News & updates
News
List of 5 news stories.
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Remembering Ned Larsen
Read MoreShawnigan paid tribute to Edward R. “Ned” Larsen – the School’s third Headmaster – with a special service in Chapel on Saturday, followed by the official dedication of the squash centre in his name.Ned Larsen (Groves’) graduated from Shawnigan in 1943, then returned in 1948 as a math teacher, and eventually served as Headmaster from 1958 to 1967. He was also a gifted athlete, playing rugby and cricket at Shawnigan and earning the Sportsmanship Award, and later earned Blues Awards in squash, badminton and basketball at Oxford. He also represented Canada in both squash and field hockey.Former Shawnigan teacher and coach Ian Hyde-Lay ’75 (Lake’s) was invited to speak about Larsen, a lifelong friend of his father, Derek Hyde-Lay. The men met in 1948, and the elder Hyde-Lay joined Larsen on the Shawnigan staff that fall. They remained close friends until Larsen passed away in 1983. -
Graduation Celebration!
Read MoreAccompanied by their families, guests, and many staff members, the members of Shawnigan’s Class of 2026 travelled to Whistler last week for graduation events at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler on May 14 and 15.The two-day celebration began on Thursday with the Parent Gathering, where family members mingled with staff.Everyone was up early on Friday to prepare for the Grad Gala that evening. In the afternoon, students and their families lined up for portraits with School photographer Ms. Arden Gill, followed by House photos and a shot of the entire Class of 2026 in their graduation finery. -
Skating Meets Science
Read MoreGrade 11 student Wendy H. combined her passion for figure skating and her interest in science to create an award-winning project for the Vancouver Island Regional Science Fair hosted by the University of Victoria last month.Wendy’s self-guided research project, "Biomechanical Analysis of the Sit Spin in Figure Skating: Assessing Movement Load and Injury Risk” studied the mechanics of the sit spin, a commonly used element of figure skating, with a focus on the physics and forces at work. She entered it in the science fair at UVic in April, with some impressive results.“I did the research project, and I wanted to present it somewhere,” Wendy explained. “Publishing takes a lot of effort, and I wanted professional advice before I tried publishing.” -
A Celebration of Rowing at Shawnigan
Read MoreHundreds of rowers representing 18 schools and clubs from across Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland, and the Okanagan Valley converged on Shawnigan Lake last weekend for the School’s 65th annual regatta.“The regatta was a fantastic weekend and a wonderful celebration of rowing at Shawnigan,” Head of Rowing Mrs. Jennifer Parfitt commented. “The atmosphere around the park was festive and energetic, with plenty of great racing and a beautiful setting for athletes, families, and spectators to enjoy. While the windy conditions created some delays, the regatta team adapted well, and we were able to get back on schedule and complete a full day of racing.”No races had to be cancelled due to the weather, which is a blessing for any regatta. Shawnigan had 39 entries over the three days of racing, and collected four gold medals, two silvers and three bronzes, as well as several top times for school-based crews. -
House Posts Unveiled
Read MoreThanks to the efforts of dozens of students, staff, and other members of the Shawnigan community, a major gift from Brad Assu ’83 (Lonsdale’s) is now on display.Under Brad’s supervision, students have been helping to complete two 20-foot totem poles – exact replicas of house posts that were originally carved more than a century ago. With the replicas now complete, they were painstakingly relocated from just outside the Bruce-Lockhart Centre for Creativity to their new temporary location in the Shaw Centre for Science, and last Friday, they were unveiled to the public in a moving ceremony.Brad’s gift, in gratitude for the time he and his three older brothers spent at Shawnigan, was announced in October 2024, at the Chapel Gathering for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The house posts are replicas of two posts that were carved in 1910 by Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw artist Johnny Kla-wat-chi for Chief Billy Assu – Brad’s great-grandfather and a respected leader of the We Wai Kai. In the 1930s, the posts were removed and shipped to the museum in Ottawa that is now known as the National Museum of History.
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Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 12 –18 on Canada’s beautiful Pacific Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
