Stephen Housser

After graduating from Shawnigan, Steve went to the University of British Columbia where he earned an Arts degree. He worked his way through university by logging and salmon seining in the summers like a true West Coaster.

After graduating from UBC Steve travelled in South America for a year. He then continued his education at Carleton University where he earned an Honours degree in Journalism. Steve then embarked on an exciting career in broadcasting that took him to four provinces and even to the Arctic.

His first job was in the Press Gallery in Ottawa, followed by a fascinating posting to the “Land of the Midnight Sun” where he met his wife Anne. They, and over time, their four sons, moved quite a bit, living in Calgary and Montreal with stints in Toronto and finally returned to Vancouver Island when Steve was named Victoria Bureau Chief and Political Correspondent for CBC TV.

After 19 years in radio and television, Steve decided to change careers and became a financial advisor with RBC Dominion Securities. Then in 2000, Steve was asked to return to his alma mater as Director of the Annual Fund. His family has a long history with Shawnigan—his father was a student under Founder C.W. Lonsdale, his uncles and brothers attended, and his mother was Head Girl at Shawnigan’s sister school, Strathcona Lodge School. In addition, Steve and his wife Anne (who works as a nurse in the Health Centre at Shawnigan) are Shawnigan parents; sons Graeme ’01, Jamie ’03 and Alex ’08 are Shawnigan graduates.

Steve’s experiences have prepared him well to promote the School to others and to help raise funds to improve programmes and facilities and to provide scholarships and bursaries for talented students. After several years as Director of Advancement at Shawnigan, Steve is now Executive Director of the Shawnigan Lake School Foundation and President, SUSA Foundation