News Detail
The First 36
Celebrating co-education at Shawnigan
2019 is a milestone year for Shawnigan Lake School as we commemorate one of the biggest changes in our School’s history – the advent of co-education at Shawnigan! In the fall of 1988, Shawnigan opened its doors to its first female students. This year marks the 30-year anniversary of those first graduates, and we were delighted to take the opportunity at this year’s Founder’s Day to celebrate all 36 female students who entered the School that inaugural year.
Incredibly, 25 of the 36 girls who entered Shawnigan in the 1988-89 school year were able to come to our celebrations. They were joined by some of their male and female classmates from the graduating classes of 1989-93. Also present were House Directors and other staff members from that era, including former Headmaster Doug Campbell, who was instrumental in leading Shawnigan towards co-education. This truly special reunion-within-a-reunion included a welcoming address from current Headmaster Larry Lamont and a stirring reminiscence from Lisa Grover ’90 (Kaye’s), one of those first 36 girls and a current Shawnigan Board member. We capped the celebrations by christening a new rowing shell right there in the library, calling it “The First 36” in honour of those pioneering female students.
“Change is rarely easy and often resisted – and change-makers do not walk a straight and simple path,” stated Ms Grover in her address. As we reflect on the 36 change-makers (and their supporting cast of parents, classmates, and teachers) who entered the School gates 30 years ago, we are grateful for their resilience, determination, and leadership. They altered the trajectory of the School forever, steering us towards today’s Shawnigan Lake School, and we haven’t looked back since.
Please find Ms Grover's full address below:
Incredibly, 25 of the 36 girls who entered Shawnigan in the 1988-89 school year were able to come to our celebrations. They were joined by some of their male and female classmates from the graduating classes of 1989-93. Also present were House Directors and other staff members from that era, including former Headmaster Doug Campbell, who was instrumental in leading Shawnigan towards co-education. This truly special reunion-within-a-reunion included a welcoming address from current Headmaster Larry Lamont and a stirring reminiscence from Lisa Grover ’90 (Kaye’s), one of those first 36 girls and a current Shawnigan Board member. We capped the celebrations by christening a new rowing shell right there in the library, calling it “The First 36” in honour of those pioneering female students.
“Change is rarely easy and often resisted – and change-makers do not walk a straight and simple path,” stated Ms Grover in her address. As we reflect on the 36 change-makers (and their supporting cast of parents, classmates, and teachers) who entered the School gates 30 years ago, we are grateful for their resilience, determination, and leadership. They altered the trajectory of the School forever, steering us towards today’s Shawnigan Lake School, and we haven’t looked back since.
Please find Ms Grover's full address below:
Seeing this room filled to capacity to celebrate 30 years of co-education is a JOY TO BEHOLD! Thank you for coming back to your school to be recognized and celebrated.
In 1988, under the direction and leadership of Doug Campbell, Shawnigan began its greatest transition. Prior to that, for 72 years, Shawnigan stood firmly in its identity as “THE BOY’S SCHOOL”.
Change is rarely easy and often resisted - and change makers do not walk a straight and simple path. Although I was only 15 at the time and oblivious to the action behind this change, I now have an appreciation and deep gratitude for the effort involved in making this fundamental shift.
Doug, 30 years later, I want to thank you for your visionary work and dedication to our school. I am confident that your career has had many highs, but tonight, as we reflect on where we have come from, I hope you embrace this moment; your work has been truly impactful to Shawnigan and everyone in this room.
Doug’s vision of a co-educational Shawnigan was supported by an all-male Board of Governors who voted unanimously in favor of it. These steps were bold and brave.
Upon hearing that Shawnigan was accepting female students, and following the lead of our founding sister Renate Grass, I immediately started navigating my path to get here with a sense of determination that I had never previously exhibited. Thankfully, my parents supported this move, but reflecting on it now, it would be easy to understand if they had resisted it. If admitted, I would be 1 of 35 girls in a school of 238 boys. Yes, the odds were clearly in my favor and I was thrilled about the ratio of 1 girl to every 7 boys, but I’m not sure that should be the basis for making solid educational decisions.
Actually, it was a rather serious time for the original girls. When we arrived at school on Opening Day the press was there to meet us and the pressure was on. In fact, the original girls were frequently told that co-education at Shawnigan was a pilot project and the success of it rested squarely on our shoulders. I’m still not clear if that was really the case or just a 1980s form of motivation!
Although there was certainly a great deal of pressure, the truth is, my female classmates were not a meek and mild bunch, but rather incredibly brave and bright and ready to find their place among the boys.
Old norms and practices were challenged and we quickly began to establish an equal footing. Our challenges were real, but we faced them together. We were the sisters of School House – all so very different but forever connected through this transformative journey.
Despite our efforts, I suspect our House Directors, Leslie Carr, Liz Leary, Eva Towner and Margaret Bunkall often wondered what they had taken on. But I clearly remember the sheer joy we all felt as School House erupted in cheers when Leslie announced that we were in first place for academic points at the end of the first term. We had found our place and we were here to stay!
I’m delighted to report that 25 of the original 36 women are here tonight, which is just outstanding. I encourage you to reach out and connect with these women – you won’t get all the stories, but if you’re lucky, you’ll get a few.
Amongst all the changes that year, we also had an enormous amount of fun. And the truth is we could not have done this alone. The support we had from our male classmates (many of whom are here tonight) was real and credit must be given to them. Yes, they tormented and teased us but they also authentically supported us. And, that support was shown early on. I’ll never forget the energy I felt when the majority of the boys stormed our field hockey pitch to cheer wildly for us during our first home game. Surprisingly, I never felt like a girl within a Boy’s School – that itself is an impressive accomplishment for our school. Thank you to our male classmates for supporting us and adapting to our presence.
1988 was a new beginning for Shawnigan, and for me it was my beginning. Here, under the care and support of teachers and staff, I was given a safe place to explore who I was, often messing up, but always being challenged and engaged. Lynne Grass taught me early on that women must support women; Liz Leary taught me to have the confidence to navigate my own life path; and the incredible Peter Yates taught me how to stand in my own space among men. To all the staff, thank you for your guidance and support. You modeled excellence and commitment and your lessons reached far beyond the classroom.
Thirty years later, when I spend time at Shawnigan, what stands out most for me is not the physical improvements, as those are necessary and inevitable, but rather the feeling I have when I walk on campus and notice culturally all that has stayed the same.
The core values instilled in me 30 years ago continue to guide me today. However, beyond the lessons of excellence, commitment and hard work, the lessons that have impacted me the most and contributed to my JOY are the importance and necessity of Community, Balance and Humility. For me, these are what make Shawnigan different and are the essence of our school.
In the words of Malcolm Gladwell, “we cannot be separated from where we’re from” and I am so grateful and proud to be from Shawnigan. A school which, 30 years later, while thriving, continues to focus on what it means to be a truly co-educational school in practice and works hard and deliberately to provide equal opportunities for girls, boys and staff.
Also, I take tremendous pride knowing that Shawnigan continues to maintain CW Lonsdale’s vision of making a Shawnigan Education available to all exceptional students, regardless of means, and currently provides 40% of all students on campus with Financial Assistance - thereby ensuring that life here is diversified and enriched.
In closing, it has been an absolute pleasure for me to rewind time and regress to the late 80s when great friendships formed, first loves bloomed and self-discoveries were made. I hope this weekend provides you with a meaningful and authentic opportunity to reconnect with your classmates, teachers and school; and to reflect on your time here and the impact you have made to Shawnigan. Quite simply, there is something MAGICAL about Shawnigan – I have spent time in many places and I have never felt the sense of community and therefore JOY that I feel here. So please come back and come back often. Thank you!
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.
