.gif)
St. George's School (Vancouver)
Encyclopedia
St. George's School of Vancouver
, Canada
is an independent boarding and day university-preparatory school
for boys.
St. George's was founded in 1930 by a group of Englishmen recently arrived in British Columbia. Captain John Harker, serving from 1943 to 1962, was its second and longest-serving Headmaster. As much as possible, Harker tried to inculcate in his charges the heritage of his old school, Rugby
. Much of this public-school
spirit remains today.
The original school operated out of a large country manor house. It has since expanded dramatically, and the school now maintains two campuses; the Senior School, on land leased from UBC
in 1925, and the Junior School, converted from the former Convent of the Sacred Heart
, a historic property purchased in 1979. It continues to expand to this day, with the senior campus most recently renovating much of its classroom space, along with the auditorium and the main entrance.
, a Vancouver-based market liberal think tank. It was ranked in 2007 as one of the leading schools in Canada. In addition to significantly exceeding the provincial average, its boys consistently attain superior results in Advanced Placement subjects. The school sends its graduates to the leading institutions of post-secondary learning in Canada, as well as to the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries.
St. George's has a wide variety of sports teams, including:
In grade 10, students have the option of applying for the 'Discovery 10' program, a year long program similar to the TREK program offered at Prince of Wales Secondary School
. This program is limited to 22 students who participate in a modified Social Studies and PE program, focusing on first nations history, environmental studies, and outdoor leadership. The students spend approximately 50 days out of class on trips (hiking, canoeing, kayaking, rock-climbing).
The school offers a variety of extra-curricular clubs:
The boys publish a school yearbook, the Georgian, a student newspaper, the Echo, as well as a literary and artistic journal, the Opus. There are also various student-organised events such as music nights, socials, and mixers with sister schools.
|-
! Year of Graduation
! Name
! Description
|-
| 1947
| Peter J.G. Bentley, O.C., LL.D.
| Past President and CEO and current Chairman of Canfor
, past director and current honorary director of the Bank of Montreal
, member of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, Chairman of Sierra Mountain Minerals, a director of the Vancouver General Hospital and University of British Columbia Hospital Foundation, past Chancellor of the University of Northern British Columbia
.
|-
| 1958
| Peter M. Brown
| Founder of Cannaccord Capital, a large publicly traded Canadian investment management and banking firm.
Past Chairman of the University of British Columbia, Vancouver Stock Exchange, and BC Place Stadium.
|-
| 1962
| Hon. Donald Brenner, O.C.
| Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia.
|-
| 1972
| Peter R.B. Armstrong
| Founder and chairman, Rocky Mountaineer
, the largest privately owned passenger rail service in North America.
Chairman of the Board at St. George's School.
|-
| 1976
| Arthur Griffiths
| Former Assistant to the Chairman of the Vancouver Canucks
. Owner of the Vancouver Canucks from 1988 to 1997. Led the initiative to build GM Place. Helped Vancouver secure the 2010 Winter Olympics
bid.
|-
| 1977
| Alan Best
| Canadian filmmaker.
|-
| 1997
| Ben Remocker
| 2008 Olympian competing in the Men's 49er (sailing) with teammate Gordon Cook.
|-
| 2000
| Jay Malinowski
| Lead singer and co-founder of the reggae-pop band Bedouin Soundclash
.
|-
| 2002
| Donovan Tildesley
| Canadian Paralympic Swimmer and flagbearer at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China.
|-
| 2005
| Ben Wilinofsky
| Professional poker player. 2011 Berlin leg champion of the European Poker Tour
.
|-
| ???
| David Carter
| Olympian
|-
| 2007
| Conor Trainor
| First Canadian to Score 2 tries against the New Zealand All Blacks
. Rugby world cup participant and Pan Am Gold medalist (2011).
|-
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
is an independent boarding and day university-preparatory school
University-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...
for boys.
History
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
. Much of this public-school
Independent school (UK)
An independent school is a school that is not financed through the taxation system by local or national government and is instead funded by private sources, predominantly in the form of tuition charges, gifts and long-term charitable endowments, and so is not subject to the conditions imposed by...
spirit remains today.
The original school operated out of a large country manor house. It has since expanded dramatically, and the school now maintains two campuses; the Senior School, on land leased from UBC
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
in 1925, and the Junior School, converted from the former Convent of the Sacred Heart
Convent of the Sacred Heart High School (British Columbia)
-History:The Convent of the Sacred Heart was a day and boarding school for girls in Vancouver B.C. from 1913-1979. The school was part of the International Network of Sacred Heart Schools founded by the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1800. The building was bought by St.George's School for boys to...
, a historic property purchased in 1979. It continues to expand to this day, with the senior campus most recently renovating much of its classroom space, along with the auditorium and the main entrance.
Students
The student body at St. George's comprises 1,100 boys, with approximately 750 boys in the Senior School and the remainder in the Junior School. The Junior Schools runs from grades one to seven. A sizable portion of the student body boards at the school; most of these students are from Asia. Like similar schools throughout the Commonwealth, it maintains a system of prefects and mandates the wearing of uniforms. The graduating class wields the bulk of student authority and school leadership, and contributes its head boy, deputy head boys, and a host of other prefects. Past head boys and other prefects have included Rhodes Scholars, diplomats, prominent lawyers and businessmen, and professional athletes. The uniform, as is frequently the case in similar Canadian schools, includes an emblazoned blazer, grey flannels, and the wearing of the appropriate school tie. The school ties vary depending on extracurricular achievement, as well as prefect ties. Those who have attended since the first grade are termed "Lifers".Academics
St. George's offers a variety of academic options that include enriched and advanced-placement classes. Its boys participate in many regional, national, and international academic contests, in mathematics, the sciences, and the humanities and social sciences. St. George's also emphasizes the building of moral character, and the formation of strong, upstanding traits. There is also a mandatory outdoor education program for students from grades 1-10.Performance
The school has been ranked highly by the Fraser InstituteFraser Institute
The Fraser Institute is a Canadian think tank. It has been described as politically conservative and right-wing libertarian and espouses free market principles...
, a Vancouver-based market liberal think tank. It was ranked in 2007 as one of the leading schools in Canada. In addition to significantly exceeding the provincial average, its boys consistently attain superior results in Advanced Placement subjects. The school sends its graduates to the leading institutions of post-secondary learning in Canada, as well as to the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries.
Sports
The school mandates that its boys have a recreational or varsity games choice starting from Grade 8. Boys in senior grades may opt out for one term based on past games attendance. Saint Georges sports teams have done extremely well in the past 10 years, due in no small part to the commitment and motivation of the students coupled with the passion, dedication, and knowledge of the coaching staff.St. George's has a wide variety of sports teams, including:
- BadmintonBadmintonBadminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
- BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
- CricketCricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
- Cross country runningCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
- CurlingCurlingCurling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
- Downhill SkiingDownhillDownhill is an alpine skiing discipline. The rules for the Downhill were originally developed by Sir Arnold Lunn for the 1921 British National Ski Championships....
- SnowboardingSnowboardingSnowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...
- VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
- Field HockeyField hockeyField Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
- GolfGolfGolf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
- Ice hockeyIce hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
- RugbyRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
- Ultimate FrisbeeUltimate (sport)Ultimate is a sport played with a 175 gram flying disc. The object of the game is to score points by passing the disc to a player in the opposing end zone, similar to an end zone in American football or rugby...
- RowingRowing (sport)Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
- SoccerFootball (soccer)Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
- SquashSquash (sport)Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
- SwimmingSwimming (sport)Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
- Track and FieldTrack and fieldTrack and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
- TriathlonTriathlonA triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...
- TennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
- Water poloWater poloWater polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
Outdoor Education
Students are required to participate in outdoor educational programs both in the junior school and the senior school. These activities range from half day trips (grade 1) to full, week long excursions (grade 10). The junior experiences focus on an education aspect: students learn about first nations people and about the environment. The senior trips are more personal-based learning; activities in the wilderness such as hiking, kayaking and canoeing focus on leadership and interpersonal skills. There is also a focus on environmental care and education.In grade 10, students have the option of applying for the 'Discovery 10' program, a year long program similar to the TREK program offered at Prince of Wales Secondary School
Prince of Wales Secondary School
Prince of Wales Secondary School is a public secondary school located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.-History:Prince of Wales opened for classes in September 1920 at its original site, which is now Shaughnessy Elementary School. It has been at its current location since 1960. Its current...
. This program is limited to 22 students who participate in a modified Social Studies and PE program, focusing on first nations history, environmental studies, and outdoor leadership. The students spend approximately 50 days out of class on trips (hiking, canoeing, kayaking, rock-climbing).
Clubs and activities
- Amnesty InternationalAmnesty InternationalAmnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
- AnimeAnimeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
and MangaMangaManga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th... - BusinessBusinessA business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
- HistoryHistoryHistory is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
Club - Graphic NovelGraphic novelA graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
- Improv
- Debating
- Destination ImaginationDestination ImagiNationDestination ImagiNation Inc. or DI is a creative problem solving organization for youth and adults. Destination ImagiNation's educational goals are to foster creative and critical thinking, to develop teamwork, collaboration and leadership skills, and to nurture research and inquiry skills...
- Food for Thought
- Game Programming
- Heart2Heart Canadian Youth Society
- InvestmentInvestmentInvestment has different meanings in finance and economics. Finance investment is putting money into something with the expectation of gain, that upon thorough analysis, has a high degree of security for the principal amount, as well as security of return, within an expected period of time...
- Lego Club
- Mah Jong
- Math
- Media
- Model United NationsModel United NationsModel United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about current events, topics in international relations, diplomacy and the United Nations agenda....
- Multicultural
- RoboticsRoboticsRobotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, structural disposition, manufacture and application of robots...
- Reach for the TopReach for the TopReach for the Top is a Canadian game show in which teams of high school students participate in local, provincial and eventually national trivia tournaments...
- Wood Working
- Ceramics
- Political Debate Club
- PhotographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
- T-Shirt design and printing (Silk screening)
- GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Language clubs (Russian, German, Japanese, Mandarin)
- Art
- Model United NationsModel United NationsModel United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about current events, topics in international relations, diplomacy and the United Nations agenda....
(MUN)
The boys publish a school yearbook, the Georgian, a student newspaper, the Echo, as well as a literary and artistic journal, the Opus. There are also various student-organised events such as music nights, socials, and mixers with sister schools.
Notable alumni
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"|-
! Year of Graduation
! Name
! Description
|-
| 1947
| Peter J.G. Bentley, O.C., LL.D.
Peter Bentley
Peter John Gerald Bentley, OC is a Canadian businessman and was the third Chancellor of the University of Northern British Columbia....
| Past President and CEO and current Chairman of Canfor
Canfor
Canfor Corporation is a Canadian integrated forest products company based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The company traces its roots to the late 1930s, when brothers-in-law John G. Prentice and L.L.G. "Poldi" Bentley and their families left their native Austria just before the outbreak of World...
, past director and current honorary director of the Bank of Montreal
Bank of Montreal
The Bank of Montreal , , or BMO Financial Group, is the fourth largest bank in Canada by deposits. The Bank of Montreal was founded on June 23, 1817 by John Richardson and eight merchants in a rented house in Montreal, Quebec. On May 19, 1817 the Articles of Association were adopted, making it...
, member of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, Chairman of Sierra Mountain Minerals, a director of the Vancouver General Hospital and University of British Columbia Hospital Foundation, past Chancellor of the University of Northern British Columbia
University of Northern British Columbia
The University of Northern British Columbia is a small, primarily undergraduate university whose main campus is in Prince George, British Columbia. UNBC also has regional campuses in the northern British Columbia cities of Prince Rupert, Terrace, Quesnel, and Fort St. John...
.
|-
| 1958
| Peter M. Brown
| Founder of Cannaccord Capital, a large publicly traded Canadian investment management and banking firm.
Past Chairman of the University of British Columbia, Vancouver Stock Exchange, and BC Place Stadium.
|-
| 1962
| Hon. Donald Brenner, O.C.
| Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia.
|-
| 1972
| Peter R.B. Armstrong
| Founder and chairman, Rocky Mountaineer
Rocky Mountaineer
Rocky Mountaineer is a Canadian tour company offering Western Canadian vacation packages that operates trains on four rail routes through British Columbia and Alberta.-Background:...
, the largest privately owned passenger rail service in North America.
Chairman of the Board at St. George's School.
|-
| 1976
| Arthur Griffiths
Arthur Griffiths
Arthur Griffiths is a Canadian businessperson, philanthropist, and candidate for political office. He is former owner of the Vancouver Canucks and General Motors Place, and chaired the Vancouver/Whistler 2010 Bid Society which helped to bring the 2010 Winter Olympics to the region...
| Former Assistant to the Chairman of the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
. Owner of the Vancouver Canucks from 1988 to 1997. Led the initiative to build GM Place. Helped Vancouver secure the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
bid.
|-
| 1977
| Alan Best
| Canadian filmmaker.
|-
| 1997
| Ben Remocker
| 2008 Olympian competing in the Men's 49er (sailing) with teammate Gordon Cook.
|-
| 2000
| Jay Malinowski
Jay Malinowski
Jay Malinowski is the vocalist and guitarist for the Canadian reggae group Bedouin Soundclash.At the age of 16 he played his first show. He met the group's future bassist Eon Sinclair while attending Queen's University, and they decided to form their own band which reflected the music they both...
| Lead singer and co-founder of the reggae-pop band Bedouin Soundclash
Bedouin Soundclash
Bedouin Soundclash is a Canadian band currently based in Toronto. Their sound can be described as reggae and ska.-History:The band's current lineup consists of vocalist and guitarist Jay Malinowski, and bassist Eon Sinclair with Sekou Lumumba on drums. Their debut album, Root Fire, released in 2001...
.
|-
| 2002
| Donovan Tildesley
Donovan Tildesley
Donovan Tildesley is a blind Canadian swimmer. He was the flag bearer of Canada at the 2008 Paralympic Games.-Swimming career:He started swimming at the age of nine...
| Canadian Paralympic Swimmer and flagbearer at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China.
|-
| 2005
| Ben Wilinofsky
| Professional poker player. 2011 Berlin leg champion of the European Poker Tour
European Poker Tour
The Pokerstars European Poker Tour is a series of poker tournaments similar to those in the World Poker Tour , created by John Duthie, winner of the inaugural Poker Million tournament. It began in 2004 as part of the worldwide explosion in Texas Hold 'em popularity...
.
|-
| ???
| David Carter
David Carter
David Carter may refer to:*Dave Carter , American folk singer, songwriter*David Carter , former American football offensive lineman...
| Olympian
|-
| 2007
| Conor Trainor
| First Canadian to Score 2 tries against the New Zealand All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
. Rugby world cup participant and Pan Am Gold medalist (2011).
|-