Brentwood 100

The NEW Mackenzie House opened its doors in February, 1983, the first of the three large, modern, existing women’s houses. But for the previous years, who remembers that there was an OLD Mackenzie House? It had joyfully served as the largest of many satellite houses that provided short-term solutions to that era’s housing crunch, especially for the ever-growing enrollment of young women. Old Mack had been the former family home of Headmaster David Mackenzie but was converted by September, 1983 into an eleven-girl ‘house on the hill’ vibrating with the energy of any Brentwood residence- big or smaller.

Houses each have one turn to open their doors to all visitors from other houses on designated Saturday nights throughout the year. Every open house has a particular theme, so students can dress accordingly. For example, the annual casino night that Ellis House hosts as their open house theme is arguably the longest running theme.

This beautiful glacier-draped active volcano is situated in the Cascade Range in Washington State. At Brentwood, we can admire Mt. Baker as we gaze eastward beyond the Saanich Inlet, mindful of Canada’s mighty neighbour to the ‘east’ (sic) and a world beyond our stunning campus.

Alex House started with Grade 12s in the winter term of 2006, as House Captain Tella Osler’s brainchild. She plotted that this would be a surprise for all but the Grade 12s; that it would take place on a chilly Saturday morning when the Grade 12s would delight in waking up the household early with as much noise as possible; that all the girls would leave Alex House together for the plunge into the ocean; that this would be followed by speedy hot showers and a scrumptious in-house breakfast!

Allard House has had a traditional Polar Bear swim the morning of Closing Day since before 2000. It is now an inter-house event in January. Nowadays, such swims are all the rage!

From “pocket handkerchief and shoe brush” being required items in days past, to today’s concerns about which of those pockets is likeliest to hold and discreetly hide your cell phone, student clothing over 100 years has changed in ways both subtle and sweeping.

When girls came to Brentwood, they were essentially given the same uniform as the boys, but with a tartan kilt in place of pants. The School tartan is the Mackenzie Clan tartan, of Scottish origin, for Mr. David Mackenzie— who was Headmaster when the girls arrived in 1972.

Until there were 8 houses in 2011, girls in the two/three existing girls’ houses competed under the banner of the boys’ houses. Because there were fewer girls than boys initially, students in the female houses were divided among the four boys’ houses. Thus the competitive allegiances in each female house were not focussed on their own houses, but rather on the male houses to which they were assigned.

Another Beth Melhuish idea when she was the Grad Sponsor – the first much anticipated event in the fall term, when traditionally juniors invite the senior students to what used to be a formal dinner and dance. Snowball eventually evolved into a formal dinner followed by a hypnotist or magician’s show without a dance.

#1 Inspections by Gil Bunch wearing white gloves to detect dust were legendary in the early days, and continue in the Houses to this day. According to the private website entitled armystudyguide.com, inspections are not harassment, as some may claim. “Sharp appearance, efficient performance and excellent maintenance are important considerations that affect you directly. They are the earmarks of a good organization and one you should be a proud member of.” There are three levels of inspection at Brentwood: Number One on Saturday mornings when often a guest inspector is invited, Excellent Daily and Morning inspections. Each is designed to maintain an acceptable standard of cleanliness and organization in the dorms.

underwent three changes of furniture and decor before students decided that it was not a bad place to hang out. An adjunct of Crooks Dining Hall, it is a smaller, more flexible space that can be used on its own or as an extension of the main dining area.

Cookies made by the kitchen staff are legendary. Cookie break is a 20-minute ‘recess’ in the academic morning when cookies are available in the dining hall. Until about 2000, the evening cookie break took place after prep; students would get ready, eager to go outside. They could go for cookies in the dining hall, or simply meet friends. Since the early 2000s, however, the evening cookie break takes place after prep but within each house so the disruption caused by going out has been removed or reduced. Once students sign into the houses at 7.15 PM, they are in for the rest of the evening. When this was first introduced, the faculty cheered while students moaned and grumbled.

Staff serving Christmas Lunch – on the final day of the longest term, before House Clean-up, evening House outings and the early morning journey home for the Holidays, School staff summon their Christmas spirit while the students graciously enjoy the amateur service.

Caps from the old School to sweaters and pins in the new School in sports have been awarded for achievement. Students proudly deck out their blazers like trays in a jewellery store. three- arts, sports and academics constitute the official pins mixed in with various illegal bling.

The Brentwood Chapel remained the final vestige of the original school until it was disassembled after 2012. Envisioned by the first Headmaster, H.P.Hope and built, according to tradition, by the students themselves in the 1920s, this English chapel style, Anglican Church services were a feature of the old school and, later, of the Brentwood Bay community. The new school’s connection to the chapel occurred each Remembrance Day weekend, when the choir, interested students and Brentwood alumni would attend a church service there to honour those Brentwood students who sacrificed their lives serving Canada in World War II.

Old Brentonian David Mackenzie – purchased the Brentwood Chapel and has donated many artefacts from the building before it was re-purposed in 2022.

Painting of Nahanni River expedition is the focus work of art in Crooks Hall. It depicts/chronicles a 1968 canoe trip along Canada’s Longest river-the Mackenzie paddled by fourteen Brentwood students.

The legend of the Brentwood Brigade has its place in the halls of the School. In the summer of 1968, 14 boys and their fearless leader teacher, Barry DuTemple and his brother took two canoes and embarked on an incredible 1000 kilometre voyage from Fort Nelson, BC to Fort Providence, NWT. The perseverance on display then is one we strive to inculcate into our student body today.

John Queen convinced a group of students that bell ringing was a worthwhile activity. so they piled into his Jensen and set off to Christ Church Cathedral in Victoria. Climbing the narrow spiral staircase to the campanologist’s room, these smallish boys could make a big noise as their peals resounded across downtown Victoria twice a week.

Indisputably considered the best meal in the Dining Hall, the reputation of Brentwood’s Sunday brunch continues to remain strong wherever there are past and present Brentwood students. With a late start at 10 o’clock and ending at noon, the menu is famous for the widest assortments of delicious food that is sure to satisfy every taste. Past students have been known to write to the school many years after they graduate to ask for the recipes of their favourite dishes.Breakfast cakes are a notable example.

Airband has grown into one of the most popular inter-house competitions. Eagerly anticipated by the students in the first term of every year, each group develops ever increasingly complex choreography to put their best foot forward, as they lip-synch to their favourite song.

The name for this venerable House refers to the chain of luxury hotels. Started as one of the three satellite houses for boys in Grade 11/12 under the one name of Senior House. Some of Housemaster Tony Carr’s boys christened the upper floor rooms of the old School block as the Surfin’ Hilton because they would take off from there to ride the waves at ‘Long Beach’ (Tofino ). Quite appropriately, Tony insisted on calling their residence, simply, ‘The Hilton’.

By 1974-75, this location became the second female residence. Crammed into the second storey of the old school block, the girls knew “it sure ain’t the Hilton” (Hotel) but it became their beloved Hilton under the care of charismatic, eccentric house parent, Mimi Wichlinski, (Mrs. Dub)

Rogers House, captained by Graham Lang, dragged a VW Beetle car onto a barge and floated it into Mill Bay. This is undoubtedly one of the best known and best executed grad pranks, among many that used to take place.

Yes, beyond Brentwood , a grommet is an eyelet for a shoe or tarpaulin, but eccentric schoolmaster Rob Common lovingly christened the Grade 8s (only boys at that time in the ’70s) as ‘grommets’. The appellation stuck and quickly became a badge of honour for every small boy, and later for all Grade 8 students at Brentwood.

This sculpture looks out to Mt. Baker from outside the Arts Centre. Commissioned in honour of Philip (Pip) Holmes, student, school governor, benefactor. Rowers stop to pat the eagle’s head on their way to Crooks Hall after a calorie- burning workout on the water.

A native statue fittingly greeting the Brentood community by the entrance to Crooks Hall. Donated by the Holmes family , who donated this work of art to Brentwood as a symbol of their long association with the school. The story of Welcome Man is rooted in a Brentwood family, representing the wider Brentwood family . Cuthbert Holmes, a student and governor, had willed his accidentally fortuitous collection of paintings by Emily Carr to his family. His son, WDesmond, was bequeathed ‘Welcome Man’ one of Carr’s most famous paintings. When the time in the 1970s came to send his boys to Brentwood , Desmond sold the painting to pay the school fees. Iin 2012, the family commissioned the carver, Don Smith of Cowichan Tribes, to sculpt in wood a likeness of that painting, as a gift to the school. You can view the original ‘Welcome Man’ by Emily Carr in the National Gallery of Canada also a gift by the singer Bryan Adams, who ended up owning that work of art.

The charismatic, charming naval officer and Scottish rugby international, had a dream of starting a school on Vancouver Island. Luckily, he came into contact with a group of Old Brentonians (Old Boys, led by Dr. Morris Young) who shared a similar dream.

Eventually settling upon the purchase of the abandoned Queen Alexandra solarium in Mill Bay, David hired four Good Chaps to teach and 90 boys to learn history, rugby and the rest. The new Brentwood grew from there.

the school’s response to the famine in Ethiopia, 1981, evolved into an annual initiative to support local charities. Community members far and wide, would request any number of students to work for them on that day; the money that the students “earned” was collected by the School to distribute as donations to selected local charities. At a special School Assembly, a representative from each charity would receive the donation and describe how their hard-earned money affected each cause.

Brentwood boarders are reminded of their famous ‘Bubble’ when the rest of the planet win a ‘snow day’ and they toil on. BUT, rare circumstances align in the stars and a snow Day actually happens from time to time, with snowball fights, snow forts and all.

Killy Theatre is the stunning proof of Brentwood’s commitment to the performing arts. Musical theatre, dance, concerts, dramatic plays provide an ongoing forum which showcases the artistic talents of Brentwood students. Visiting Professional musicians are thrilled to take advantage of the rich, warm tones enhanced by the acoustics in our intimate 430 seat theatre.

Kokanee at Kokanee Creek by Kent Crawford, ’72 was the first of many artworks purchased by the Krysa family on behalf of the school that were created by Brentwood alumnae. The collection has grown to over 90 masterpieces, now, also, including the creations of graduating students.

Our first Olympian who won a bronze medal in the double sculls at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympic Games

Including Hockey Night in Mill Bay, in particular, usually pits our school teams against traditional rivals, Shawnigan Lake School

The unforgettable love birds, Dot and Reg Pitt, presided over the swim programme for many years. The pool was demolished with the construction of the present Rogers House.

Brentwood hosted a modest rowing regatta, lasting one afternoon, through the 60/70s . Then John Queen discovered the power of computer-assisted communication. In the 1980s, the number of rowers increased from 125 to 880! The Brentwood International Regatta was born. Ever since, every student and adult at Brentwood pitches in to lend a hand, as we host the largest high school rowing regatta in North America.

“Be true to our ideals, Guard our Honour, Set high standards of excellence, Then, When your time comes to hand on the, Torch you may justly feel proud, In having played your part, In the founding of, Brentwood”
Headmaster H.P. Hope, 1923

The success of these eight Rowers -led by Jeff Allester marked a pivotal transformation in the Brentwood Rowing programme. Heretofore, Tony Carr’s crews were regularly drubbed by arch rivals Shawnigan. Extra practice time, natural talent and dedicated coaching suddenly coalesced into a national championship at St. Catharine’s. After that year, Brentwood’s success grew so fast that they had to race against university crews in order to find suitable competition.

Gillespie Rock has become a touchstone as Brentwood rugby players take to the field of battle. The rock sports a plaque explaining that our rugby field is named after three brothers who excelled at academics and sports in the 1940s.

Formerly known as Fabrications until 2015, this initiative of Beth Melhuish in the English Department provided an avenue to showcase the work of students whose poems or prose were chosen from each grade. In memory of Beth, a highly regarded and long standing faculty member of the department, the name of this annual competition was changed to honour her legacy. Whereas the winning entries of Fabrications used to be recorded in the yearbooks, the winning entries of the Melhuish Competition are now recorded digitally on the School Blog.

Conservation programmes where Shawnigan Creek (The Millstream) enters Mill Bay, just along the northern boundary of the School.. Students help adult volunteers remove the returning salmon from the waters , then transport them in boxes, 70 at a time, upstream to their spawning waters.

Before the Refounding in 1961, the current school grounds were used by the Queen Alexandra Solarium for Crippled Children (mainly a tuberculosis hospital). When this medical centre moved to Victoria on Arbutus Road, the property sat empty, growing weeds until purchased in 1960 by the newly-formed Brentwood College Association

Tripartite Program remains the unique feature of a Brentwood education since its introduction in the early ’70s. What other school ends academic classes before lunch? Modern educational theories extol student-centred, project-based learning. Brentwood students have been honing important life skills for almost 60 years, particularly during the thrice-weekly Arts afternoons

In the day when smoking was considered fashionable, an ongoing struggle occurred between a small minority of students and the faculty, charged with the students’ well-being. An exasperated David Mackenzie enlisted the help of a local water bomber pilot. Instead of dousing a forest fire, the bomber sprayed its payload on a group of unsuspecting smokers.

John Queen’s gifts to the School. John would put the Whittall boys to bed then unwind by assembling handsome clocks into the wee hours of the morning! You can find results of his hobby standing at various spots around the campus, including Crooks Hall.

The old green van originally used to transport people and materials to various school events. Once, the sets for the musical H.M.S. Pinafore, lashed to the roof by Carr and Burrows, nearly turned into a windsail as the hunkie careened over the Malahat on a road trip to Vancouver. Today, the School boasts 19 vehicles of various sizes for the transportation of students and cargo, such as rowing boats and student luggage.

October 11, 1978. Caused by a faulty stereo, the blaze gutted the boys’ residence, caving in the roof. The entire school had a chilling view as the fire drill procedure required us to marshall immediately in front of Whittall. We watched, dumfounded, as Gil Bunch, resplendently dressed, ran with a puny garden hose to battle the raging inferno. Led by the unflappable Housemaster John Queen and his charismatic House Captain, Blair Horn, the fire’s aftermath brought out the best character of Whittall House. After bedding down temporarily in the old Auditorium, followed by a long weekend in a Victoria hotel, Whittall bunked in ‘Atco City’ – trailers hauled onto the tennis courts until the House was repaired.

The cataclysmic event which divides the history of Brentwood between the ‘old school’ and the ‘new School’ occurred during the summer holidays of 1947,. A chimney fire spread to the roof of the main school building. Shoddy attempts to fight the fire failed and the entire building was destroyed. The school had been struggling financially before the fire; therefore it lacked the resources and the will to re-build…for fourteen long years.

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The brainchild of Beth Melhuish when she was the grad teacher sponsor, these special dinners celebrated the original 5-year students in each graduating class; students in the grad class who arrived in Grade 8. The dinners were held at the swanky Quamichan Inn in Maple Bay, a dressy affair to which students were transported by school bus. They missed prep time at school and instead mingled socially with their Houseparents and teachers who came to honour them. In later years, the Grade 8 class was discontinued and so was the Lifers’ Dinner, then sadly the beautiful Quamichan Inn burned down. Today, the Grade 8s are back and the annual Lifers’ Dinner has been revived on the Brentwood campus.

The concept of some sort of track around the perimeter of the school had been talked about for some time. The eventual walking path around the perimeter began to take shape after 2000 as the result of the vision of Andrea Pennells, Head of School. Numerous massive blackberry bushes were cleared away, and countless hours were spent by students and grounds staff over the years, to create this feature. Beautiful wooden staircases and walkways were built by Brian May at intervals, and the Trail opened up previously hidden stunning views of our wonderful waterfront.

The annual game of Assassins began in Alex House among the girls, but it is more difficult than I expected to track down its actual year of origin. The first recorded reference to it is in the 2002-2003 Yearbook, yet anecdotal student accounts put it in the late 1990s. Certainly, for many years Alex House was the only House where it was played as a huge source of fun, friendly competition and a bonding experience with pizza for the winners. There are many rules governing the game, and it was always a challenge to curb student energy and enthusiasm to ensure that they did not disrupt academic classes or meal times in the dining hall. Some time after 2010, it was eventually adopted by another House, while today, the game is played by all 8 houses on the Brentwood campus.

The only remaining original building of the Queen Alexandra Solarium was the Nurses’ quarters from 1927 to 1955, and has special significance for many former students. On the original Brentwood campus on this site that opened in 1961, it was named Hope House after Brentwood’s first Headmaster at Brentwood Bay, and housed boys. In 1972, the former Hope House was given a massive facelift and re-named Alexandra House, to welcome the first group of girls that moved in that September under the care of Ann Holden (Duncan). A plaque on the south wall was dedicated in 2006, when a group of the original nurses who lived there visited Alex House, and gives details of some of its illustrious history.

For years the Alex House girls believed that their beloved residence was haunted.The existence of a half-formed, mysterious tunnel running up towards Alex from the library in the old school block stoked the rumours!

Canadian Thanksgiving has always been celebrated with a wonderful feast for the entire school, whereas the American Thanksgiving dinner was held only for students from the United States. In more recent years, however, in the spirit of togetherness, all of Brentwood celebrates Canadian Thanksgiving in October and then U.S. Thanksgiving in November, so all students enjoy two scrumptious Thanksgiving dinners.

Flags of countries represented by the student body. An exhilarating spectacle that greets new and returning students at the beginning of each school year is the proud display of every flag that represents the countries from where our students originate.

The solemn high point of the annual Remembrance Day service is the reading of the fourteen names inscribed on the Roll of Honour saved from the decommissioned Brentwood Chapel. (images in the archive files). Remembrance Day brings out the best in our school, from the stories of family histories shared by young and old to the rapt attention of the students to the solemn musical performances. Here in Canada, war has become a distant concept yet November 11 provides the opportunity to reflect on the gift of peace.

Physical amalgamation and separation of Rogers and Hope: Hope House was the 4th girls house re-created in 2010-11 as a physical part of Rogers House, which had a dividing wall down the middle. Hope House girls moved into their own new building in 2015-16. The establishment of Hope House heralded balanced inter-house competitions in all 8 houses. Rogers House reverted to a house entirely for boys.

Jeans were once forbidden at Brentwood. The School uniform of the Mackenzie tartan for girls and gray slacks for boys were worn at all times during the school year, even for travel back and forth on leave. In the 1980s, Headmaster Bill Ross introduced what became known as “smart casual” dress, which could be worn to classes on specific days and caused no end of controversy and discussion. Eventually, jeans were allowed to be worn on campus only after 6:00 PM, when dinner and all other activities had ended, and never when going to or from leave. In due course, jeans became accepted as regular casual wear

Each of the 8 houses were named after people or institutions that were instrumental in Brentwood’s legacy: (1). Alexandra, in what used to be the Nurses Residence of the Queen Alexandra Solarium. (2). The Allard family featured three daughters and a son who graduated from Brentwood in the ’90s and early ‘naughts’,.. Each name began with the letter ‘J’, (3).Hope, Ellis and Privett were, in order, the first three headmasters of the ‘old’ Brentwood. (4) Norman Whittall was an important Governor and benefactor (5) David Mackenzie was the first Headmaster of the ‘new’ Brentwood.

The original Sick Bay was located near the old Rogers House at the south end of campus. Eventually, when it was a ramshackle, rat-infested building, the decision was made to build a new one next to the Woodward Sportsplex, with the new focus and name to signify wellness. It was opened in May 2002 under Andrea Pennells’ headship, with a generous donation from Brentwood’s Maeda family, whose patriarch was a renowned doctor in Japan. His donation was made to honour his brother who died in WWll, as well as the legacy of his 4 grandchildren who attended Brentwood in the 2000s.

Then and now, to rebellious teens, local leave rules were made to be broken. The adjoining Watson property, Hill 69, the bushes, were all haunts for various misdeeds. But, like Topsy, Brentwood kept growing, swallowing up adjacent properties…and beyond.

The Morgan P. Laycock Memorial Award for Nature Photography was established by his parents, Keith and Mary Laycock, in loving memory of their son. He was an adventurous, free-spirited young man who graduated from Brentwood in 1984, and who pursued life with energy and enthusiasm. Morgan died tragically in 1995. The trust in his name is to promote wilderness preservation and natural photography, all of which were passions of Morgan’s.

1948-1961. After the horrendous fire, the School closed its doors. The boys had to find alternatives: University School in Victoria, Shawnigan Lake School, are two examples. But the spirit of Brentwood remained alive in the minds and hearts of a dedicated, determined group of alumni, led by Dr. Morris Young. Eventually, they approached a dashing naval officer, David MacKenzie to start a school in Mill Bay.

Today red is the predominant colour of the Brentwood Brand however the school originally used the colour orange. It can be seen on school uniforms, athletic attire, and pennants in our archives. Rumour has it the change to red took place when our clothing supplier was unable to provide orange items and only had red available.

Despite the cafeteria style of eating that has been a feature of the ‘new’ school , Gil Bunch magisterially made sure the boys behaved like English gentlemen at the table during the early years of the rebirth of Brentwood . In a legendary memorandum of 1962 entitled At Table, Gil issued the following demands: “Utensils to the mouth and not the reverse”; “All food eaten from back of fork”; “movement of spoon away from person” (referring to the soup).

Dairy Queen cakes. DQ cakes are renowned at Brentwood as one way in which student birthdays are celebrated. The school kitchen also makes delicious cakes so students can choose their preferred birthday cakes. Because boarding students do not usually have the luxury of celebrating their birthdays at home, Houseparents make sure that they have a memorable celebration while at school.

Mill Bay Centre opened in 1977. Originally “Uptown” had no Thrifty Foods, no Pharmasave, no fast food spots—just one small general store, a restaurant, and a gas station. At that time there was no retail development beyond that and students were not allowed to cross the highway. Nowadays, the students are conspicuous consumers; many stores see a downturn in their business when our students are away for holidays.

There has always been something unique about Rogers House. From its birth in 1977 as a successor to Senior House to its present, distinctive architecture, Rogers has a different feel. The three other boys’ houses- Ellis, Privertt and Whittal look similar from the exteriors and the interiors. As architecture, Roger’s is different ; from its first life as Motel 6 look-@a-like with its private bathrooms, one to a dorm. The present Rogers is stunning. Hugging the natural slope of the land, this building is the first one the visitor sees upon arrival, its wings seemingly embracing us in welcome from the west. Its horizontal profile, graceful windows and gently sloping roof with large overhangs recall a mentor of architect Paul Merrick- the legendary Frank Lloyd Wright.

The importance of food to the hungry teenager has greatly affected campus development . The thrice-daily energy centre , that is the cafeteria, was originally located towards the northern end of campus. David Mackenzie was adamant that the students, as they ate, would be able to enjoy the view across the water towards Mt. Baker. This was fine, except when the dishwasher leaked, causing havoc with the stage lighting of our original auditorium, built below the kitchen. Upon the opening of the spiffy Crooks Hall in 2010, young stomachs became satisfied at the south end of campus.

When other day schools closed down for weeks at a time, we never missed a day of instruction. and graduated all our students. We were stronger because of the experience. One key element of the administration’s successful strategy was close cooperation with Shawnigan Lake School. The two schools are rivals in sports but we work as one in the more important areas of health and safety.

One stormy afternoon Victor Lironi’s sailing boat dragged its anchor out in the Bay. The ever-helpful John Allpress and Marius Felix towed it into the sheltered area below the Headmaster’s residence. Next morning, fumes of diesel fuel alerted Victor to a problem, but, after a few minutes delay, he started the engine. Boom! The boat caught fire; Victor luckily escaped with minor cuts and bruises. The very local fire hall responded too late as they searched for the address of the boat fire: Lashburn Road, the same street as the firehall, which was on our campus for many years.

I was lucky enough, 26 years ago, to start teaching at Brentwood with my own classroom: 202A. The A stood for Annexe, which was a polite way of saying cinder block sarcophagus with rats in the rafters and a flat roof that leaked every time it rained. But I didn’t care: it was a room, as Virginia Woolf would say, of one’s own. To cover up some of many stains and holes, I began my second career as an interior decorator. Thanks to many garage sales, and a lack of discerning taste, 202A quickly became a kaleidoscope of images of people and things that I found cool.

Space was limited in beloved 202A, but when the Old Block was knocked into dust, and the English Dept. shuffled across the quad to Ross, I found myself in the penthouse suite: R301. Ocean view. An attached office. Prairies of wall space. Soon, kids would notice alumni on the walls – usually in some odd pose, such as reenacting Bob Dylan album covers – and they would ask how do they get up on the wall? Answer: earn it. So, for many years now, kids would give me photos, hoping to join the living exhibit of goofiness that is my classroom. Down came the Ross, and off to A251 I went, towing many boxes of illustrations behind me. It gives me great satisfaction when old Brentonians pop back to my classroom, sometimes to see me, but usually just keen to track down their spot of fame on the wall. I wonder, how many of you, reading this right now, stare down from the walls of A251 at a new crop of bemused English students? The rogues’ gallery lives on.

Founding Headmaster of Brentwood College 1923-1932

Mr. Hope was born in Petworth (England) in 1877 and died in 1937 at age sixty-seven in Victoria, B.C. after a short illness. He was educated at St. John’s College, Cambridge University and came to Canada as a teacher in 1907. He taught briefly in Vancouver and Golden, B.C. before coming to Victoria in 1909. Mr. Hope enjoyed several years teaching at Victoria High School, until, in 1915, he was appointed principal of Oak Bay High School where he gained a fine reputation as an outstanding educator. In 1923, Mr. P. F. Curtis (formerly Chairman of the Oak Bay School Board, and now Chairman of the Board of Governors of the recently founded Brentwood College) lured Mr. Hope away to be the first Headmaster of the new school, located at Brentwood Bay on the Saanich Peninsula. At Brentwood’s opening ceremony on September 12th, 1923, Mr. Hope affirmed his high ideals for Brentwood and pointed out to the forty boys already enrolled that it was up to them to build a tradition based on, “honest endeavour and sports.” In this way would be laid “the foundation for the success of the school.” To represent these ideas, Mr. Hope chose a school crest of a mailed fist holding a flaming torch with the motto, “De Manu in Manum” (From Hand to Hand) scrolled underneath. He also summed up these words and symbols with a challenging mission statement that called upon the staff and students to “guard our honour,” and create a “worthy tradition for the institution.”

It did not take long for Mr. Hope to establish Brentwood as a major force in B.C. education. He gathered around himself a small but dedicated group of young teachers, and in addition to his own administrative duties, successfully taught sciences and classics and coached rowing. He became the epitome not only of strong leadership but also the kind of total commitment to all areas of school endeavour that allowed Brentwood to grow and expand so fast. As early as June, 1924 the editor of the first annual Brentwood College Magazine was able to report that “as one looks back over the events of the past year, perhaps the most extraordinary feature that one notices in the history of the college is its rapid growth.” New facilities were soon added to the original site of the former hotel including a gymnasium, classroom block, and playing fields, with the boys themselves showing a true pioneer spirit by starting the construction of a chapel, dedicated in 1925, and still standing today on a rocky slope above Brentwood Bay. As early as 1926 the boarding population had risen to full capacity (110 students) and would remain so until the impact of the Great Depression was felt in 1930. There were early successes in rugby, cricket, rowing, sailing and drama but, according to Senior Master Mr. H. Round, it was “in preparation for the numerous universities (at home and abroad) that the Headmaster and the school could take the greatest pride.” The school’s record from 1924 in public examinations, was an enviable one and allowed its graduates (an increasing number of whom came from outside B.C., including the USA and the Far East) successful entry into the best universities in Britain and North America.

Sadly, even as the dark clouds of economic recession gathered over the landscape, the school suffered the double blow of losing its revered headmaster as well. In 1932, Mr. Hope was forced to resign for health reasons. Under his firm but sympathetic guidance the school had emerged in a very short space of time as a respected leader in British Columbia education. It was a bitter blow for a school now facing the realities of the financial collapse. “The Old Man” as he was affectionately known, however, had left a remarkable legacy of innovation and success which continues in today’s school.

From Kindled: From the Ashes by Nicholas R. B. Prowse

According to one of Victoria’s newspapers, the Daily Colonist, “over two hundred men prominent in public affairs in Victoria attended the formal opening of the College on September 12th, 1923, by His Honour Lieutenant-Governor Walter C. Nichol.” Finally, after years of planning, Brentwood College was a reality. Built on the high principles of “True Religion, Honest Industry, Useful Learning,” the founders announced that the school would follow in the traditions of the great English public schools, but with a special emphasis on Canadian requirements.

From Kindled: From the Ashes by Nicholas R. B. Prowse

The next ninety days were devoted to fundraising and, by the time the governors met again on April 26th, 1961, they were still $20,000 short and seriously discussed the advisability of proceeding with the purchase. Fortunately for all later associated with the new Brentwood College, Forrest Rogers and Maurice Young bravely spoke up in favour of proceeding anyway, since they believed that an additional $15,000 could be raised from Old Boys in Vancouver and the remaining $5,000 from Victoria. With these encouraging words ringing in their ears, the Board made a fateful decision and voted unanimously that the Brentwood College Association, “should proceed with the purchase of the Mill Bay property prior to the expiry date of the option on April 30th 1961.” After almost thirteen years, Brentwood College was once again a living entity.

1. Ned Pratt – Rowing -1932 (Bronze)
2. Jim Henniger – Rowing 1976
3. Ian Roberts – Horse jumping 1977
4. Pat Walter – Rowing 1980, 1984, 1988
5. Bruce Ford – Rowing 1980, 1984 (Bronze), 1988
6. Marius Felix – Rowing 1980
7. Blair Horn – Rowing 1984 (Gold)
8. David Ross – Rowing 1984, 1988
9. Tim Christian – Rowing 1984
10. Paul Tessier – Rowing 1984
11. Harold Backer – Rowing 1984, 1988, 1992
12. Tan Barkley – Rowing 1984
13. Jamie Schafer – Rowing 1988
14. Sarah Ogilvie – Rowing 1988
15. Darren Barber – Rowing 1992 (Gold), 1996
16. Jennifer Browett – Rowing 2000
17. Morgan Crooks – Rowing 2000
18. David Calder – Rowing 2000, 2004, 2008 (Silver), 2012
19. Tom Herschmiller – Rowing 2000, 2004 (Silver)
20. Kevin White – Rowing 2000
21. Scott Frandsen – Rowing 2004, 2008 (Silver), 2012
22. Jamie Faris – Rowing 2008
23. Malcolm Howard – Rowing 2008 (Gold), 2012 (Silver)
24. Connor Grimes – Field Hockey 2008
25. Brendan Hodge – Rowing 2016
26. Mathew Sharpe –Triathlon 2020
27. Andre Jin Coquillard – Rugby 2020
28. Sydney Payne – Rowing 2020 (Gold), 2024
29. Rielly Milne – Rowing 2024

Original Campus in Brentwood Bay

• 1923 – 1932  Henry Pollock Hope
• 1932 – 1939  Martin H. Ellis
• 1939 – 1946  A.C. Privett
• 1946 – 1947  W.K. Molson
• 1948 – 1948  E. Colchester School closed due to fire

Mill Bay Campus

• 1961 – 1976  David D. Mackenzie
• 1976 – 2000  William T. Ross
• 2000 – 2012  Andrea M. Pennells
• 2012 – 2024  Bud Patel
• 2024 –            Garth Chalmers

The boys who bleed blue have a tradition at birthdays of the person celebrated having to dance around the room! (We’ve also heard they are big Adele fans …)

Whittall boys have in the past tormented their Houseparents by staging the silent protest known as “naked prep”. It may have started in the 80s. There is no evidence of this and we are not soliciting any!

Ellis has a 30-year history, as of this centenary, of hosting their annual open house with a casino theme. They are proud of it.

The predecessor of Allard was Gwynneth House, and the Gwynneth girls chose to mark their history on the new building by creating backsplash tiles for the kitchen.

Brentwood cuisine has come a long way in 100 years! From stories of students writing home specifically to complain about the food, to a Sunday Brunch tradition that is so good Mr. Patel uses it as a countdown for spring term (increasingly sentimental) Grade 12s: “Only six more brunches left until the end of school— enjoy them while you can.”

The Interhouse Eco-Challenge was developed with the misguided notion that it would be a showcase for outdoor pursuits students to showcase their skills to the rest of the school. Originally relegated to a slow Sunday in the fall, the sheer spectacle of a diverse relay event centred around our amazing waterfront involving kayaking, canoeing, portaging, swimming, fire-building, rope rescues, running, shelter building, bear-proofing a backpack and more soon attracted the enthusiastic interest of the whole school; a date change to the first Friday afternoon of the year after classes made this a highlight of our Orientation, and a high energy beginning to the interhouse competition. For over twenty years, this event has allowed our outdoor pursuits students to show off their skills. Along the way, the whole school is given the chance to gather together on the shore, make some noise and watch the many students who give everything to this event looking for the first win of the season for their house.