News Archive
History Tour
Grade 9s discover local treasures
Shawnigan Grade 9s enjoyed an expedition through local history, with recent tours of the Cowichan Valley led by veteran social studies teacher Ralph Fraser.
Having just finished a term studying the history of British Columbia, classes hopped on buses during the week's long blocks to discover some key historical locations in the area.
Some of the highlights included a visit to Cowichan Bay, where the tall ship HMS Hecate delivered 100 settlers to the Cowichan Valley in 1862, accompanied by Sir James Douglas. As well, groups stopped at a monument at the Corfield ranch where poet Robert Service lived in the 1890s, made a humbling visit to an old stone church built by Catholic missionaries in 1870, visited the first Catholic school for indigenous girls (also constructed in the 1870s), and then concluded their tours with a strenuous hike up Cowichan's Mt. Prevost – an unmissable stop for anyone visiting the valley.
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.
