Shawnigan Lake School
- Why
- Students who want nature-based learning · Students with hands-on skills or curiosity
- Because
- Large campus · Experiential learning · Applied arts
- Result
- Confidence · Responsibility · Broad interests
- Benefit
- Premium · CAD 14,990 above the median, with boarding with supervised study and ESL support
- Cost
- CAD 104,640 (headline annual fee with boarding) · about CAD 10,464 per school month
Why Shawnigan Lake School?
Families who want their teenager outdoors, in workshops and on sports fields rather than in front of a screen often research this school. It describes itself as a values-based, holistic co-educational boarding school. Its CAIS accreditation means it is regularly reviewed against national standards.
- Students who want nature-based learning: Families seeking a campus with a lake, forest and hiking trails.
- Students with hands-on skills or curiosity: Those who will make use of robotics, applied arts or the observatory.
- Families wanting full boarding life: Those seeking a community where school life continues at weekends.
Reasons: the features that make the school fit this need
- Large campus: The 270-acre site includes lakeshore, forest and playing fields, so outdoor activities take place on campus.
- Experiential learning: Experiential Learning and Beyond the Gates trips let students apply classroom learning in nature and in the community outside school.
- Applied arts: The C.A.S.E. and Arts 360 programs have students producing tangible design and art work.
- Special facilities: An ice rink, theatre, rowing facility, robotics lab and observatory serve varied interests.
- Language support: English Language Support is offered, and IELTS, TOEFL or Duolingo scores are accepted for applications.
- Low ratio: The student-teacher ratio is 8:1. The school reports that 36% of its students receive financial aid.
- International links: Students come from 30 countries, and the Global Exchange Program builds global citizenship and community.
Cost analysis: what one school year costs
International boarding is listed at CAD 104,640 per year for 2026-27, a figure taken from an independent school guide and not confirmed by the school.
| Item | CAD | When |
|---|---|---|
| International boarding (annual, unconfirmed) | 104,640 | listed with the annual fees |
| Application fee | 300 | one-time |
| Headline annual fee with boarding | 104,640 | 2026-27 |
| One-time fees in the first year | 300 | added to the first year only |
The headline fee works out to about CAD 10,464 per school month over a 10-month year, accommodation and meals included.
Based on a third-party guide (the school's fee page could not be accessed); confirm with the school. What the fee covers is not stated.
Fees were compiled in October 2026 and change every school year; confirm the amount with the school before applying.
How this fee compares
At CAD 104,640, this fee is CAD 14,990 above the median of CAD 89,650 among 24 CAIS schools with boarding included.
Outcome: the changes seen in students
- Confidence: Stage, field and outdoor activities let students try new roles, and leadership development runs through the whole program.
- Responsibility: Boarding life builds daily self-management, from laundry to managing one's own timetable.
- Broad interests: Arts and sports records alongside academic work give concrete examples for university applications. University counselling helps present them.
- French Immersion: Students can progress in Canada's second official language.
Benefit analysis: what the investment buys
The student works toward the BC Certificate of Graduation (Dogwood Diploma), taught and assessed by certified Canadian teachers.
ESL/ELL support builds academic English quickly, and French programs add a second official language.
On-campus boarding with supervised study time, meals and weekend activities inside one community.
Clubs, teams and community activities let the student build a profile beyond grades.
A Canadian transcript, teacher references and extracurricular record that Canadian and international universities review directly.
Cost–benefit at a glance
| Measure | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Annual investment | CAD 104,640 | Headline annual fee with boarding, from the cost analysis above |
| Per school month | CAD 10,464 | Over a 10-month school year |
| Price position | +CAD 14,990 | vs. median CAD 89,650 · 24 CAIS schools with boarding included |
| Specialty programs | Core program | Standard provincial curriculum |
| Living arrangement | Boarding | Included in the cost analysis where the school publishes it |
| Language support | ESL/ELL | Structured English support listed by the school |
| Value verdict | Premium |
CAD 14,990 above the median across 24 CAIS schools with boarding included. The higher price is worth it when the student will use what it pays for: boarding with supervised study and ESL support.
Who it suits and what to consider
- Cost: The school's fee page was not accessible. An independent school guide lists the 2026-27 international boarding fee as CAD 104,640. The application fee is CAD 300. Confirm the exact amount with the school before applying.
- Application timeline: Boarding applications are accepted for Grades 8 to 11. Applications for September 2027 entry are open. Scholarship requests are considered only after admission. If a student has no English test score, the school may conduct its own English assessment.
Let us discuss whether the school suits your child's character.