News Detail
Local Focus in Law 12
An incident that endangered hundreds of coho salmon that were in the process of migrating to their spawning grounds near the School provided an opportunity for Law 12 students to examine a local matter and the way the various stakeholders have responded to it.
After he learned about the incident, teacher Mr. Galen Loiselle consulted with a developer, the local salmon conservation group, and government representatives at multiple levels to create a case study that he presented to the class. Students then read the article he put together, annotated it, and wrote a response to the incident. They discussed the sometimes-fine line between an unavoidable accident and illegal negligence, and asked if government inspectors got it right when they labelled it a “minor incident,” or if that label reflected outdated priorities?
Students also had to question if their own moral compasses and upbringings affected their decisions, and how any experiences around salmon enhancement, environmental accidents, or land development may have affected their positions.
The School is directly connected to local salmon enhancement in several different ways. Shawnigan students raise salmon fry in the Mark Hobson Hatchery on campus, which are released into local streams to later return and spawn as part of the salmon cycle. Students also help at the Mill Bay & District Conservation Society’s fish trap, where salmon are caught in nets at the base of Shawnigan Creek falls, then transferred into a waiting trailer that takes them further up the creek where they are released to access their spawning grounds.
“I think that this unfortunate event had a bigger impact on the School than people would have thought,” said Law 12 student Hudson M. “The coho that were killed were the exact adult coho that were going to be used for the Grade 9 Science and Grade 11 and 12 Environmental Science classes later in the year. Those classes promote ecological conservation, which is an important topic to understand, especially as we reach our independence outside of Shawnigan.
“Overall, the majority of the students understood that what happened was not intended, but it could restrict us from becoming more knowledgeable about the environment.”
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 12 –18 on Canada’s beautiful Pacific Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
