News Archive

In front of a Grade 9 Health and Career Education class on Wednesday, Mr. Andrew Ference recalled a time when he took an initiative that changed his life.

 

Going into his National Hockey League draft year as an 18-year-old, Mr. Ference wasn’t seen as enough of a potential NHL player to be invited to the combine – that’s where prospects go through a series of rigorous fitness tests, with the results shared with scouts across the league to consider alongside their statistics and performances in games. His response? “I’ll do my own testing.” Mr. Ference went to the University of Alberta, near his hometown, and paid to go through all the same tests as the prospects who were invited, then faxed them (faxing was still the go-to communication method in 1997) to all 26 NHL general managers along with a cover letter. He wasn’t invited to attend the draft, but he received a phone call that day informing him that he had been selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the eighth round, 208th overall out of 246 players picked. Craig Patrick, the Penguins’ general manager at the time, also called and told him how bold it was to send out his fitness results.

 

Mr. Ference went on to play 907 NHL games – more than 17 of the 26 players picked in the first round – reaching the Stanley Cup finals with the Calgary Flames in 2004, winning the Cup with the Boston Bruins in 2011, captaining the Edmonton Oilers from 2013 to 2015, and receiving the King Clancy Memorial Award for leadership on and off the ice in 2014. He still works for the NHL, in addition to being a current parent and coach at Shawnigan.

 

From the Head of Shawnigan Regatta in late November to climbing and basketball competitions this week, the last few months have seen a great deal of success for Shawnigan’s teams and athletes in a variety of sports.

 

After a break of several years, the Head of Shawnigan Regatta returned in late November with strong results from the host rowing crews.

 

The early-morning fog burned off as the sun rose in the sky, and although the Shawnigan team had some members unable to compete due to illness, the School collected first-place finishes in the U19 boys’ single (Steven D.), the U17 boy’s eight, the U15 boys’ and girls’ coxed quads, and novice girls’ quad, as well as a second-place finish in the U19 boys’ double.

 

Staff members got into the act as well, with Mrs. Julie Platt joining a masters four crew that posted a brilliant time, and Mr. Travis Gronsdahl placing second in the masters single on raw time. A team of administration staff taking part in a health and wellness rowing initiative placed second in their women’s quad race.

 

In all, five clubs took part in the Head of Shawnigan, with a total of 49 entries.

 

Shawnigan’s success at the Vancouver Model United Nations conference last weekend is a testament to the efforts of the student leaders who have taken ownership of the program.

 

The School sent 18 students to the conference, the 25th annual session of VMUN. The largest high school student-organized Model UN conference in North America, it attracted 1,500 students this year, divided into 20 committees. Three Shawnigan students came away with awards. Aven T., representing China in the World Meteorological Organisation, and Alan A., representing France in the International Atomic Energy Agency, both received the highly sought-after gavels presented to the Best Delegate in each committee, while Angelina Z., representing Burundi in the Disarmament and International Security Committee, earned an Honourable Mention.

 

“My experience at the 25th iteration of the Vancouver Model United Nations conference was a whirlwind of debate, honing my speaking skills, and forming new friendships that I have no doubt will last far beyond my time in Model UN,” Alan stated. “Representing France in the International Atomic Energy Agency allowed me to better my public speaking and debate skills, while growing my knowledge on current affairs. Having been in Model UN for two years, it has been a fulfilling 360 and beyond that, has helped my writing and presenting skills in all other facets of Shawnigan.”

 

Ducking down through a low door in the Shawnigan Sportsplex, you find yourself in a new environment: a space where students and other members of the Shawnigan community can feel safe while challenging themselves physically and mentally and escaping the busyness of life at Shawnigan to focus on one thing.

 

Welcome to the Kameda Climbing Centre. Built in a repurposed squash court – hence the low door, which was intentionally left as it was to give the feeling of entering a completely different place – the Climbing Centre replaces a climbing wall in the Larsen Gymnasium for which accessibility was an issue as climbers couldn’t be in the gym when basketball teams were practicing, for example, and climbing groups had to go off campus two or three times a week. The new facility also allows for two climbing disciplines – bouldering and top rope – whereas the old wall was only built for top rope. Top rope uses a rope and a harness for higher climbs and requires a partner, while bouldering involves shorter climbs on lower walls with mats for climbers to land on if they fall.

 

“We had the idea of using the old squash court space so students could stay on campus, and also so people who are not in adventure sports or the Outdoor Leadership and Development Club would be able to use it,” explained Outdoor Education Coordinator Ms. Jessica Dick.

 

The Grade 8s in Samuel House aren’t up for points in the inter-House standings, which are strictly for the senior Houses, but they still take part in the competitions, which are such an ingrained part of boarding culture and do so much to bolster House spirit.

 

At inter-House rowing last Saturday, the Samuel House boys ended up winning, and would have taken the most points if they were eligible. The strong crop of Grade 8 rowers actually had their team in the lead in the early going, but ended up blowing the other teams out of the metaphorical water – inter-House rowing is contested in the gym on erg machines – with the help of athletes from Rowing Canada’s national team. On the girls’ side, Strathcona House was able to hold off the combined Grade 8/Rowing Canada team.

 

Thanks to a formal partnership between Shawnigan and Rowing Canada Aviron, the national team athletes train regularly on Shawnigan Lake out of the School’s boathouse. Rowing Canada also has a training space in the Sportsplex, full of high-end equipment that Shawnigan students have access to. The national team rowers can frequently be found enjoying a coffee in Duke’s Café after their training is over.

 

As part of the Shawnigan Journey, each grade is tagged with a unique word. For alumni, that word is “thrive,” as Shawnigan strives to prepare graduates to flourish even after they have moved on to the next steps in their lives.

 

One of the biggest parts of that preparation is Shawnigan’s Guidance Office.

 

“The job of the Guidance Office is to work in concert with students to help them thrive beyond the gates of Shawnigan, to plan their pathways post-secondary, whatever that looks like – if it’s university, college, a gap year, or something else,” says Director of Futures Mr. Paul Doig.

 

Students had the unique opportunity last week to see the world through the eyes of an award-winning photographer and environmental artist and learn first-hand about the process and techniques that she employs, with some getting the opportunity to create immersive art alongside her.

 

Nikki Baxendale, a Shawnigan parent, artist and storyteller based in Vancouver, spent last week on campus as a short-term artist in residence, creating art and sharing her knowledge with students through an informative talk and a pair of workshops that explored the relationship between people, art, and the environment.

 

Mrs. Baxendale began the week by painting in Duke’s Café, giving students a chance to observe, engage, and interact with an artist at work.

 

“It was really wonderful to watch when she was in Duke’s,” said Ms. Emily Coolidge, Heimbecker Inspiration Chair for Experiential Education. “At first, there was some apprehension and curiosity on the part of the students, but they gradually started to approach her and ask questions. The place started to buzz.”

 

The sitzprobe is coming!

 

Not something to be feared, the sitzprobe is the first time that the cast of a musical rehearses together with the orchestra. In the case of Shawnigan’s production of The Little Mermaid, that consequential date is just over a week away.

 

“This is the moment when it really kicks into gear,” musical director Mr. Sal Interlandi says. “When they get into the McPherson Playhouse, that is another step. Each step brings more excitement.”

 

The musical version of The Little Mermaid is based on the 1989 Disney animated film, which was in turn based on an 1837 fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen about a mermaid who dreams of the world above the sea and falls in love with a human prince. The show opens on February 4, and the production is becoming more real with every rehearsal.

 

With an hour left to prepare their entry for the Zoom Film Festival, the team behind Shawnigan entry No Return (无归) had cut their footage down to a sleek seven and a half minutes. Unfortunately, that was still two and a half minutes more than the festival permits, leading to some tough decisions down the home stretch, and ultimately to an award nomination.

 

Hosted by West Vancouver’s Mulgrave School, the Zoom Festival gives students a mere 48 hours to write, direct and edit a five-minute film, resulting in a hectic and intense couple of days as well as a fantastic learning experience. Narrowing the scope, the students are emailed a specific prop and a theme via email immediately before the starting pistol fires. Then it’s off to work.

 

This year’s theme was “Can’t ever go back,” and the prop was a ticket. Films were created over an intense 48-hour span in October, and results were unveiled in December. Shawnigan submitted four films, three of which were finalists for awards:

 

December had most students looking forward to going home for Christmas Break, but several of our accomplished student-athletes had other thoughts as they prepared to travel to other parts of Canada and the globe for high-level competition in a variety of sports.

 

 

Prior to Christmas, Joelle K. became a national champion in squash, winning the U17 girls’ title at the Squash Canada 2025 Canadian Junior Open in St. Catharines, Ontario. Although the field consisted mostly of players a year older than her, Joelle didn’t lose a single game, and outscored her opponents 165-68. From Ontario, she travelled straight to Philadelphia for the US Junior Open on December 20-23. In Philadelphia, Joelle went in as a 9-16 seed (out of 108 competitors in the U17 bracket) and won her first three matches, including an upset of the No. 8 seed, to reach the round of 16. She was ousted from the tournament in an intense match with the No. 1 seed.