About
Boathouse
With the School property bordering a lake, it is natural that boats are a prominent part of School activities. The current boathouse has had a few predecessors. Photos from the early 1920s depict a small boathouse and dock.
A rowing program was started at the School in 1930, and soon a larger boathouse was needed. In 1939, Mr. D.M. Hartnell, a Shawnigan parent at the time, generously donated one. The new larger boathouse with distinctive half-round log siding accommodated a variety of rowboats, sailboats, and rowing shells. A ramp led to a large L-shaped dock below. When a second boathouse with a separate dock was built in 1959 specifically for rowing shells, the older boathouse was designated the “sailing boathouse.” The two docks created a semi-enclosed area where inter-House swimming was an annual event.
In 1995, both boathouses were replaced with the much larger “Read Crewhouse,” a donation from John M.S. Lecky ’57 (Groves’). It is named to honour John’s UBC rowing coach, Frank Read. Read’s crews earned several significant medals at the Commonwealth Games and Olympics, including an Olympic silver medal for the Men’s VIII in 1964, of which Lecky was a member. Read had a profound effect on Lecky, not only as a coach, but as “an educator of the highest order – a man who used the skill and discipline of rowing to teach his athletes the value of honest commitment to a task and absolute dedication to a goal.”
John Lecky made the donation with the provision that one bay be at the disposal of the Canadian National Team whenever they choose to train on Shawnigan Lake, which happens regularly. In addition to providing boat and shell storage, the facility has showers, washrooms, and a magnificent club room with picture windows overlooking the lake. Here rowers can train indoors with weight equipment and ergometers. Display cases contain trophies and exhibits telling the story of Frank Read.
Recently, in response to its increased use, the Read Crewhouse underwent a minor renovation by enclosing the west balcony to expand the club room. Also, another dock was added, so there are now three.
The information presented in this write-up is based on current information available in the School's Archives and consultation with key people who have some relevant connection to this "object." If you have further information about this "object" that you would like to contribute, please contact the School’s Advancement Office at alumni@shawnigan.ca.
In 1995, both boathouses were replaced with the much larger “Read Crewhouse,” a donation from John M.S. Lecky ’57 (Groves’). It is named to honour John’s UBC rowing coach, Frank Read. Read’s crews earned several significant medals at the Commonwealth Games and Olympics, including an Olympic silver medal for the Men’s VIII in 1964, of which Lecky was a member. Read had a profound effect on Lecky, not only as a coach, but as “an educator of the highest order – a man who used the skill and discipline of rowing to teach his athletes the value of honest commitment to a task and absolute dedication to a goal.”
John Lecky made the donation with the provision that one bay be at the disposal of the Canadian National Team whenever they choose to train on Shawnigan Lake, which happens regularly. In addition to providing boat and shell storage, the facility has showers, washrooms, and a magnificent club room with picture windows overlooking the lake. Here rowers can train indoors with weight equipment and ergometers. Display cases contain trophies and exhibits telling the story of Frank Read.
Recently, in response to its increased use, the Read Crewhouse underwent a minor renovation by enclosing the west balcony to expand the club room. Also, another dock was added, so there are now three.
The information presented in this write-up is based on current information available in the School's Archives and consultation with key people who have some relevant connection to this "object." If you have further information about this "object" that you would like to contribute, please contact the School’s Advancement Office at alumni@shawnigan.ca.
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.
