Shawnigan Lake School

Shawnigan Lake School is one of North America’s premier boarding schools. Situated on a stunning 270-acre campus on beautiful Vancouver Island on Canada’s West Coast, Shawnigan has, over the last 100 years, refined and developed the art of boarding and the science of a complete education.

Our focus on community is paramount, with 450 boarders in a school of 515 students from Grades 8-12 and over 70 staff members living on campus. Our rigorous curriculum of university-preparatory academics blends the best from traditional education with the contemporary skills of 21st century learning. With a centrally-located, state-of-the-art Learning Centre with four dedicated faculty, an Advisor program for all students, and low teacher-to-student ratio, we ensure that every student is challenged and supported. Our academic program is complemented by a wide range of very strong sports and fine arts programs. World-class school facilities including a growing dome, observatory, salmon hatchery, recording studio, robotics lab, ice arena, rowing crewhouse, rugby pavilion, and water-based turf support an unparalleled student experience.

Shawnigan’s whole ethos and approach – founded on our core values of Curiosity, Compassion, Community and Courage – are designed to imbue the experience of its young people with the moral fibre, the values and the “way of being” that will equip them for successful, productive and happy lives.

UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS Grade 8 Experience Shawnigan has developed a nurturing program for Grade 8 students that acts as a supportive springboard into the wider school community. Grade 8s begin their Shawnigan journey in the specially-designed Grade 8 Houses with their peers, each run by a caring team of dedicated House staff who work in tandem to foster a safe co-ed grade culture characterized by close friendships that will shape and support the students’ onward journey at Shawnigan.

Salmon Hatchery Since its inception in 1980, Shawnigan’s salmon hatchery has provided students with unforgettable hands-on learning experiences while making a tangible difference in the local ecosystem. Beginning with brood stock in the fall, science classes, the Environment Club, teachers, and volunteers care for the eggs, nurturing them through their early stages of development until they become large enough to release in the spring.

COLLEGE MATRICULATION University of British Columbia, Queen's University, University of Toronto, Boston University, Harvard University, Arizona State University, University of California, University of Edinburgh, University of St. Andrew's, King's College London