Black & Gold 2023 by Shawnigan Lake School

THE MAGAZINE OF SHAWNIGAN LAKE SCHOOL

50 YEARS RK

MAN

A N I NG P

EDITORIAL NOTES

In February 2023, Shawnigan Lake School celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first Ski Week, one of the School’s most cherished traditions. I have been fortunate enough to have attended over 20 Ski Weeks in my life – first as a staff kid, then as a student, and, finally, as a member of staff many years later. To this day, stepping foot on Manning Park’s property elicits a swoop in my stomach and rouses strikingly clear memories. It is rare for a high school experience to bring forth such powerful feelings so long after graduation, but Ski Week is no common high school experience. Like much of what we do at Shawnigan, it is designed with community in mind. That has been at the heart of the Ski Week concept from the very beginning. It is often said that the School is different after Ski Week, and there is a great amount of truth to that. Through the unique challenges and opportunities that this remarkable week in the mountains provides, the School is changed for the better, both as a whole and as a group of individuals. It is impossible to touch on every facet of Ski Week in the limited number of pages this magazine offers, but within this edition of Black & Gold you will find a brief snapshot of our distinctive annual adventure, a collection of stories old and new of an unforgettable – and uniquely Shawnigan – experience. – Jenny Dunbar

EDITOR

PICTURE EDITOR

DESIGN

Jenny Dunbar

Arden Gill

WRITERS

CONTRIBUTORS

Francois Buys Jenny Dunbar Kevin Rothbauer

Nicole Bélanger Rosemary Dolman Henri Gave Ingrid Hopkins Richard Lamont Advancement & Community Engagement Office

Jenny Dunbar

INSIDE 4 PREFACE 6 MOMENTS

A note from Head of Shawnigan Lake School, Richard “Larry” Lamont Shawnigan in pictures

A VALUABLE TRADITION

INTO THE WOODS

TALES FROM THE MOUNTAIN

Exploring the origins of Ski Week

Shawnigan’s annual trek into the backcountry First-time memories from Francois Buys ’25 (Lonsdale’s)

MAKING LASTING MEMORIES

The Shawnigan community reminisces

THE SHAWNIGAN JOURNEY

Learning to thrive at Ski Week and beyond

A DAY IN THE LIFE

54 FINAL WORD

A brief look at life at Ski Week From our Co-Heads of School

56 SHAWNIGAN COMMUNITY 64 CLASS OF 2023

Notable achievements 2022–2023

Academic profile

FROM THE HEAD OF SHAWNIGAN LAKE SCHOOL

PREFACE It is August 2023 and I find myself on the verandah of the Head’s House, charged with the task of reading the draft of the next edition of Black & Gold. This edition of Black & Gold speaks to the Shawnigan tradition of Ski Week stretching back to 1973 and the unique sense of belonging that Shawnigan students, parents, and staff – past and present – will recognize as one of the magic ingredients of our school. I remember, when asked in 2017 to put myself forward for the headship of Shawnigan, researching the School and its special features. The strong and long-standing commitment to financial aid and socio-economic diversity; the possibilities of developing the Shawnigan Journey into an extraordinary, compelling, and unique educational experience; the salmon hatchery (as a keen fly fisherman); and Ski Week all caught my attention and imagination and made me want to be here. Each year since starting – the pandemic interruption aside – my wife Kathini and I have volunteered to be members of the Ski Week staff team at Manning Park. I love every minute of it: from riding the chairlifts with students and colleagues to skiing with my advisor group for an afternoon; from the final round of the student vs. staff Reach for the Top competition to conversations with the Manning Park team; from early morning wake-up for the Grade 8s to running the half-way refreshment station in the Nordic cross-country ski race; from the highly competitive and entertaining broomball match against a Grade 12 select team to karaoke inter-House fever; from sketches in the staff revue to support for beginners on the slopes. Each year I think that this would be a good and productive time in my study back on campus, and each year I am drawn irresistibly back to Manning Park. As Head of School, it gives me the opportunity to connect, to laugh, and simply to be. For many students the thought of Ski Week is a little daunting, and our staff team and Grade 11s work hard to ensure that it is accessible and enjoyable for those new to the mountains in winter. Each year, I am asked to choose an inspiring quotation for the opening page of the Gold Book. For the academic year 2022–23, I selected the words of a renowned 20th-century German educator, Kurt Hahn: “There is more in us than we know if we could be made to see it.” (“Plus est en vous.”) I ask our staff to create a deep sense of belonging for all the students who join us at Shawnigan. Family is at the heart of it with brothers and sisters surrounding each and every one of us. As educators, our task is to help each student realize that there is more in them than they know or dare think – and that there is always more in the person beside us than we imagine. 4

Ski Week helps us develop this sense of belonging in a different environment to campus and challenges us to try new things. This February, I myself took on some new challenges: instructing some of our Impact Scholars, all new to skiing, and a couple of advisees, new to off-piste conditions, and helped set off the end of Ski Week fireworks. Kathini yet again persuaded me, against my better judgement, to do a playful sketch with two prefects about the Shawnigan Athletics Office. With kind permission of former teacher (1974–83) and celebrated artist Mark Hobson, I have included a couple of sketches of his from a Ski Week of yesteryear. He kindly donated some sketches and his notebooks from his time as a teacher at Shawnigan to our Archives this year, and I enjoyed exploring his caricatures of staff members and depictions of campus life. I particularly loved the sketches of a staff member, or perhaps Head of School, heading dangerously out of control down the mountain. I have framed them for my office as they capture the slippery slope of headship! Reading and editing this edition of Black & Gold has made my heart sing. I am certain you will enjoy the stories within. The articles speak to the history and tradition of Ski Week, its evolution, and our work to hone the Shawnigan Journey. Student voice rings through. From Jenny’s editorial opposite to the Final Words by our Co-Heads of School, from exquisite photography to an insightful portrayal of Shawnigan 2023, this is a publication full of history, joy, and stories. This edition captures the sense of belonging that makes Shawnigan truly unique. Kurt Hahn goes on to say: “There exists within everyone a grand passion, an outlandish thirst for adventure, a desire to live boldly and vividly through the journey of life.” At Shawnigan, we guide our students to find a “grand passion,” a “thirst for adventure,” and to live their lives “boldly.” And my Ski Week was kept alive for the rest of the academic year: one new Grade 11 student, new to skiing, sported the widest and brightest beam of a smile when we returned to campus. Her homesickness was banished, and, as she explained to me, she had found her Shawnigan people, her place, and her voice. Home is where the heart is.

Richard “Larry” Lamont Head of Shawnigan Lake School

MOMENTS SHAWNIGAN IN PICTURES

“

It is by now an established fact that Ski Weeks are one of the most important institutions that Shawnigan has. Lionel Wild ’79 (Groves’), 1979

“

Ski Week is a precious part of Shawnigan life, a tonic in the middle of the Winter term. Elizabeth Leary (staff), 1997

I had never skied before and was not really looking forward to the experience, but everyone said it would be a great week. Indeed it was.... It was one of the best weeks of my life. Rahim Lavji ’93 (Copeman’s), 1991 12

Ski Week [is] an experience more beneficial than any lesson that could be taught in a classroom. Lionel Wild ’79 (Groves’), 1979

“

Once again, those postChristmas blues were forgotten, as we spent the first week of February in the sun and snow. Nicholas Smith ’92 (Lake’s), 1992

Valuable

Tradition

STORY BY JENNY DUNBAR PHOTOS FROM THE SHAWNIGAN LAKE SCHOOL ARCHIVES

Manning Park Resort circa 1980. 19

A quiet moment during Ski Week 1983.

Students get ready for Ski Week in winter 1979.

FIFTY YEARS AGO, ONE OF SHAWNIGAN LAKE SCHOOL’S MOST BELOVED TRADITIONS WAS BORN. It was conceived under the leadership of Headmaster Hugh Wilkinson (1972–75), who saw a need to break up the tedium of the school year and was part of a visionary team that was able to imagine the (almost) impossible. It was an instant success. Wilkinson would later write, “Ski Week was first suggested in the winter of 1972/73. Norman Magee [Operations Manager] was consulted regarding logistics and feeding. Then I sold the plan to parents and the rest of the staff. In the middle of the Easter term the whole School and staff went for about a week to Green Mountain and had a great time. A valuable tradition was born, which has taken place at Manning Park since then.” In many ways, Ski Week is an outrageous concept. One can only imagine the initial reaction to Wilkinson’s sales pitch, particularly from the staff and parents. From a logistics perspective alone, it is approaching sheer lunacy to suggest transplanting an entire school community to a remote location for a prolonged period of time. And while safety concerns may not have been quite as much at the forefront in the early 1970s as they are now, the list of things that could go wrong during a week-long ski trip with teenagers is formidable. Another strike against the proposal was the fact that Shawnigan Lake School was (and still is) composed of students from across the world, some of whom had never skied – or even seen snow – in their lives.

But, just six years later, the value of the week was already evident, with staff member Graham Anderson commenting in the 1979 yearbook, “On Monday, February 5th, the writer of this article was struggling into a pair of ski boots thinking that the effort was worth it and that any way one looked at it this was a vast improvement over teaching first period Monday morning. This opinion must have been shared by many, if not all. Indeed, Ski Week this year was shared by more of the staff than ever before. Practically the entire teaching staff took part and brought wives and families as well.” Lionel Wild ’79 (Groves’) wrote in a similar vein that same year: “It is essential that Ski Weeks continue and be allowed to grow even more for it is by now an established fact that Ski Weeks are one of the most important institutions Shawnigan has.” Despite all that was working against it, the original architects of the week had it right after all. Ski Week had quickly become an important piece of Shawnigan life. Anyone with concerns over the feasibility of the week, however, would have been right – it was, and still is, a complex thing to orchestrate. “No Ski Week could have any chance of success without the careful planning, much hard work and great willingness on the part of many people,” recognized Graham Anderson in 1979, after having remarked the previous year that Ski Week was “all in all a major logistical undertaking.” Over the decades, a few key staff members have taken it upon themselves to champion Ski Week, periodically passing the baton, and it is thanks to these dedicated people that Ski Week 21

Students wave from the chair lift during one of the first Ski Weeks.

has been such a success. Once the whole School is at Manning Park, it takes dozens of Shawnigan staff to run the week – there were over 60 staff in attendance this year, each with multiple roles to fill – but it takes many months of work on the part of one or two people to get it off the ground each year. In most cases, these leaders come to embody Ski Week after years of pouring themselves into it, and the School is indebted to them. Of course, one of the most important pieces of the Ski Week puzzle is the location. The first Ski Week was held at Green Mountain on Vancouver Island, about a two-hour drive (on today’s roads) north of the School. After the success of the first year, however, the School ventured even farther, taking the ferry to the mainland and driving out to Manning Park Resort, set in the towering northern Cascade Mountains within E.C. Manning Provincial Park. It was such a success that Manning Park instantly became the home for Ski Week, and since then, it has often been referred to as the School’s “winter campus” by both students and staff. The resort has been the perfect fit for Ski Week, meeting the School’s unusual requirements at every turn, and in the process, an important relationship has formed between the School and the resort. Manning Park graciously lets Shawnigan take over the entire resort for the week – it truly does become the School’s winter campus for a brief period of time – and it has grown with the School over the years, providing the facilities and amenities necessary for Shawnigan’s increased numbers. The ski hill offers a wide range of terrains suitable for diverse abilities; the Manning Park staff provide lessons for all skill levels, including 22

young staff kids; and the resort has a variety of accommodations and plenty of space to gather both inside and out. Simply put, without Manning Park, there would be no Ski Week. It is important to note that although 2023 marked the 50th anniversary of the first Ski Week, the School hasn’t held 50 consecutive Ski Weeks. There have been a few “meltdown” years over the decades when there simply wasn’t enough snow on the mountain. And, of course, the School was unable to run Ski Week for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic, making the post-pandemic return in 2023 – the 50th anniversary year – all the more special. The framework for the version of Ski Week that runs today was put in place early on. With the location set, the School was able to establish routines quickly, and the week has gone through a gentle but continuous evolution ever since. This stability has been helped by the fact that Shawnigan staff are able to operate everything from transportation between the ski hill and the resort to food services throughout the week to setting racecourses on the mountain. The first inter-House events were introduced in 1978, and while the number and type of competitions have changed several times, they remain a focal point of the week and are an important tie to regular School life. 1978 also saw the first crosscountry skiing and the first overnight expedition thanks to a donation of equipment from a parent. Manning Park’s extensive network of trails and the rise in popularity of snowshoeing have ensured that non-alpine activities continue to be a staple at Ski Week.

Careful concentration during the 1990 snow sculpture competition.

In 1986, another notable tradition was born with the introduction of the Carnaval, modelled after Quebec’s Winter Carnival (Carnaval de Québec), which traditionally takes place at the same time of year. Presided over by the customary Bonhomme mascot, the Carnaval has included a variety of traditional winter games, activities, and foods over the years. With the Carnaval came the first inter-House snow sculpture competition, which is still a popular event. In more recent years, elements that are now considered fundamental were added, such as a Grade 11 ski patrol crew (the Snow Angels), a green initiative that includes hauling out all compost and recycling, and mandatory cross-country skiing lessons for all Grade 8 and 9 students, to name but a few. By design, there is something for everyone at Ski Week. While the week functions as the perfect outlet for the adventureseekers, it also provides countless avenues for learning and growing and offers a choice of activities to suit any disposition. Despite this carefully considered accessibility, students about to experience Ski Week for the first time have often felt a certain amount of trepidation before the week begins.

From the beginning, Ski Week has given students and staff the chance to soar.

The original orange chair lift, pictured here in 2010, was in operation until 2020. 24

Rhod Samuel and Peter Yates corral skiers at the start of the 1994 cross-country race.

“I had never skied before and was not really looking forward to the experience, but everyone said it would be a great week,” shared Rahim Lavji ’93 (Copeman’s) in 1991. “Indeed it was…. It was one of the best weeks of my life.” Rahim’s recollections point to the heart of Ski Week. All of the key elements – location, activities, competitions, traditions – are simply the backdrop for the real magic that happens at Manning Park: community building. In almost every Shawnigan yearbook in which Ski Week is mentioned, that year’s event is described as the “best ever.” This isn’t because those students conquered a particularly difficult run on the mountain or because they had sunny skies all week or because their House won the most events – although those are all a huge part of the fun of Ski Week. No, those students considered each year’s Ski Week the “best ever” because of how they felt when they were there. The moments that bring the School together – a casual conversation with a teacher on the chair lift, cozy fireside games with friends, the discovery of fortitude in oneself or hidden talents in others – have always led to the most important memories. “In the end, it is not difficult to see why Ski Week has been such a success throughout the last few years,” Lionel Wild continued in the 1979 yearbook. “The significance of this

week is not that it teaches us to be better skiers… but that each student is responsible for himself and for those around him. The very fact that the usual class-structured system is practically abolished, the independence of each boy is stressed, and the camaraderie of members within each cabin is developed, all contributes to a unique atmosphere where students can relate to each other and maybe even with the masters [staff] as equals and not with a feeling of inferiority or vice versa.” While Shawnigan has undoubtedly changed since 1979, the way in which Ski Week takes the School community outside of its usual boundaries and reshapes it for the better has not. “Perhaps the greatest thing about Ski Week is the opportunity it provides for students, staff and families to relax together and see another side of each other,” wrote long-time Shawnigan teacher Elizabeth Leary in 1997. “In many cases, the students become the experts and previously unknown talents suddenly emerge.” She went on to describe the week in a way that perfectly captures its essence: “Ski Week is a precious part of Shawnigan life, a tonic in the middle of the Winter term.” Or, in other words, it is – and always will be – the valuable tradition that Wilkinson knew it to be all those years ago.

Into the

WOODS STORY BY KEVIN ROTHBAUER PHOTOGRAPHY BY ARDEN GILL

MOST OF SKI WEEK TAKES PLACE EITHER ON THE SLOPES OR WITHIN SIGHT OF THE COZY MANNING PARK RESORT COMPLEX. Some students, however, not only venture away from the resort – fully supervised, of course – but find themselves spending the night underneath the snowpack. Continuing a tradition that has been part of Ski Week on and off nearly as long as Ski Week has existed, Shawnigan’s outdoor education instructors, Kyle Leis and Emily Boyes, took two separate groups of students up beyond the ski runs, about a kilometre into the forest, to a predetermined site where they set up camp. The students split up into sets of two or three and constructed snow caves, digging down about two metres, then hollowing out dens complete with beds to sleep on overnight. “It took about four hours to excavate the snow cave, so it was definitely a lot of work,” Kyle admits. “It was a very physically demanding day, because even to get to the camp we had to carry in all of our gear.” This year’s groups used snowshoes to travel – the first trekking through heavy, drifting snow – although cross-country skis have been used in the past, as well. Every student shouldered a backpack full of camping gear, food, and extra clothing. The group also towed three sleds laden with kitchen supplies, propane, and firewood. It took about an hour to get everything to the campsite before they could even start digging out their caves.

“Once they started, they were very motivated to complete it,” Kyle says. “If they wanted to be comfortable at night, they had to finish it. We circulated around as they were building to give some pointers and answer any questions. It was funny to go up with all these students and then gradually they all disappeared underneath the snow, like no one was there. Once they’re in the caves, it’s so well insulated that you can’t hear anybody from the surface, so it was like they were totally gone.” The camping trip was mandatory this year for students in the School’s Search and Rescue program, although other students were able to sign up, as well. In all, 24 students participated this time: 14 the first night and 10 the second. While most students at Ski Week are having fun at the resort well into the night, that isn’t the case on the camping excursions, where the exhausted campers make it through dinner and a bonfire before crashing comparatively early. “There’s an interesting juxtaposition: with all of the programming and craziness and the excitement at the cabins, the students in the backcountry are passed out in their snow caves by 8:00 p.m.,” notes Laura Robson, who took part in many trips during her nine years as a teacher at the School. Backwoods excursions have been part of Ski Week on and off since at least the late 1970s, and fairly consistently since 2001. Long-time Shawnigan teacher Graham Anderson wrote in the 1978 yearbook of what appears to have been the first such expedition – although there is no mention of caves being dug.

“Two distinctive features of Ski Week 1978 were the appearance of cross-country skiing and an inter-house skiing competition,” Graham noted. “The cross-country skiers used the new equipment (twelve sets of skis and poles and twenty pairs of boots) kindly donated by Mr. Pletsch, a parent. Eleven boys who wanted to combine the new sport with their interest in the outdoors even went so far as to camp out for a night in subzero temperatures. They were accompanied in this successful enterprise by Dr. Reeve and Mr. Hobson. All felt the expedition to be both an exhilarating and a valuable experience even if putting on frozen clothing the following morning was far from pleasant.” The trek into the woods aligns with Shawnigan’s experiential learning programming and provides several challenges for the students who take part. Some of those challenges are anticipated, and others surprise both the students and the teachers. “Some of them who didn’t grow up in a winter environment had a hard time; they found the cold really uncomfortable and a little bit painful,” Kyle recalls. “We brought up a bag with extra clothing, and we had to lend out a lot of that to the students. But they took on the challenge really well. They found ways to stay warm, whether that was by building a fire or by doing jumping jacks and just exercising to get their bodies moving to stay warm. They learned a lot, and they had

to think quickly and creatively to find ways to stay warm. That’s a great thing about outdoor education: the things you do have immediate results, and if you don’t do something well, it affects you right away, so it’s like instant feedback on what you’re doing.” In her first year at Shawnigan, Laura remembers that no one thought to bring water, and after working up a sweat digging out their caves, the dehydrated students devoured a hot meal and all came down with stomach cramps. Laura spent most of the evening melting snow and heating water to make the students cups of tea. Water has been at the top of packing checklists since then. Around that same time, the backwoods excursions left the resort after lunch, giving students time to enjoy the morning on the mountain with their friends. Unfortunately, that didn’t give them enough time to dig their caves in the brief daylight hours of February. One of the biggest lessons they learned was to leave earlier in the day; although the students missed out on the slopes that day, they had plenty of time to complete their lodgings for the night. Most of the students who took part this year had previous camping experience, but winter camping is a different beast altogether. Kyle estimates that less than 10 per cent of the students who took part this year had camped in the winter prior to Ski Week.

“Of all the kids we took out, there were maybe three who had done winter camping before,” Kyle says. “Maybe three-quarters of them had been camping before, and the rest hadn’t. So that’s a huge step to go from never having camped to camping without a tent in a snow cave; it’s a huge jump. We were proud of them for taking that challenge.” More than just a sideadventure from Ski Week, the backcountry excursions teach survival skills – snow caves are typically reserved for emergencies; even seasoned backcountry campers plan to use a tent and would only dig out a snow cave in dire circumstances – and connect with Shawnigan’s mission and ideals. “It fits in quite well with the Shawnigan Journey and values of discovering the world outside of our gates here at Shawnigan,” Kyle says. “It fits in with community: getting to know each other, doing an activity together, experiencing something challenging together, as well. For a lot of them, this was way outside their comfort zone, so they pushed themselves and found out that they were able to do this, and maybe it was something they didn’t know was in them, to be able to survive a night outside in the winter, even when it was minus 16 C outside. So it pushed them, but to a safe amount. I feel it strengthened the community through doing something unique and challenging like that together.”

The expedition also illustrates in a very concrete way the heart of the inspiring quotation from renowned German educator Kurt Hahn that was chosen as this academic year’s theme: “There is more in us than we know if we could be made to see it.” After a night sleeping snugly under the snow, the students rose at daybreak and packed up their gear before snowshoeing back down the trail, across the ski runs and back to the lodge at the base of the hill, where they enjoyed a hot breakfast. As the students recovered from and reflected on a night that was emotionally and physically demanding, but still tremendously rewarding, none of them said immediately if they would want to go through the experience again, although Laura says there have been students who went year after year. Whether they would repeat the experience or not, students are overwhelmingly glad they tried it once. “I think it takes time to look back on that experience and say, ‘I’m so glad I did that,’” Kyle notes. “Winter camping is challenging, and often in the moment you’re cold and uncomfortable and you don’t appreciate it. But once you’ve recovered and warmed up and dried out, you can look back at it and say, ‘That was amazing.’ Being out in nature for that long, seeing the stars, that experience of sleeping in a snow cave with a friend, it sometimes takes some time to look back on that fondly. 31

“Hopefully, most of them would do it again, and maybe one or two would say, ‘I’m glad I did it, but never again.’ It’s a very unique Canadian winter experience to get to do that, and most Canadians haven’t slept in a snow cave, so it’s a very intense thing to do.” Like the rest of Ski Week, the backcountry camping excursions are something a student is unlikely to experience anywhere else, and Kyle is proud of the students who take advantage of the opportunity. “It comes down to appreciating the outdoors and enjoying a challenge,” he says. “And that’s very much the way we framed it for them: it’s a unique experience to get to do this, and they might never get the chance to do something like that again. I feel like that’s what it is for a lot of events here at Shawnigan: it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to do something, so why not?”

Tales from the

MOUNTAIN STORY BY FRANCOIS BUYS ’25 (LONSDALE’S) PHOTOGRAPHY BY ARDEN GILL

IT IS SOMEWHAT INCREDIBLE THAT SHAWNIGAN IS CELEBRATING SKI WEEK’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY, AND EVEN MORE SO THAT I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE SO THOROUGHLY IN MY FIRST YEAR AT THE SCHOOL. My name is Francois Buys; I am the son of two South African immigrants, and above all, I am a proud skier. Saying that I have figuratively lived and breathed the slopes for much of my life would be an understatement. From the logging town of Quesnel, British Columbia, my family and I would traverse through the acres of snowy countryside to reach Troll Ski Resort, a secluded paradise of almost familial friends, avid ski enthusiasts, and Australian lift attendants. From the very introduction of my skis on Manning Park Resort’s terrain, I felt right at home. However, my passion for the mountain did not just dwell on the hill; instead, I found new life within the Shawnigan community. Ski Week is so much more than just a week away from school. Ski Week is the lifelong memories you form with people from all walks of life. Ski Week is the dramas you’ll tell your grandchildren about. Ski Week is campfire stories and karaoke nights. But more than this, Ski Week is a ton of fun. To be completely honest, Ski Week did not seem so appealing the first time I heard about it. I was strongly against the idea of wasting a week at some boring ski hill when I would

much rather be at home within the comforting embrace of friends and family. This being said, after lots of persuasion from House Directors, School staff, and friends, I decided to take the plunge and spend the week at Manning Park. One of the most assertive voices during my bargaining sessions was that of Jakob. Jakob ended up being one of two roommates I would spend the entire week with. He is somewhat remarkable, and between his blunt sense of humour and indecipherable dialect of English lies a true gem of a friend. We sat together on the bus to Manning Park, and during the seemingly never-ending journey, I found comfort within our shared laughter and roadside conversations. Jakob was a single-plank kind of guy, and I was the direct opposite, a skiing aficionado. So, naturally, my tips and tricks on the mountain were about as helpful as you might expect. Jakob had only been snowboarding a few times, and never on Manning Park’s slopes. Despite the falls, the waiting, and the struggling to dismount from the chairlift, it was one of the most enjoyably satisfying experiences to finally achieve the end of a run. Interestingly, Ski Week hosts some of the school year’s most creative and exciting inter-House events, ones that I would never have had the opportunity to experience had I still attended school in Quesnel. I did my best to participate in as many as humanly possible, pushing my mental capacity to new lengths I had previously thought impossible.

Now, being an avid skier does not necessarily translate to all skiing disciplines. For instance, classic downhill skiing usually helps when trying something like its water-based counterpart. However, this was painfully not the case when I dove headfirst into what I thought was a very relaxed crosscountry skiing event. It turns out that downhill skiing does absolutely nothing to prepare you for the endless bodily strain found during the said crossing of the country. I initially went into the event with my head held high, pompously chirping to my friends about how I was going to leave them in the dust. But, after covering only a single kilometre in 35 minutes, my hopes and dreams of becoming an Olympic cross-country skier were promptly obliterated. I had thought that the experience had battered me enough, so I persistently pushed forward through the icy glades. I was making great haste, but my legs grew ever more tired with every stride. “Seven more kilometres to go!” rang out Mr. Doig’s voice. He had been standing on the sidelines, likely having cheered on thousands of others before I finally made my way past him. It was at this point where I began to think it would have been better for me to just begin a new life in the wilderness and befriend some squirrels whilst I survived amongst the Manning Park cross-country trails. Defeated, I retired back to my cabin after much difficulty. Finishing 66th overall, I had made only marginal progress towards helping Lonsdale’s secure interHouse victory. Over the week, we were exposed to other incredibly fun and exciting events. Most notably for me, however, has to be the karaoke night. Typically, karaoke is this backburner event that nobody pays any attention to. This is the direct opposite of what I felt. I and another classmate, JD, valiantly put our social reputations on the line in order to sing on behalf of Lonsdale’s House. We endured many other performances before finally getting the chance to prove ourselves, and it was very clear that our nerves were catching up to us. I could barely stand, let alone hold the microphone to sing. Suddenly, a room of maybe 200 people had swelled up into what felt like a concert hall bursting at the seams with streams of people. I felt like Freddie Mercury, or maybe even Elvis, only way less cool, and much, much more anxious. Our ballad began, and we began singing none other than Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.” Call it a cliché, but we had an absolute blast singing in front of everybody. The judging panel was feeling the emotions, and the case was the same amongst the crowd. A sea of phone flashlights and swaying arms only encouraged us to yell the lyrics louder. Afterward, a few pats on the back from Housemates and a thumbs-up from our House Director served as our personal trophy (although we would later end up winning the event in our subcategory, actually gaining our own physical trophy). This year’s Ski Week was unlike any experience I have had. The schools back home would draw the line at a simple field trip to the local park, or perhaps a nature walk. My introduction to Shawnigan’s brand of field trips is immensely greater than I could have ever imagined, and I am so excited for all of us students to enjoy yet another year at Manning Park in 2024. 37

Making

LASTING

MEMORIES Members of the Shawnigan Lake School community reminisce about their Ski Week experiences

If I think back to Ski Week at Shawnigan and how it played a part in my character building as a young person, I believe it showed me the essence of snow culture. Mountain living is about friendships, having fun, outdoor pursuits, sticking together, helping people out, and sometimes some friendly competition. All of these things were very much a part of Ski Week. I think these positive snow experiences in my early years played a part in my decision to work and live in a few snow resorts in BC and Australia. I loved the mountain culture and meeting so many people from around the world. I also met my husband in the mountains while working at a resort, and later we founded a non-profit organization where our first program was teaching disadvantaged youth to snowboard, so I guess you could say the feeling of Ski Week really did play a part in the direction of my life! – Tori Hanson ’95 (Groves’)

I remember fondly this fantastic annual escape to Manning Park from the dreary winter weather at SLS. Special memories revolve around my introduction of a scaled-down version of Quebec City’s winter Carnaval where staff and students worked together for the Wednesday afternoon/evening of Ski Week to create a carnavalesque atmosphere. We boomed French music from the main lodge toward the ice rink where an ice-skating competition took place, we imitated many of the races and contests from Quebec like the tug-of-war and log sawing, organized a taffy pull (la tire) with pure maple syrup, and awaited the annual surprise visit from Bonhomme. For years, a giant papier-mâché replica of Bonhomme, which Jay Bertagnolli ’89 (Lake’s) built back at the School, symbolized the camaraderie and fun times that Ski Week fostered. One event in particular, the interHouse snow sculpture competition, became a staple occurrence every year. Luckily, Don Rolston, our quintessential art teacher, recognized the artistic potential of this initiative. He fully supported, and then eventually shouldered, all of the responsibility to sustain this inter-House event long after Carnaval disappeared from Ski Week. Of course other memories linger, like skiing very fast with students and staff alike. For most of my 32 years at SLS, I took the opportunity to attend Ski Week. It always lived up to its raison d’être... build the SLS community at all times of the year. We did just that! – Stewart Candelaria (staff: 1985–2017)

I was on the first Ski Week trip, which took place at Green Mountain. I will never forget the last stage of the trip up the mountain in a big snow cat that we took turns ascending the mountain in. It was a bit nerve-wracking as it was snowing like crazy, and it was pitch black other than the inadequate headlights of the machine we were held captive in, which served only to confirm we were in a blizzard. We did, however, make it to the small lodge at the top, and it was fantastic! It was rustic but cozy and occupied by far more mice than men. The next morning, we were all relieved that the storm had passed, leaving behind a dump of beautiful, brilliant fresh powder under cloudless skies – almost as if the School had called ahead to order up perfect conditions for us. I remember some downhill skiing, but mostly the ski jumping challenge whereby we constructed a huge mound of snow, and with no serious injuries, we kept adding more and more snow and height until fate caught up with one student who got an early trip back down the hill. All in all, it was an amazing week, and it is great to hear that the tradition of a campus break and having a wonderful time with classmates continues 50 years later. – Mike Kent ’73 (Ripley’s)

My memories of Ski Week revolve primarily around how much fun it all was for both students and staff children. The Bruce-Lockhart family is so grateful for those years and the chance to bring along our own children to Manning Park and share in all the community magic. – Joanne Bruce-Lockhart (staff: 1990–2007) 39

The

SHAWNIGAN Journey STORY BY KEVIN ROTHBAUER PHOTOGRAPHY BY ARDEN GILL

BACK IN THE MID-1980S, A YOUNG BOY STARTED GRADE 9 AT SHAWNIGAN LAKE SCHOOL, AND IMMEDIATELY FELT OUT OF PLACE. Relocating to Vancouver Island from the small town of Kimberley in southeastern BC, where he spent his days skiing and doing other outdoor activities with his family, the boy was uncomfortable in his new environment. “Shawnigan wasn’t my place when I came here as a student,” he recalls. “I was definitely not socially ready for Shawnigan – maybe that is the best way to describe it. Perhaps just a bit young for Grade 9.” His parents, however, were convinced that Shawnigan was the right place. And they knew how to bait him into going along and staying: Ski Week. “It was the only thing that got me to February,” he remembers. “I would have left in October or December otherwise, I’m quite certain.” If you haven’t guessed already, the boy ended up staying at Shawnigan. His skills on the slopes helped him earn some respect among his peers and make new friends. Not only did he find his place, but he thrived at the School. In Grade 12, he was a Prefect and Deputy Head of School. After graduating, Nigel Mayes returned as a staff member, and is now Assistant Head – Co-Curricular. Among the many things he helps to oversee at the School is Ski Week. He’s not the only student for whom Ski Week has played a vital role in their Shawnigan Journey. “You can think about all the things that we do to retain students and actually get them over the hurdle of homesickness and out of their community and into a new one,” Nigel says. “Ski Week has a massive part to play in that, to help students find their place at Shawnigan, to find their people.” Katrina Cholack, Student Life Coordinator, House Director of Groves’ House, and a key organizer of Ski Week in recent years, has some insight into the magic of the annual event: it helps students find their personal strengths. 41

“Our job is to elevate students in any way that we can – to give them the self-confidence to let others see who they really are,” she says. “And Ski Week is another one of those places that allows us to do that, whether it’s on the mountain or at something like karaoke. With karaoke, for example, there are students who you don’t realize can perform or sing, but they get up at Ski Week and everyone’s in awe. As adults, if we can encourage kids to do something like that, it’s great to put them on stage.” The Shawnigan Journey is an initiative unique to the School that has been carefully researched and created to help students learn to adapt to a rapidly changing world, equipping them to respond to a growing range of challenges and thrive independently beyond the School’s gates. Each grade experience is guided by a single overall concept that is linked to Shawnigan’s core values of Curiosity, Compassion, Community, and Courage. For Grade 8s, that concept is “Nurture.” As is the case on the School campus, Shawnigan’s youngest students are well looked after at Manning Park. The Grade 9s – whose theme is “Discover” – are provided with a host of new opportunities at Ski Week, much of it in conjunction with Beyond the Gates, Shawnigan’s year-long program that takes students out of the classroom and into the beautiful and diverse wilderness of Vancouver Island and beyond. “The Grade 8s are very well taken care of up there,” Nigel points out. “We are very strategic in the way that we staff the hotel, which is where the Grade 8s stay. The Grade 8s get a chance to room with different kids in those hotel situations. I think we inspire the Grade 9s to discover a whole bunch of

things. For example, because of Beyond the Gates, they are given first dibs on the backcountry excursion and snow caving.” Paul Doig, another key organizer of Ski Week in recent years, notes that the Grade 9s are encouraged to expand their horizons at Manning Park. “They get a bit more freedom to discover their own ways in which they can live together,” Paul says. “They have smaller hotel rooms [than the Grade 8s], but then they have a similar schedule in that they do have the way to test everything from snowshoeing to cross-country skiing to alpine skiing.” “Choose” is the Grade 10 theme for Ski Week, and the Grade 10s are indeed given more options than their Grade 9 peers. Grade 10s have more choices with regard to their accommodations, and they’re typically involved in selecting House teams for different events. “The Grade 10s get a bit more choice as to how their day unfolds,” Paul says. “So there aren’t huge, mandatory things they need to do, but they need to be somewhere. So they can choose to be at karaoke versus going to watch a Reach for the Top competition, or they can be at the pool, so there’s a lot more choice at night. Throughout the day, they pretty much have full freedom. Grade 10 is a pretty neat year. Grade 10s and 12s have pretty much the most freedom of the whole week.” The theme of the Shawnigan Journey for Grade 11 is “Lead,” and the biggest steps on the Shawnigan Journey – at Ski Week, at least – are made by the Grade 11s, who are relied upon significantly as they take leadership roles among their peers at Manning Park.

“For many of them, this is their first opportunity to take a true leadership role within the School,” Nigel says. “It is sort of their big showcase and their opportunity to lead the School in so many different areas. The Grade 11s, with the leadership component, literally do spend all year leading up to Ski Week getting ready for the types of activities they want to offer in the evening, for how they’re going to interact with the juniors, for put-to-beds.” There are a multitude of roles for the Grade 11s, who get a fair amount of choice in the jobs they take on at Ski Week. “This is one of their largest opportunities to lead the whole School in every aspect of Ski Week, from snacks to running our student ski patrol – the Snow Angels – to putting younger kids to bed,” Paul explains. “So essentially, they’re responsible for over 30 different activities throughout the week. They sign up for the activity that they would like to lead, and they get two, maybe three different activities for which they would be either the leaders of or a member of a team that is delivering that activity. “It’s a training ground to be ready for their Grade 12 year and leading a House. So this is sort of a precursor, a test area for them to latch onto something and run with it and see how they do. Being able to lead at Ski Week, and then being able to pass that information down through the line for the next Grade 11s – there’s inherent leadership that comes through there.” The Grade 11s return from Ski Week with more confidence, Paul says, and some set themselves apart in ways that staff members hadn’t previously noticed. “What I notice is that they show more presence, and that presence manifests in different ways,” he relates. “Some kids use the experiences they had at Ski Week and they see other new experiences and opportunities available when they come back and actually feel confident enough to take them on. Some kids are still trying to figure out where they can latch onto opportunities when they come back here.” The reward for all the hard work put in by the Grade 11s? There’s a lot less for them to do in Grade 12.

“They pretty much have a nice week,” Paul says with a laugh. “But they’re still heavily involved in their House events. They’re expected to be at all the activities, so they’re not let off from the standard schedule that’s going on, but they are given a certain level of autonomy throughout the week and have a bit more freedom in that they don’t do the planning and the delivering of all the different things that happen at Ski Week.” The independence given to Grade 12s at Ski Week is built into the Shawnigan Journey as a stepping stone to prepare them for life at university. Nigel overheard one exhausted Grade 11 this year sigh, “I’m looking forward to next year when I don’t have to do anything.” That’s not quite true, as the Shawnigan Journey theme for Grade 12 is “Inspire,” so it is up to them to encourage and motivate the younger students. “At this point in the year, they need to be inspiring the next generation to be leading their Houses,” Nigel says. “So, certainly they are in the background, and they are supporting the Grade 11s in many different ways.” A big part of the Grade 12s’ role is just to make sure the other students enjoy the week. “I think a lot of what they model is just to have a really, really good time,” Nigel says. “And you’ll find them the most participative in the different events that are going on.” With the Grade 11s taking charge at Ski Week, the Grade 12s can live in the moment. “It gives the Grade 12s an opportunity to step back and enjoy; to not be on centre stage all the time,” Katrina says. “On campus we look to them, especially in the boarding houses: they’re the leaders, they run the show, they’re the ones doing sign-ins and making sure people are OK behind the scenes. At Ski Week they don’t do that as much. The Grade 12s get to connect. By the time they’ve been here for several years they have friends in every House. So when you walk into a cabin full of Grade 12s from four different Houses and they’re all hanging out, it’s amazing.” 43

Regardless of the grade level, Nigel says that the School is just not the same place when everyone returns from Ski Week. The experience is different for every grade, and for every individual, but the impact on the Shawnigan community, and the Shawnigan Journey, is felt by everyone. “The defining piece of the Shawnigan Journey is the community that people feel here and that they experience. I don’t know anyone else who does it as well as we do.” Nigel acknowledges that the meaning of “community” is “nebulous,” but a trip to Ski Week would help anyone understand what it means – how it brings people together to better understand each other, to be more empathetic, and to be better equipped to be a team player and support one’s fellow students. “Everything we do at Shawnigan depends on someone else,” he says. “If you don’t show up, you’re lessening the objective for everyone else. Ski Week is a place where you realize how intertwined your experience at Shawnigan is with everyone else. There isn’t a me and a you; it’s only an us. And I think that comes out in so many aspects at Ski Week. It comes out all over our campus: everything from the way we greet people to how visitors feel when they come on campus. It’s not an accident; there are some key pieces that we put in our journey that actually foster that for students who come in with no experience. There are some key things that they’re absorbing that help them understand how important the ‘we’ is.” For Katrina, there is another word that isn’t a theme in the Shawnigan Journey, but which applies to all grades at Ski Week: “connect.” “Ski Week gives students an opportunity to connect with each other in a different way – within the Houses, but also within their friend groups across the grades. Even if they’re not skiers, or if they’re not kids who like to be outside, there’s something for everyone – Reach for the Top, the snow sculpture competition… even kids that love to swim get a chance to swim.” So much has changed over 50 years of Ski Week, but it remains an important part of every student’s Shawnigan Journey. Students continue to find their place at the School through Ski Week, much as Nigel did. This year, one Grade 8 student changed his plans for Spring Break because of an instant friendship he made with another student at Ski Week through their love of the sport. “They were connecting, and they went off to Whistler together for the long weekend instead of just going to their separate homes,” Nigel related. “They’d been in the same House all year, but that connection didn’t happen until they realized ‘We have something in common and we both love skiing, and we’re having a great time when we’re skiing.’” 45

Life A DAY in the

Arrive at Manning Park Resort on Sunday evening after a long day of travelling. The adventure begins!

The next morning, take the bus from the resort to the ski hill. First things first: pick up your rentals and get your gear on.

Not your first time skiing? Manning Park provides lessons for all levels!

Beginners head to the bunny hill for lessons.

Take some time to get the lay of the land.

If you’re in Grade 8 or 9, stay at the resort to take cross-country skiing lessons with your peers. You’re going to have a few falls, but so is everyone else.

Once you’ve put in a few runs, try some tricks!

Back at the mountain, make new friends on the chair lift.

Have a few close calls along the way.

Stop for a hot lunch prepared by Shawnigan’s kitchen team… and make sure to sign in with your House Director!

Time to find new trails – but make sure you’re not alone!

It’s always time to show off your mountain fashion.

Well done – you made it! 50

Don’t forget to stop to take in the view.

Feeling confident? Volunteer to represent your House in downhill skiing or snowboarding races on Wednesday!

After the downhill racing, participate in the dreaded inter-House Nordic crosscountry skiing race. It’s only 10 km, you can do it!

Back at the resort, channel your inner Michelangelo in the inter-House snow sculpture competition. Make sure to stick to the theme!

After dinner, pluck up the courage to sing in inter-House karaoke.

The day isn’t over yet – juniors, it’s time to go night snowshoeing with your grade group.

Grade 12s, challenge the staff to a friendly game of broomball.

Congratulations!

You’re exhausted. Time for bed so you can do it all over again tomorrow.

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Instead of talking about every facet of the Shawnigan Journey, I will focus on the most important one: relationships. I use this word deliberately. As I look across this Chapel, I do not see friends or acquaintances. I see brothers and sisters who I have lived with 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This continuous connection leads to the building of bonds that are much stronger than average. I feel that Renfrew’s House motto – Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much – perfectly illustrates what Shawnigan is all about. The connections and relationships built in places like our Houses, or on our week-long trip to Manning Park, allow us to come together, causing people from all over the world and many distinct backgrounds to create lasting memories. Yes, getting an ‘A’ on a paper or winning a provincial title are amazing, but I think the things we will miss and remember the most are the relationships that we created. The brotherhood and sisterhood that is unique to Shawnigan. From the bottom of my heart, I wish to thank all of you for making my Shawnigan Journey greater than anything I expected when I first, very nervously, walked through those gates. Henri Gave ’23 (Ripley’s) Extracts from his Year-End Speech to the School, June 2023

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FINAL Word

FROM OUR CO-HEADS OF SCHOOL

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I do not believe that I can express through words the feeling that is in the air at this moment. With that being said, if I were to describe the emotions that are welled up within all of us sitting here, I would use the word ‘gratitude.’ Today is the culmination of our hard work, resilience, and deep love for each other in the School that we all call home. Each one of you, the Class of 2023, has made your mark on Shawnigan through your kindness, your courage, and, most importantly, your unwavering friendship. When I say that I am eternally grateful to have had the privilege of being part of a community that loves its members so deeply, I speak on behalf of the entire graduating class. No matter how long you have been at Shawnigan, it will forever be a home to come back to, and a strength to call upon in all of our next phases of life. Many people search their whole lives for a sense of belonging – and here we are, in a room with 150 other students who we can count on wholeheartedly as we face the open world before us. I can confidently say that we are ready to enter this next phase of our lives because we will always have a home here and with each other. To the Class of 2023: we did it – and what an absolute blast it was! Ingrid Hopkins ’23 (Kaye’s) Extracts from her Closing Day Chapel Speech to the Grade 12s, June 2023

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SHAWNIGAN Community Notable Achievements 2022–2023

Academic Bruce-Lockhart Fellowship for Academic Excellence

Now in its second year, the Bruce-Lockhart Fellowship for Academic Excellence was created to bring an outstanding local, national, or international educator to Shawnigan for one year. The 2022–23 Fellow was Andrea Robertson, a social sciences teacher. In addition to teaching, Andrea worked with our social studies department, addressing topics such as how to continue to develop good historical practices while being both respectful of history and reflective of current values. The Bruce-Lockhart Fellow is also given time and resources to work on a passion project, with Andrea’s focused on economics education. Her project included gathering economics and business educators from other independent schools for a day of learning and sharing – during which they decided to bring their classes together for a day of simulations in September 2023. Although her Fellowship has now expired, Andrea will continue to teach at Shawnigan, leading the economics program and seeing her work through to the next steps. 56

1. Olivia Burton ’17 (Groves’) and Charlotte Gibbs ’16 (Kaye’s) were named the 2022 recipients of the Graham L. Anderson Alumni Award. Olivia is studying in the Doctor of Pharmacy program at the University of British Columbia. She also sits on the Indigenous Advisory Student Subcommittee and recently conducted a research project that focused on indigenization and decolonization of academic programs. Charlotte graduated with high distinction from UBC in 2021 with a dual degree in History and Modern European Studies, and in 2022, she began pursuing a Master of Arts in History at the University of Toronto with a focus on women during the Holocaust. Charlotte plans to pursue her PhD in history. 2. Shawnigan was delighted to welcome Captain and Mrs. Park from South Korea to present the Jason Yosung Park ’05 Scholarship in memory of their beloved late son, Jason Yosung Park ’05 (Copeman’s), to the new recipient, Josef J. ’24 (Lonsdale’s), at the Major Awards Ceremony. This annual award is one of the School’s top honours bestowed on students who “embody the character traits that made Jason so loved and esteemed by his family and this School.” The scholarship includes a financial award as well as a trip to South Korea hosted by the Park family. On June 24, the Park family hosted a special dinner for several past and current Park Scholars and their families, including Thomas Fyfe ’17 (Copeman’s), Roberto Galindo ’19 (Copeman’s), Matthew Strilets ’21 (Copeman’s), Benedikt Howard ’22 (Copeman’s), Ben Bishop ’23 (Copeman’s), Adam Hyde-Lay ’23 (Lonsdale’s), and Josef J.

Athletics 3. Shawnigan graduate and current Board of Governors member Rick Bourne ’69 (Copeman’s) was inducted into the BC Rugby Hall of Fame on June 23, 2023. The Canadian Rugby Foundation has also named an award for Rick, to be presented to a student between the ages of 17 and 24 who is involved in rugby in Canada. Rick played rugby at Shawnigan and went on to play at the University of British Columbia, and his involvement in the sport led to him becoming Chairman of Rugby Canada. He has served on the Shawnigan Board of Governors since 1995, and his daughter, MacKinley Bourne ’22 (Strathcona), is also a graduate of the School.

1. Josh Kral ’16 (Copeman’s) is currently participating in a boxing fundraiser in Ottawa called Fight for the Cure (FFTC) and provided the following update for Shawnigan: “I first heard about the Fight for the Cure initiative through a close friend whose father is an FFTC alumnus. When I found out my uncle was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, I was motivated to make a difference and do something tangible. Fight for the Cure was the perfect means of doing this.” 2. Rowing for Team BC, Gunnar Platt ’22 (Lake’s) won a gold and a silver medal at the Canada Summer Games in Ontario in August 2022. The son of current teacher and rowing coach Julie Platt, Gunnar is now attending Syracuse University on a rowing scholarship.

4. Maggie Banks ’19 (Renfrew) was named to Canada’s U23 Women’s Rugby Team for a two-match “Border Battle” against the USA in July 2022. Team Canada travelled to Veterans Memorial Stadium in the Boston area and came away with two decisive victories! Maggie is currently in her fourth year in the nursing program at Queen’s University, where she also plays for the Gaels women’s rugby team. Congratulations to all our alumni who played representative rugby in summer 2023!

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Career 1. Lisa Jane De Gara ’10 (Strathcona) played a key role in the COVID-19 response effort in Alberta, and has led a team that provides supports to immigrants and refugees in Northern Alberta communities. After graduating from Shawnigan, LJ studied political science and public policy at McGill University and the University of Saskatchewan respectively, then started her career working with government institutions. 2. Bud Patel ’85 (Groves’), Head of School at Brentwood College School, was recently nominated and selected as a recipient of CAIS’s (Canadian Accredited Independent Schools) Art of Leadership Award for his outstanding leadership and service. 3. Avi Horwitz ’12 (Lake’s) was named to BC Business’s 30 Under 30 for 2023 as an outstanding young business leader making a difference in BC. Avi started Sterling Floor & Tile in October 2016, and in their first year, the company did over $1.5 million in sales. The company recently purchased a massive office in Richmond, BC, and has 20 office employees and anywhere from 60 to 80 workers in the field every day. 4. Kei Lowes ’17 (Ripley’s) was featured in Maclean’s magazine in November 2022 for opening a new food spot in Tofino with his wife, Madi Greyson. Kei shared the following update with the School: “Late last year, Madi and I found out the ramen restaurant we were running was going to go up for sale. Luckily we were approached by our friends at the Tofino Brewing Company with the opportunity to open a new restaurant concept in a 1984 Airstream, located on their property. This Airstream had been lying dormant for many years due to difficulty with zoning bylaws, but my brilliant wife found a loophole and a few months later we opened Toki Doki, a Japanese street food/diner setting, with okonomiyaki (Japanese savoury pancakes) as our main staple that we offer.”

7. Alumnus Sam Davidson ’64 (Groves’) was featured in The Seattle Times in April as he plans to sell the eponymous Davidson Galleries and begin his retirement after 50 years. We wish Sam all the best in this endeavour and going forward! 8. Arabella Emslie ’17 (Kaye’s) connected with the Advancement & Community Engagement team and shared the following update: “After graduating with my Business Management degree from UBC Okanagan in 2021, I was unsure of the path I wanted to head down. I worked in the mental health field with high-risk individuals for about a year before experiencing burnout – physically and mentally – and I knew something had to change. It was at this point that I decided to prioritize myself, and rediscovered my passion for fitness. I fell in love with bodybuilding and competing, and after my first show in early 2022, I started working as a personal trainer and launched my own online coaching business soon after. Nothing fulfills me more than changing people’s lives, and my business has now grown into a community of over 800 people.”

5. Adrienne Hollings ’07 (Kaye’s) spent a year and a half creating an “off-grid” wellness retreat space on her family’s fourthgeneration farm in Shawnigan Lake. Rooted in the practices of yoga, meditation and back-to-nature experiences, Grow Wild Retreats is a space to escape the hustle of everyday life, reconnect the mind and body, and “adopt the pace of nature.” She offers workshops, retreats, yoga, glamping, and – closest to her heart – the food and crafts harvested and prepared right from the land. 6. The Netherlands has been swept by “Vermeer fever,” thanks to the largest-ever exhibition of paintings by Johannes Vermeer, providing unique opportunities for Abbie Vandivere ’97 (Groves’), who has worked as a Paintings Conservator at the Mauritshuis since 2015. Earlier in 2022, Abbie put her fascination with reality TV to good use as a judge and expert in the creative competition show De Nieuwe Vermeer (The New Vermeer). More than 1.3 million people – almost 10 per cent of the Dutch population – watched this six-episode series each week! 58

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Life Updates 1. Owain “Rids” Samuel ’09 (Ripley’s) married Courtney Minns (with their dog Elton present) at Port Browning Harbour, Pender Island, on June 3, 2023. Members of the Shawnigan community in attendance at the wedding were: best man Dafydd Samuel ’08 (Ripley’s), Steven Beselt ’09 (Lonsdale’s), Nick Conconi ’09 (Copeman’s), Brendan Cook ’08 (Ripley’s), Carlin Hamstra ’09 (Ripley’s), Kelly Beckett ’13 (Kaye’s), Tye Hamblin ’09 (Ripley’s), Christopher Linn ’08 (Ripley’s), Cameron Oliver ’09 (Ripley’s), Sean Oswald ’09 (Duxbury), Bryn Samuel ’22 (Ripley’s), Rhyd Samuel ’20 (Groves’), Jessa Wall ’10 (Kaye’s), and of course the mother and father of the groom, Gaynor and Rhodri Samuel. 2. In spring 2022, Geoff Roth ’05 (Ripley’s) married partner Julie in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in the Maciço da Pedra Branca forest. 3. Married in 2014, alumni Kaori Yamada ’08 (Groves’) and Matt Austin ’08 (Duxbury) moved to Calgary in 2019 after many years in Toronto. Kaori is a family medicine resident and Matt is a transportation engineer. Matt and Kaori welcomed their first child, Yuki Austin, on October 26, 2022. 4. Cameron Oliver ’09 (Ripley’s) married Jessica Traude in Kelowna, BC, on May 21, 2023. Alumni in attendance were: Steven Beselt ’09 (Lonsdale’s), Carlin Hamstra ’09 (Ripley’s), Kelly Beckett ’13 (Kaye’s), and Owain Samuel ’09 (Ripley’s). 60

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Achievements 1. In 2022, Cassie Chang ’16 (Renfrew) contacted Chelsea Gladstone ’15 (Renfrew) about composing a song in the spirit of reconciliation to share her gratitude for her time on Indigenous lands in Vancouver/Vancouver Island. Recently, Cassie published said piece that includes elements of Indigenous landscapes and Haida culture that were inspired by their friendship. “I think the song is a good representation of the impact that diversity and inclusion has at SLS,” Chelsea said. “A portion of the song represents how curiosity about culture can spark relationships and allyship. Cassie and I spent our time at SLS sharing about each other’s culture and learning about each other’s history.” In addition to publishing this piece, Cassie received an invitation to be a part of the Canadian Opera Company’s Summer Opera Intensive in August 2023. 2. On June 10, 2023, Michael Ralf ’20 (Lonsdale’s) and Sam Addison ’20 (Lonsdale’s), along with three other friends, hiked the entire 47 km Juan de Fuca Marine Trail in just 13 hours! “Starting at China Beach at 5 a.m., and blessed with cool but good weather, we came out at the other end at Botanical Beach at 6:30 p.m.,” they shared. “There was 1,500 m of elevation gain and loss and quite a bit of mud on the trail, but otherwise conditions were good for this adventure! We were all a bit sore the next day sporting a few blisters, but it was a challenge well worth taking!” 61

Alumni Gatherings 1. Shawnigan alumni flooded back to campus on Saturday, October 22 for the first in-person Founder’s Day since 2019. Founder’s Day gives alumni a chance to catch up with each other and their former teachers and to see their old campus. The oldest graduate who attended this year’s Founder’s Day was Tom Goodenough ’52 (Groves’), marking 70 years since he graduated. Mr. Goodenough was one of four former Board Chairs who attended Founder’s Day, including current Board Chair Fiona Macfarlane.

8. The Shawnigan community arrived in full force once again at this year’s Canada Rugby Sevens hosted in Vancouver on March 3–5. It was great to see so many community members out to support rugby at Shawnigan and the sport as a whole, with proceeds from the event going to scholarships, rugby programs, and Shawnigan’s community partners Thunder Indigenous Rugby.

2. The Class of 1972 marked the 50th anniversary of their graduation with the traditional Gold Club Luncheon at Founder’s Day, and announced the creation of the Spirit of ’72 Foundation and a scholarship to support students who need financial assistance to attend Shawnigan. The stated goal was to have everyone in the class participate in raising money, regardless of how much they were able to donate, and they were able to collect around $210,000. 3. The Class of 1969 had a chance to reconnect as a class in September, and offered the following summary of the event: “The ever-rebellious Class of ’69 held their 53rd grad reunion the weekend of September 16–17 at Vicarro, the family ranch of Bruce Trethewey ’69 (Copeman’s) in Abbotsford. Close to 25 members of the class attended.” 4. On September 7, 2022, the School held its first Shawnigan Community Golf Classic at Arbutus Ridge Golf Club. Over 100 alumni, current parents, and staff came to play golf and enjoy dinner together. A special congratulations to the winners of the tournament, all from the Class of 2006: Ian Manly (Copeman’s), Andy Lee (Ripley’s), Mike Wilding (Copeman’s), and Ted Jaewan Cho (Copeman’s)! All proceeds from the event went to support Shawnigan Impact Scholarships. 5. In late May, an alumni-organized Golf Meet-up was hosted at the University Golf Club in Vancouver, led by Board Member and alumnus Ed Steidl ’91 (Copeman’s). The team of Conor Finucane ’00 (Copeman’s), Giuseppe Laudisio ’99 (Copeman’s), and Gianni Laudisio ’01 (Duxbury) won the golden hoodies (in lieu of the traditional gold blazer) with the best score of the day, and the remainder of the evening was spent reconnecting as a group over dinner. 6. The Class of 1993 met in Tofino for an early celebration of their 30th reunion, sharing the following: “A casual conversation sparked a series of virtual meetings which led to an unforgettable off-site thirty-year reunion for Grad ’93. Middle Beach Lodge in Tofino proved to be the perfect setting for our special gathering, with many members of the class coming from across the country and the United States.” 7. Shawnigan staff were thrilled to connect with more than 300 alumni, parents, and community members around the world this spring, with gatherings in Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, London, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Victoria, San Francisco, and Saskatoon. 62

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2023 Class of 136

Graduates (BC Dogwood Diploma)

100%

Matriculated at

5% UK

2% Rest of world

Max Chong (Lake’s)

diploma (French Immersion)

17% Gap year (athletic pursuits, travel,

military service)

Emma Bishop (Groves’)

12 earned Dual Dogwood

48 in 7 countries 18% USA

AP International Diplomas

Head Student (academics)

universities

260 universities worldwide

Black & Gold 2023

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Tales from the MOUNTAIN

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