Brewing Joy
Friesen Centre upgrades
Shawnigan students were greeted with a wonderful surprise when they returned from their winter holidays: a completely renovated student centre! After having established the Friesen Centre as part of the Centennial Campaign and the renovation of the Main Building in 2014, Garth Friesen ’87 (Ripley’s) generously stepped forward to fund these upgrades as a gift to our students in recognition and celebration of how they have risen to the challenges of the pandemic.
Inspiration for the design came from students in our entrepreneurship classes, and a staff team worked tirelessly over the Christmas break to create the space in time for the students’ return in January.
The new space is hardly recognizable. It has been filled with plush furniture, chic decor, and verdant plants. The glass bi-folding doors have been painted with silhouettes of the BC wilderness. Student artwork and chalkboard menus adorn the walls. In warmer weather, outdoor furniture will be set up in the adjacent courtyard to extend the seating area.
The indisputable crown jewel of the renovations, however, is the newly-installed coffee/snack bar run by staff baristas. Following a school-wide vote, this new café has been named “Duke’s” in honour of recently retired entrepreneurship teacher Gary Dukelow. “It seems only fitting that the space in which he spent much of his time is now named after him,” shares Mariel Solsberg, who took over the entrepreneurship program this year.
One week into the new term on campus, it is clear that these latest upgrades to “The Ritz” (as the student centre has been affectionately called for decades) have indeed bolstered spirits on campus. These renovations have given our community an extra jolt of energy (in more ways than one!) by providing a special place where students can gather safely while sipping mochas, lattes or Americanos.
Thank you for your continued support, Mr. Friesen! And many thanks to all of the staff and students who worked so hard to make this happen in such a short space of time.
Shawnigan Lake School is adhering to all COVID-19 guidelines released by the BC Ministries of Health and Education, including those regarding learning cohorts, physical distancing and mask-wearing when appropriate.
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Inspiration for the design came from students in our entrepreneurship classes, and a staff team worked tirelessly over the Christmas break to create the space in time for the students’ return in January.
The new space is hardly recognizable. It has been filled with plush furniture, chic decor, and verdant plants. The glass bi-folding doors have been painted with silhouettes of the BC wilderness. Student artwork and chalkboard menus adorn the walls. In warmer weather, outdoor furniture will be set up in the adjacent courtyard to extend the seating area.
The indisputable crown jewel of the renovations, however, is the newly-installed coffee/snack bar run by staff baristas. Following a school-wide vote, this new café has been named “Duke’s” in honour of recently retired entrepreneurship teacher Gary Dukelow. “It seems only fitting that the space in which he spent much of his time is now named after him,” shares Mariel Solsberg, who took over the entrepreneurship program this year.
One week into the new term on campus, it is clear that these latest upgrades to “The Ritz” (as the student centre has been affectionately called for decades) have indeed bolstered spirits on campus. These renovations have given our community an extra jolt of energy (in more ways than one!) by providing a special place where students can gather safely while sipping mochas, lattes or Americanos.
Thank you for your continued support, Mr. Friesen! And many thanks to all of the staff and students who worked so hard to make this happen in such a short space of time.
Shawnigan Lake School is adhering to all COVID-19 guidelines released by the BC Ministries of Health and Education, including those regarding learning cohorts, physical distancing and mask-wearing when appropriate.
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 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful West Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
