Founded in 1916, Shawnigan is an independent, co-educational, university-preparatory, boarding school for students in grades 8-12. The campus is ideally located in the peaceful village of Shawnigan Lake on beautiful Vancouver Island, British Columbia, approximately 45 minutes north of the city of Victoria. The town of Shawnigan Lake is located in the Cowichan Valley, often referred to as the “Provence” of Canada because of the vast number of vineyards, gourmet restaurants and organic farms. Local organic produce, gourmet cheeses and seafood fresh from the sea are in abundance.

Academic Program - Shawnigan's academic program is university preparatory; the curriculum meets and exceeds British Columbia Ministry of Education standards. Both Honours and Advanced Placement courses are available.

Extra Curricular Sports and Fine Arts Program - Sports and Fine Arts are a mandatory part of the curriculum at Shawnigan. Rugby and Rowing are a focus for boys and girls. Volleyball, field hockey, cross country, basketball, tennis, squash, soccer, swimming, and sailing are some of the other sports offered. Shawnigan also has an active outdoor pursuits program, which takes advantage of our natural surroundings through hiking, kayaking and camping. Shawnigan recognizes that students have different abilities, and we therefore offer various levels of competition. We also believe that Fine Arts help to develop lifelong skills for students in drama, art, photography, sculpture, woodworking, dance, music, pottery, voice and community outreach, among others. One Fine Art, the Environment Club, has recently been augmented through the addition of our own salmon hatchery and on-site recycling and composting facilities.

EDGE Leadership Program - EDGE stands for: Engagement of mind, body and spirit; Development of individuals; Gratitude that grows from awareness; and Experience, the most powerful teacher. This program began as a Re-building trip in the wake of the 2004 Tsunami in Thailand. Out of this humanitarian outreach endeavour grew what is known today at Shawnigan as the EDGE Leadership Programme. To date, Shawnigan’s EDGE Leadership Programme has sent three teams to Thailand, one to Argentina and one to Laos.

Memberships - Shawnigan Lake School is a member of the following organizations:

• Canadian Association of Independent Schools (CAIS)
• National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)
• The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS)
• Western Boarding Schools Association (WBSA)
• BC Independent Schools Association (ISA)

Campus - Shawnigan's Board of Governors firmly believes that inspired teaching and learning happen in an inspiring setting and we are fortunate to have one of the finest campuses in the world. The rural, 300-acre lakeside campus is the ideal setting for this vibrant community of learners. Our state-of-the-art facilities are a direct result of the generous support of our alumni, parents, and friends and we remain committed to constant improvement

Profile last updated: 11/03/2009