake, was the 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.

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.

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

Ripley's House: One of the two original houses, “Ripley’s” was founded on May 12, 1927, and was named after its first Head of House, Alexander 'Alec' B. Ripley.

Strathcona 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 alumnae to incorporate earlier generations of women from Strathcona Lodge School alumnae within the ranks of Shawnigan's current alumni.

Stanton House: Founded in September 2019 to house the Grade 8 girls. Stanton is named after the first school nurse at Shawnigan, Eleanor Stanton who worked there from 1918 to 1962.

Levien House: Founded in September 2020 to house the Grade 8 boys after the success of Stanton House. Named after a dedicated and dynamic member of staff from the 1920-1930s, Captain 'Tiny' Levien was a colleague of Stanton. He introduced Rugby to Shawnigan and taught the younger boys.

Former
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.

Academics
Shawnigan's academic program is university preparatory. Shawnigan 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.

Fine arts
Students are encouraged to try a variety of Fine Arts, selecting from a list of twenty options.


 * Performing Arts
 * Choir
 * Dance
 * Debate
 * Drama
 * Musical theatre
 * Orchestra
 * Visual Arts
 * Photography
 * Pottery
 * Sculpture
 * Studio Art
 * Textile Arts
 * Woodwork
 * Yearbook
 * View Team
 * Fashion Design
 * Film
 * Illustration
 * Fly Tying
 * Community Service
 * Environment Club
 * Outreach
 * Civic Leadership

Athletics
Shawnigan has partnerships with Rugby Canada and Rowing Canada.

In 2014, Shawnigan joined the Canadian Sport School Hockey League.


 * Boys Sports Program
 * Badminton
 * Basketball
 * Rowing
 * Cross Country Running
 * Fitness
 * Golf
 * Ice Hockey
 * Outdoors
 * Boys Sports Con't
 * Rugby Football
 * Soccer Football
 * Search & Rescue
 * Squash
 * Swimming
 * Tennis
 * Girls Sports Program
 * Badminton
 * Basketball
 * Rowing
 * Cross Country Running
 * Fitness
 * Golf
 * Ice Hockey
 * Outdoors
 * Girls Sports Con't
 * Rugby Football
 * Soccer Football
 * Search & Rescue
 * Squash
 * Swimming
 * Lawn Tennis
 * Volleyball
 * Field Hockey

School athletic championships
{| class="wikitable" !

Rowing
! ! (Note: championships exist pre-2001 to the founding.)
 * 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
 * Canadian Champions
 * Sr. Men's Eight
 * Sr. Men's Four
 * 2007
 * Canadian Champions
 * Jr. Men's Eights
 * 2006
 * Canadian Champions
 * Jr. Men's Eights
 * 2005
 * Canadian Champions
 * Sr. Women's Four
 * Sr. Men's Four
 * Sr. Men's Eight
 * 2004
 * Canadian Champions
 * Sr. Men's Four
 * Sr. Women's Four
 * Sr. Men's Eight
 * 2003
 * Canadian Champions
 * Jr. Men's Four
 * 2002
 * Canadian Champions
 * Sr. Women's Pair
 * Jr. Men's Eights
 * 2001
 * Canadian Champions
 * Sr. Men's Four
 * }
 * 2006
 * Canadian Champions
 * Jr. Men's Eights
 * 2005
 * Canadian Champions
 * Sr. Women's Four
 * Sr. Men's Four
 * Sr. Men's Eight
 * 2004
 * Canadian Champions
 * Sr. Men's Four
 * Sr. Women's Four
 * Sr. Men's Eight
 * 2003
 * Canadian Champions
 * Jr. Men's Four
 * 2002
 * Canadian Champions
 * Sr. Women's Pair
 * Jr. Men's Eights
 * 2001
 * Canadian Champions
 * Sr. Men's Four
 * }
 * Sr. Men's Eight
 * 2003
 * Canadian Champions
 * Jr. Men's Four
 * 2002
 * Canadian Champions
 * Sr. Women's Pair
 * Jr. Men's Eights
 * 2001
 * Canadian Champions
 * Sr. Men's Four
 * }
 * Jr. Men's Eights
 * 2001
 * Canadian Champions
 * Sr. Men's Four
 * }
 * Canadian Champions
 * Sr. Men's Four
 * }

Rugby union
BC AAAA Boys Rugby Champions – 2019 BC AAAA Boys Rugby Champions – 2017 BC AAA Junior Boys Rugby Champions – 2017 Junior Boys Rugby 7s Champions – 2016

BC AAA Junior Boys Rugby Champions – 2016

Girls CAIS Rugby Champions – 2016

BC Girls AA Rugby Champions – 2016

Senior Boys CAIS 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

Boys CAIS National Rugby Champions – 2008

BC Boys AAA Rugby Champions – 1998

BC Girls AA Rugby Champions – 1997

BC Girls AA Rugby Champions – 1996

Field hockey
BC Girls AAA Sr. Field Hockey Champions – 2014

BC Girls AA Field Hockey Champions – 2011

Ice hockey
CSSHL Midget Varsity Champions – Boy's Midget Varsity – 2016

CSSHL Midget Varsity Champions – Boy's Midget Varsity – 2015

(Note: championships exist pre-1996 to the founding.)

Artists

 * Robert Stewart Hyndman – Artist
 * Peter Saul – Artist

Athletes

 * George Hungerford – Gold Medal Olympian – Rowing
 * John Lecky – Silver Medal Olympian – Rowing
 * Kristopher McDaniel – Team Canada Rower
 * Josh Jackson – Rugby Canada Player
 * Hannah Darling – Rio 2016 Olympic Bronze Medal, 2015 Pan American Games Gold Medal, Women's Rugby 7's Team Canada
 * Eloise Blackwel – New Zealand Black Ferns
 * Brett Beukeboom – Rugby Canada and Cornish Pirates
 * John Lander (rower) – 1928 Olympic Gold Medalist, coxless four
 * Eddie Evans (rugby player) Prop for Canada national team. Played 3 World Cups in 1987, 1991 and 1995.

Business

 * Jim Shaw – CEO Shaw Communications

Entertainment

 * Jon Kimura Parker – Order of Canada, Concert Pianist
 * Tara Spencer-Nairn – Actress, Corner Gas

Politics

 * The Hon. Henry Pybus Bell-Irving – Lt. Governor of British Columbia
 * Peter Ladner – Vancouver City Councillor
 * Stephen D. Owen – Former Member of Parliament
 * Anthony Vincent – Canadian ambassador to Peru and later, to Spain

Scholars and scientists

 * Graham Anderson – Scholar
 * Dr. Barry F. Cooper – Canadian Political Scientist
 * Dr. Steve Deering – Computer Scientist
 * Dr. Roger Stanier – Microbiologist

Notable staff

 * Tom Brierley – Cricketer
 * James Robertson Justice – Actor

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