News & updates
News
List of 5 news stories.
-
Behind the Scenes in LA
Read MoreShawnigan students were treated to an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the entertainment industry on a trip to Los Angeles over the November Break made possible by C.A.S.E. (Communications, Arts, Sciences and Entrepreneurship).Accompanied by a handful of staff members, the 16 students who are heavily involved in Shawnigan arts programs such as music recording and film production enjoyed an eye-opening whirlwind tour where they took in some iconic film and music production spaces, and managed to cram in some sightseeing, shopping, and celebrity glimpses along the way.The five-day sojourn took the students to big production studios like Sony, Universal and Warner Bros., where they took in soundstages and recording spaces. They also visited EastWest Studios, the site of decades of quintessential recordings by everyone from Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra to Frank Ocean and Billie Eilish, where they just missed crossing paths with Michael Bublé and RZA. -
Finding a New Voice Through Poetry
Read MoreAlready a published and award-winning author before she joined the English department at Shawnigan, Ms. Jennifer Manuel recently discovered her voice as a poet – something she credits to her experience teaching AP Literature here – and that voice was heard immediately as she made the shortlist for the vaunted 2025 CBC Poetry Prize.Out of more than 3,200 entries from across Canada, Ms. Manuel’s poem, “Hold for the Next Available Me,” was selected for the shortlist of five. The winner, “Mixed Girl as Cosmogonic Myth” by Vancouver’s Jordan Redekop-Jones, was announced on Wednesday, November 19.“For years I felt at home in fiction: character, narrative arc, and scene-setting,” Ms. Manuel related. “Poetry, by contrast, felt elusive. I wrote poems, but I often threw them away before they were even finished. That changed when I began teaching AP Literature at Shawnigan. In class after class I reminded my students that the poet and the speaker are not the same person. In doing so, I gradually gave myself permission to believe that as well. -
Remembrance Day: Connecting the World Wars with Today
Read MoreThe Chapel bell rang 45 times on Wednesday afternoon – once for each of the Shawnigan alumni and staff members who died in the Second World War – summoning students to the Chapel for Remembrance Day ceremonies.Shawnigan marked Remembrance Day early because students will be away for November Break on November 11, when it is officially observed.Ceremonies began with a land acknowledgement by Lexi W. that specifically honoured Indigenous veterans. That was followed by an address by James P. and Valentina H. about a trip to the Menin Gate memorial in Belgium and Private Horace Leslie Ravenhill, the son of the Shawnigan Lake pioneer who previously owned the land that became our School, and who died in the First World War. James and Valentina then unveiled a plaque honouring Private Ravenhill with the assistance of 94-year-old John Pearkes ’49 (Lake’s), whose father, Major-General George Pearkes, also served in the First World War, receiving the Victoria Cross for his actions in the Battle of Passchendaele. -
Shawnigan's Hatchery: A Unique Resource
Read MoreOne of Shawnigan’s most unique features and educational resources continues to contribute both to the School and the surrounding ecosystem, 45 years after it was first established.The Mark Hobson Hatchery has been part of Shawnigan Lake School since 1980, and while many schools incorporate the salmon fishery into their programs, Shawnigan is the only school in BC with its own hatchery on campus. Programs centred on the hatchery help students learn more about the life cycle of the coho salmon, the ecology of Vancouver Island and the west coast, and countless other science concepts.Hatchery- and salmon-related programming began this year when 10 Grade 11 students travelled to the Shawnigan Creek fish trap where they helped volunteers from the Mill Bay and District Conservation Society move 200 salmon up the falls to help them reach their spawning grounds. Not only did the students get hands-on experience with the fish, but there was also a service component to their participation. -
Founder's Day 2025
Read MoreEach fall, proud alumni return to campus for Founder’s Day – a chance to reunite, reminisce, and relive their days at Shawnigan Lake School. This past Saturday, we welcomed more than 200 alumni and their families, past staff, and board members back to campus for a day full of celebration of the Shawnigan spirit.There was a special focus this year on the classes of years ending in five, with the Class of 1975 inducted into the Gold Club, marking 50 years since graduation. The Classes of 1990 and 2000 celebrated their 35th and 25th reunions as well. The oldest guest to check in was a member of the Class of ’52.
Links & blogs
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful Pacific Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
