About
Museum
The idea for the Museum grew out of Lance Bean’s deep affection for the School’s history. Lance worked at Shawnigan from 1974 to 1981 as a French and art teacher, band instructor, and housemaster. When he prepared to return in 2002, he shared with Headmaster and longtime friend David Robertson his vision: a museum that would show what life as a boarder once felt like – not only through photographs and stories, but through objects, spaces, and lived experience. The Head agreed, and allocated a portion of the basement in Marion Hall – which was being built at the time – to house the Museum.
Lance designed the Museum and brought it to life with tireless energy. Armed with lists and reference photos, he scoured second-hand shops and garage sales, drawing donations and offers of help from alumni and friends along the way. The result far exceeds expectations.
Visitors may anticipate a few dusty display cases – but instead they are greeted by a gleaming, restored 1923 Ford Model T Coupe. More than 2,600 square feet of space unfolds into a series of immersive alcoves: a 1916 classroom with a small woodstove, a tool-filled workshop, the Headmaster’s study from 1927 complete with C.W. Lonsdale’s desk and wooden wall panels from his original office, a medical clinic, a small iron bed from the 1920s, a kitchen from the 1920s, a 1940s classroom, a 1970s dorm room, and even a 1960s lunch counter reminiscent of Mason’s Store. Art, music, sports, and cadet life are all vividly represented.
One of the most moving sections honours the men who served in the Second World War. Beyond the names on the Roll of Honour read aloud each Remembrance Day, visitors encounter faces, uniforms, and personal stories – reminders that these young men once shared the same halls and interests.
Through its carefully recreated spaces, the Museum brings history to life, where past and present meet – and where today’s students discover their place in a story still being written.
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.
Visitors may anticipate a few dusty display cases – but instead they are greeted by a gleaming, restored 1923 Ford Model T Coupe. More than 2,600 square feet of space unfolds into a series of immersive alcoves: a 1916 classroom with a small woodstove, a tool-filled workshop, the Headmaster’s study from 1927 complete with C.W. Lonsdale’s desk and wooden wall panels from his original office, a medical clinic, a small iron bed from the 1920s, a kitchen from the 1920s, a 1940s classroom, a 1970s dorm room, and even a 1960s lunch counter reminiscent of Mason’s Store. Art, music, sports, and cadet life are all vividly represented.
One of the most moving sections honours the men who served in the Second World War. Beyond the names on the Roll of Honour read aloud each Remembrance Day, visitors encounter faces, uniforms, and personal stories – reminders that these young men once shared the same halls and interests.
Through its carefully recreated spaces, the Museum brings history to life, where past and present meet – and where today’s students discover their place in a story still being written.
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.
