News Detail
Remembrance Day 2026 and the Stories of Two Alumni
What is Remembrance Day, and what is its significance here in Canada – and at Shawnigan? And why is it important to us?
For those unfamiliar with Remembrance Day – which officially takes place on November 11 each year – it is a memorial day, observed in some countries since the end of the First World War in 1918, to mark the end of hostilities and to remember those who died in the line of duty.
In Canada, November 11 focuses on remembrance for the people who have served, and continue to serve, this country during times of war, conflict, and peace – and those who have lost their lives in the service of peace, at home and abroad.
This year will mark 108 years since Armistice and the end of the First World War.
Our founder, C.W. Lonsdale established Shawnigan in 1916 – a phoenix from the ashes of this turbulent period of history.
Part of our aim for our Remembrance Day this November (on the 4th rather than the 11th as we have our November break) is to connect the Shawnigan community of 2026 back to the Second World War – and, in particular, the stories of two alumni.
Each year, a member of the Shawnigan Senior Leadership Team lays a wreath at the grave of John Lander ’24 in Sai Wan Commonwealth War Cemetery in Hong Kong. On my first visit to the cemetery, the guide eagerly pointed out the grave of a Victoria Cross holder. I asked him if he realized that he had an Olympic gold
medallist in the cemetery and he did not!
John Lander was a Shawnigan student in the early days of the school and went on to win a gold medal, whilst at Cambridge University, in rowing at the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam. He died defending Hong Kong during the Japanese invasion – he was killed hours before the surrender on Christmas Day 1941.
A team of student film makers have this year made a film on his life as part of Operation Remembrance and it was released nationwide on November 5 as part a sequence of 11 student films across Canada. There will be a formal screening on November 11 in Ottawa and a Shawnigan student delegation will be there to represent our school.
The other story told in our Remembrance Chapel Service was that of Lt. William S. Ferguson. A few years ago, a student group visited the beaches of Normandy and museums of D-Day 1944. They visited the Bény-Sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery and laid the school flag on top of Ferguson’s gravestone. He and his men were captured and executed by a SS panzer division at Château d'Audrieu on June 8, 1944 – a war crime unforgotten. Our students were deeply touched to observe that he had chosen (before heading to war) our school motto (“Palmam Qui Meruit Ferat”), for his gravestone.
To honour his sacrifice and deep love of our school, we are launching The Lt. William S. Ferguson Scholarship on November 11. It will be for the children of armed forces and emergency services personnel.
The tragic losses at CFB Wainwright a few weeks ago is a reminder of both the human cost of training and preparation, and the impact on families of serving personnel.
For me, Remembrance Day is both a time to honour those men and women (including civilians) who have fallen in conflicts (and in training) and those who survived – on whichever side – and also to remind ourselves that we must strive constantly to find paths of peace.
In a darkening, increasingly dangerous and divided world in 2026, remembrance is our responsibility and vigil. We hope our stories in chapel and the launch of our scholarship bring light and hope at this time.
Palmam Qui Meruit Ferat.
Richard D A (Larry) Lamont has been Head of School at Shawnigan since 2018. He was previously Rektor (Head) of UWC Red Cross Nordic (Norway) from 2012 to 2018, and Head of the English Department and Head of Upper School at Marlborough College (England), spending a term in 2009 at UWC Waterford Kamhbala (Eswatini).
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.
