1926 Campus
This week’s “object” is a collection of buildings and the story marks a pivotal time in the School’s history: the fire of 1926. In the fall of 1926, after 10 years of operation, enrolment in the School had grown from 6 boys to 92. The number of School buildings had multiplied, described by one boy as a "hodge podge of add-ons." The original School house (located where the current Head’s office sits) with dormitories, kitchen, dining room and Headmaster's office was still in use. To the west, a larger building contained the “Big School" (a large open room for gatherings) with dormitories above. A water tower can be seen in the background. A collection of other small buildings contained classrooms for different Forms (grades) and a furnace room (also known as the drying room).
On December 16, a fire destroyed all but two buildings; the only survivors were a gymnasium, under construction but near completion (located to the west of the buildings pictured here) and "Hill House" (the old Ravenhill home where Lake's House now stands). How did the fire start? After an afternoon of playing in the snow, boys had hung their wet clothing in the drying room – too close to the wood stove. Student H.P. Bell-Irving recalls doing prep with other boys in the dining room that evening. When he looked out the window, he saw flames in the changing room. "We were quickly herded out of the building, and we never saw our jackets again – or the dining room."
The fire spread rapidly. Boys recalled pushing the piano out of the Big School into the snow – safe, but with varnish blistered – and watching the glass windows melt and "run down the building like treacle." Everyone found shelter in the unfinished gym and were dismissed for Christmas break a few days early.
The Headmaster was undeterred and immediately set about raising funds and making plans to rebuild. By December 24, the Vancouver Sun announced, "Approximately $60,000 is to be expended by Mr. C.W. Lonsdale, owner and headmaster. . . and he has just commissioned Architect Douglas James, of Duncan, to prepare plans as quickly as possible." In January, the School reopened, but in altered form. The senior boys lived on campus in Hill House and were taught by Mr. P.T. Skrimshire, while the junior boys and rest of the staff set up temporary quarters in the vacant Cadboro Bay Hotel in Victoria.
The foundation for the new Main Building was framed in by January 29, 1927 – made possible because of the School’s growing reputation, resulting in increased enrollment and financial supporters. The fire marked "the end of the beginning" of the School's history and served to reshape its future.
The information presented in this write-up is based on current information available in the School's Archives and consultation with key people who have some relevant connection to this "object." If you have further information about this "object" that you would like to contribute, please contact the School’s Advancement Office at alumni@shawnigan.ca.
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.
