Alumni Notebook March 2026

Posted 3/18/2026

Reid Irwin ’17 (Ripley’s)

Reid Irwin has continued to build an impressive path both academically and athletically since graduating from Shawnigan Lake School. After completing his time in junior A hockey, Reid earned a scholarship to the University of Denver before transferring to Colgate University, where he spent his final three NCAA seasons. At Colgate, he served as assistant captain in his junior year and was named captain in his senior year, reflecting his strong leadership and character.

Following graduation, Reid pursued professional hockey. While he had multiple playing options, education remained a priority. He ultimately signed with the Belfast Giants of the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) in the United Kingdom. So far, in his first professional season, Reid has recorded 19 points in 44 games on a very strong Belfast team.

Beyond hockey, the Belfast Giants support their players’ academic growth. Reid is currently completing his MBA in Project Management through Lasell University in Massachusetts, balancing graduate studies alongside his professional career.

Reid’s journey highlights the lasting impact of a Shawnigan education and the balance of leadership, academics, and athletics beyond school.

Reid’s Reflection:
"My time at Shawnigan Lake School was pivotal to my success in both hockey and life. I was provided with the opportunities and resources to grow and truly understand my potential on and off the ice. Shawnigan is an environment that supports you through mistakes while pushing you to become a better community member, leader, and young adult. One of the most important skills I developed was time management. To succeed as a student-athlete at schools like the University of Denver and Colgate, you must effectively balance academics and athletics. Shawnigan equipped me with the tools to do exactly that, and for that I am very grateful."

Owen Quinn ’22 (Lonsdale’s) was featured in a recent Golf Business Weekly item about his first experience at the 2026 Orlando PGA Show and his new business, Found It Golf. Owen and his co-founder researched and developed cutting-edge QR technology to help golfers safeguard their golf equipment.

Congratulations to Audrey Tsang ’24 (Strathcona), who was recognized alongside her rugby teammates at the 2025 Western University Mustangs Breakfast with the Academic All-Canadians Award. This honour is given to varsity athletes who maintain an average above 80% while competing on a varsity roster.

PHOTO OF CARL BRADLEY

Carl Bradley ’78 (Groves’) and The Bradley Family Foundation were profiled in Greet Kirkland, a magazine distributed to all residents of Kirkland, Washington. In the article, Carl reflects back on his time at Shawnigan Lake School, how the Bradley Family Foundation got started, and the impact of C.A.S.E. (Communications, Arts, Sciences & Entrepreneurship) programming. Read the full article here.

On January 14, 2026, Shawnigan welcomed back former Headmaster David Robertson and his wife Lynne along with their family and friends, and Seth Purdey ’17 (Copeman’s) – nephew of Charlie Purdey, for whom the rink is named – for the annual Robertson Invitational U18 Hockey Tournament. This year also marks the tenth anniversary of the opening of the Purdey Arena at Shawnigan. David and Seth were invited to participate in the official puck drop and a rink-side live-streamed interview with Director of Athletics Tim Murdy.

First introduced in January 2019, the Robertson Invitational was created to recognize David Robertson’s vision in bringing an ice arena and an elite hockey program to Shawnigan.

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The 140th Anniversary of the birth of C.W. Lonsdale, the School’s founder, was recognized by David Hyde-Lay during a special Chapel service on January 31, 2026. Watch the full Chapel service here. Rhod and Gaynor Samuel also visited the grave of Mr. Lonsdale on February 1, 2026 to lay a birthday wreath.

The Shawnigan Lake Old Boys Society (SLOBS) hosted a Christmas lunch in December. Members from the classes of 1963, 1964 and 1965 came together to celebrate the holiday season.

Front left to right: Michael Fall ’63 (Copeman’s), Don Manning ’64 (Copeman’s), John Simson ’64 (Ripley’s), Paul Longridge ’63 (Copeman’s)

Back left to right: Alan Roaf ’63 (Ripley’s), Chuck Salmon ’64 (Lake’s), Mark Appleton ’65 (Groves’), Peter McMartin ’62 (Ripley’s)

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Alumni Sports Round-Up

This winter has been filled with athletic accomplishments from our alumni. They’ve played emotional senior nights for their universities, reunited with former Shawnigan teammates on the rugby pitch, and showcased their skills in the American Hockey League All-Star Classic. We couldn’t be prouder of our alumni!

Rugby

As one of Shawnigan’s flagship sports, our alumni continue to make an impact on every rugby pitch they step onto.

Ava Ference ’23 (Renfrew), fresh off her National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) championship win, has been named co-captain of the Harvard Crimson women’s rugby team for next year. Sophie Hayes ’25 (Renfrew) also completed her first season with the Harvard Crimson.

In January, Jack Shaw ’18 (Duxbury) made Canada proud in Dubai, playing for Canada’s men’s sevens team. In a passionately fought tournament, Canada beat Hong Kong in the semi-finals, and defeated Belgium to win the gold medal, with Jack sealing the victory by crossing the line for a try of his own. Jack also competed in the HSBC Vancouver Sevens tournament on March 7 to 8 with a large Shawnigan Lake School fanbase in the crowd.

In France, Matt Beukeboom ’15 (Lake’s) celebrated his 50th game with the Soyaux Angoulême XV Charente rugby team playing in the Pro D2 French rugby union league.

In the university world, brothers Henri Gave ’23 (Ripley’s) and George Gave ’25 (Ripley’s) had their first Duke University match as teammates. Another reunion took place in Arizona, with former teammates Aidan Docherty ’21 (Duxbury) and Dylan Thygesen ’23 (Copeman’s) meeting on the rugby pitch when the University of Arizona took on the University of California, Berkeley. Finally, Owen Barlow ’24 (Copeman’s), Sebastian Isherwood ’24 (Lake’s), and Milo McDonald ’25 (Copeman’s) went undefeated during their tour of Portugal with the University of Victoria Vikes!

Ice Hockey

Carrying that same momentum onto the ice, our hockey alumni have also been playing hard on their respective teams. Ben Berard ’17 (Copeman’s) of the Abbotsford Canucks showcased his skill at the American Hockey League (AHL) All-Star Classic in Rockford, Illinois. Playing for Team Pacific, Ben secured the win during the championship game with two goals and three assists. Ben also took part in the All-Star Skills Competition, where his goal during the Breakaway Relay went viral.

Recent graduate Morgan Jackson ’24 (Groves’) had a very successful season with the Northeastern Women’s hockey team, winning the Hockey East Regular Season Championships. She has also recently been named a Hockey East All-Star and will be playing in the NCAA Frozen Four against the Ohio State Buckeyes on March 20. We’re so proud of you, Morgan!

Scoring 20 goals in 26 games, Abby Whitworth ’23 (Renfrew) is the first University of Toronto (U of T) Varsity Blues to lead the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) in scoring since the 2007-08 season. On March 11, the U of T Varsity Blues women’s hockey team were recognized with a major award, three all-stars, and an all-rookie. Abby was named as one of OUA’s all-stars for the first time and was selected to the first team. Read the full story here.

To wrap up the hockey highlights, Jojo Tanka-Campbell ’19 (Ripley’s) played his senior night with the Yale University men’s hockey team, concluding an amazing career with the Yale Bulldogs.

Rowing

Congratulations to Alessandra (Ally) Tuttle ’23 (Strathcona), currently at Brown University, and Ellexi Fulton ’21 (Renfrew), currently at the University of Tennessee, for being recognized at the 45th Rowing Canada Aviron Excellence Awards on January 24. Ally and Ellexi received an International Achievement Award for representing Canada on the podium at an international competition. Ellexi was part of the U23 Women’s Eight crew, and Ally rowed with the U23 Women’s Eight and U23 Women’s Four crews. More details can be found here.

Basketball

Just as the basketball season came to a close at Shawnigan, so did Sergio Pereira ’19 (Copeman’s)’s season with the University of Victoria. Soon to graduate, Sergio played in his seniors night game against the University of British Columbia, with UVic winning 93-85. Congratulations, Sergio! We can’t wait to see what you do next.

Are you or a fellow alum excelling in your sport? Email alumni@shawnigan.ca and you could be featured in our next Community Newsletter.

Upcoming Sports on Campus

Come cheer on our Shawnigan Lake School rugby squads this spring, we hope to see you on the sidelines! Over Spring Break, the senior boys’ and girls’ rugby teams are on tour in France, while the junior boys’ team are playing in the UK.

PHOTO REGATTA

Shawnigan Lake School 65th Regatta

May 8–10, 2026

Shawnigan Provincial Park

Come cheer us on and be part of the excitement this spring! Interested in volunteering? Sign up here.

Mike Johnson Squash Tournament & E.R. (Ned) Larsen Special Chapel Service & Squash Centre Ribbon Cutting Event

We are excited to host the annual Mike Johnson Squash Tournament again this year. The tournament takes place at the E.R. (Ned) Larsen Squash Centre with matches kicking off on Thursday, May 21. This year’s tournament also includes a special Chapel service focused on Ned Larsen, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, May 23 to recognize and thank the donors who generously stepped forward to upgrade the squash centre.

Please join us and cheer on our Shawnigan alumni and students during the tournament. Watch Instagram for more details about the tournament match schedule and ribbon-cutting event.

Alumni Connections

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From our campus to around the world, we meet Shawnigan Lake School alumni almost everywhere we go. Above is a collection of photos from recent visits with Shawnigan alumni.

Some of our recent alumni connections include:

Members of the Shawnigan Lake School Advancement & Community Engagement, Athletics and Head’s Office departments hosted alumni, past and current parents and the greater Shawnigan community at two events in Vancouver in March: the Vancouver Head’s Lunch, hosted by Head of School Larry Lamont, for our alumni who graduated in 1980 and earlier, and a Vancouver Community Gathering hosted by Co-Directors of Alumni Relations Rhod Samuel and Cheryl Miranda.
Dennis Ma ’94 (Ripley’s) and his partner visited campus in February.
Gaynor and Rhod Samuel hosted alumni, parents and friends of Shawnigan for a pub night in Edmonton and Calgary in February.
Jordan Lee ’02 (Lonsdale’s) reconnected with Rhod Samuel during a recent visit to Edmonton. Jordan was once an artist in residence at Shawnigan Lake School and had the opportunity to work with one of his favourite teachers, Don Rolston. Jordan continues to work as a successful artist and has a 6-month-old daughter with his wife, Ksenia.
Larry Chung ’71 (Lake’s) and Steve Koerner ’71 (Groves’) recently visited Hugh Fraser ’46 (Groves’) with Rhod Samuel in Victoria. Hugh celebrated his 96th birthday in early February.
Larry Lamont and Owain Samuel ’09 (Ripley’s), Advancement Associate, had the chance to reconnect with Ed and Susan Wilding, parents of Mike Wilding ’06 (Copeman’s), during a trip to Palm Springs in January.
Recent alumna Desi Shaw ’25 (Groves’) visited Shawnigan’s Guidance Office. Desi connected with our current students about her university life at the University of St Andrews in Scotland.
Jorge Usabiaga ’92 (Lake’s), a member of the Shawnigan Lake School Board of Governors, and his wife, Ericka De La Fuente, hosted a Shawnigan Lake School Community Gathering in Celeya, Mexico, in January. The Shawnigan Admissions and Advancement teams also hosted events in Mexico City and Monterrey.
Larry Lamont, his wife, Kathini Cameron, and Owain Samuel ’09 (Ripley’s) hosted parents and alumni for a pub night in San Francisco.
Rhod Samuel reconnected with alumni and supporters, Ian Manly ’06 (Copeman’s) and Mike Wilding ’06 (Copeman’s), at their Associated Fire Safety office in Burnaby.
Rhod Samuel ran into David Beckingham ’23 (Copeman’s) and Brooke Beckingham ’20 (Groves’) over the holiday break in December in Vancouver. Alejandro Hernandez ’94 (Copeman’s) shared a holiday family photo with the School. The photo includes four alumni, three current Shawnigan students, and one future student!

Please let us know if you are in the area and we would be happy to arrange for a tour. Contact alumni@shawnigan.ca.

Weddings

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Congratulations to Liam McKay ’15 (Copeman’s) on his wedding in July 2025 in Dorset, UK. Alumni and current students in attendance: Anika Affleck ’17 (Groves’), Kaleb A. ’26 (Copeman’s), Olivia Edwards ’15 (Kaye’s), Wyatt Huber ’15 (Duxbury), and Will Laumann-Wallace ’15 (Duxbury).

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Congratulations to alum Nicole Ng ’16 (Strathcona) and Chris Lor ’16 (Lonsdale’s), who were married in January 2026.

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Congratulations to Milan Varma ’11 (Lonsdale’s) on his recent wedding. In the photo, left to right: Jeremy, Anjani’s fiancé; Anjani Varma ’08 (Groves’), Emily, Milan’s wife; Milan Varma ’11 (Lonsdale’s); Deleigh, and Ash Varma ’75 (Groves’).

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Congratulations to Dominic Tjia ’11 (Duxbury), who married Bernice Choi in June 2025 in Bali. Shawnigan alum, Danielle Tjia '14 (Strathcona), Christian Tjia ’11 (Duxbury), Julien Mouret ’11 (Lonsdale’s), Ryogen Taguchi ’11 (Duxbury), and Tenkai Taguchi ’14 (Duxbury) attended the wedding.

Births

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Alex MacIntosh ’09 (Lonsdale’s) and his wife, Missy, welcomed a new member of their family, Lachlan, on January 12, 2026.

Passages

In this section we recognize those members of our alumni and greater community who have passed away. Please reach out to Rhodri Samuel at rsamuel@shawnigan.ca if you have information or updates you would like to share with our wider community.

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Harry Kipnes ’76 (Groves’) passed away at the age of 66. Although Harry only attended Shawnigan for his senior year, he quickly made a name for himself at the School with his athletic ability. Being incredibly fast, in what was thought to be a building year for the track and field team, Harry led the team to success, where they came third at the Island meet in 1976. His lightness of feet was made useful on the rugby and soccer teams as well. As the winger of the 1st XV, Harry “electrif[ied] the sideline spectators whenever he received the ball.” Harry was also seen on the ice and slopes, participating on both the hockey team and ski team. Harry will be remembered at Shawnigan for his athletic skill and natural ability to settle into Shawnigan life. Our condolences go to his loved ones during this difficult time, including his daughter Pascal Lamothe-Kipnes ’13 (Grove’s). Read his obituary here.

Robert (Bob) Cooper ’57 (Lake’s), past board member, father of Chris Cooper ’89 (Lake’s) and grandfather of Grace C. ’26 (Groves’), passed away on February 23, 2026. At Shawnigan, Bob was a School Prefect (1955-56), Head Prefect (1956-57), and Captain of the Rugby (1955-56 and 1956-57), Basketball (1956-57) and Track and Field (1956-57) teams. “He was not only the best player on the team, but very often also the best on the field. Boundless in energy, he was never more than a few feet from the ball, but he will perhaps be best remembered for his astonishing tackling and other defensive abilities.” Read his obituary here.

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Chris Winslow ’70 (Lake’s) passed away on December 27, 2025. As a student at Shawnigan, Chris was the Deputy Head Boy (1969-70) and received the Groves’ All-Rounder Award (1969-70).

Excerpt from the 1970 yearbook: Chris displayed fine leadership and inspiration as a prefect, a scholar and an athlete. He, too, achieved great respect from his superiors and his peers... Amazingly enough he achieved this whenever he was in a position of responsibility. Lasting will be the image of him with a waistcoat and jacket, and hair neatly parted, the image that caused him so often to be mistook for an adult. In truth, he was very much an adult at those times, but ultimately it was too demanding on him to remain the pillar of virtue amidst friends who were still bubbling with immaturity.

The memory that is sure to survive the clearest of all is Chris Winslow, the actor for acting's sake. Both his marvellous characterizations of Shakespeare's antagonist in Hamlet and his clowning through the after-dinner announcements will remain unforgettable.

Chris taught at Shawnigan Lake School from 1974 to 1979, was Deputy Head of School, and received a Stag Award in 1969 for his performances in many concerts, his role as School Prefect and leading roles in many school theatrical productions. Read his obituary here.

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Roland Emery ’83 (Lake’s) passed away on December 30, 2025. Roland attended Shawnigan for three years and was a School Prefect (1982-83) and Head of Lake’s House (1982-83). He was the recipient of the Sportsmanship Closing Day Prize in 1983 and the Senior Art Academics Prize. He played field hockey, soccer and rugby on the 1st XV team. Read his obituary here.

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Keith Homer ’63 (Lake’s) passed away last year on March 8, 2025. Read his obituary here. At Shawnigan, Keith was noted for his drawing ability and in Grade 12, he played on the soccer and cricket teams.

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Graydon Gibson ’64 (Ripley’s) passed away on October 6, 2025. Graydon began his Shawnigan journey at age 13. He was a member of the Shawnigan squash team, represented Ripley’s in the Debating Society, and occasionally played a piano-trumpet duet at school dances. Read his obituary here.

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Patrick Kingsford ’62 (Groves’) passed away on January 29, 2026. Patrick was the Groves’ House Prefect (1961-62) and was known as a loyal and conscientious prefect. During the 1962 summer term, Pat produced two hardworking Groves’ House cricket and rowing teams. He was a member of the First Eight rowing crew and also the rowing treasurer. Read his obituary here.

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Former Shawnigan Lake School rowing coach Tim Powell passed away on January 18, 2026. Tim was a beloved rowing coach in 1984 and 1985, leading the crews to three Canadian titles at the CSSRA (known as the Canadian Schoolboy Rowing Championships) in St. Catharines, Ontario. When Tim left Shawnigan, he was made an honorary lifetime member of the SLS Rowing Club and was presented with a sterling silver tie pin at the end of the season. “During his time at Shawnigan, he made his greatest contribution in the rowing program where he was responsible for bringing on and developing the lightweight crew, which did so well in the Schoolboy Championships in St. Catharines, winning the Gold Medal in the Fours and Eights in both 1984 and 1985.” Read his obituary here.

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Patrick Assu ’79 (Lonsdale’s) passed away in January. Patrick was from Cape Mudge on Quadra Island, where he was a skipper of a commercial fishing boat. Patrick was a five-year student at Shawnigan, and the second of four brothers to attend [Brian Assu ’77 (Lonsdale’s), Michael Assu ’82 (Lonsdale’s), and Brad Assu ’83 (Lonsdale’s)] “A stalwart of the rowing club, Pat rowed on the first eight in his last two years and received school colours for his efforts in this sport…he will also be remembered for his rugby on the 2nd XV during two seasons in various positions in the scrum. Despite heavy sporting commitments, Pat still managed to be an effective School Prefect who could be counted on to handle difficult situations. In addition, Pat maintained an interest in his two favourite activities, sailing and woodwork, in both of which he was proficient.”

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