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Dear Shawnigan Community,

“I have never been more convinced than right now of the values of Shawnigan” [current parent]


Dear Shawnigan Community,

I hope you and your family are safe and well during these challenging times. At Shawnigan, we have been profoundly touched by the many messages of encouragement and offers of support we have received, and we have drawn strength and motivation from your calls to courageous action.
One of our Founder CW Lonsdale’s core principles was that exceptional students are deserving of a Shawnigan education regardless of financial means, and the extended Shawnigan community is vital in our effort to uphold the Founder’s vision in this unprecedented time.

We are conscious that many Shawnigan families are facing daunting financial hurdles and may struggle to re-enroll for September. In this period of heightened adversity for these families and our School, I write to seek your support for a new philanthropic initiative, the Founder’s Fund, to ensure that no student is unable to return to Shawnigan due to financial barriers. The Founder’s Fund will run in parallel with the Annual Fund to provide extra financial aid for the most vulnerable families in our School community.

I am always quite inspired when our students and alumni talk of their ‘brothers and sisters’ in the Houses and how Shawnigan is their ‘second home’. If, in the face of today’s unparalleled challenges, you are in a position to help us bring them all ‘home’, please support the Founder’s Fund. All of our Board and Foundation members, who are volunteers committed to the strategy and success of the School, have unanimously stepped forward with a matching program for Founder's Fund donations. Therefore, your contributions will automatically be doubled for the benefit of deserving students.

All contributions are appreciated, regardless of the amount – to the Founder’s Fund or any area of the School that is important to you – from donations to offers of mentorship and career guidance for our Grade 12s and young alumni. Donations can be made via our secure website, and our Advancement & Community Engagement Department stands ready to respond to all offers of support via advancement@shawnigan.ca or 250-743-6235.

Part of the magic of Shawnigan is our commitment to financial assistance – with over 40% of students currently receiving support. Please click here for a great example of the impact that scholarships can have. Grade 12 student Milena is not only a Prefect and top Shawnigan student-athlete, she has recently earned the prestigious Morehead-Cain Scholarship at the University of North Carolina and has taken a leadership role in supporting local families at risk. She is a fine example for us all.

Things will undoubtedly get better and we shall emerge stronger – and we are going to get through this together. I know that when we look back on what may well prove to be one of the greatest crises of our lifetime, we will take pride in how we responded as the Shawnigan community.
Thank you for your consideration and support through a defining time in our history.

Best wishes,

Richard D. A. Lamont
Headmaster

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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.