This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Sun Peaks Education Society — a milestone reflecting not only the growth of a school but the evolution of a mountain town that believed in its children.
What began in 2010 as a grassroots initiative by local parents has become a cornerstone of community life, offering students a unique education shaped by the mountain lifestyle. Here’s how it began and where it stands today.
A school born out of urgency and love for the mountains
The year was 2010. Sun Peaks was growing, but changes in School District 73 threatened to close the nearby school, forcing young students to commute long distances. For a small group of local parents, that wasn’t an option.
“What inspired the society was that we are parents, with young children here and loving the mountain town,” said president of Sun Peaks Education Society (SPES), Maria Cannon. “We all moved here because we wanted to be in a mountain community and we wanted that for our children.”
Families quickly mobilized. What began as a vision for a community school rooted in mountain culture soon turned into a determined push for action. SPES was formally established in May 2010 with hopes of opening a school by the following year, but demand from the community accelerated the timeline.
“Parents and the community were so driven,” Cannon recalled. “We want this now for our kids. Let’s start this in September 2010.”
With support from the Kamloops Open Online Learning and dedicated educators like Laurel Seafoot, the school opened its doors within months. The first classroom was inside a ski school building at the top of the Platter Lift, decorated by local families and filled with 19 students on opening day.
Overcoming early challenges with community support
Opening a school in less than five months came with challenges: a tight timeline, the need for a teaching staff and securing classroom space, but the Sun Peaks community showed up.
“ [Sun Peaks] Resort was fantastic because the first classroom was their ski school building,” Cannon said. “We had local contractors and then kids and families going in decorating and everything.”
Financial hurdles were met with grassroots fundraising efforts. Volunteers, families and businesses rallied to help hire an on-site teacher and outfit the classroom.
“Everyone [was] very excited about seeing the first school. We had a whole procession of the community going up when we actually opened that first school,” Cannon said.
Since then, the school has grown alongside Sun Peaks itself. Originally envisioned as a place to blend outdoor learning with core education, it now serves students from kindergarten through Grade 12.
The school introduced a four-day week to give families more flexibility and time for recreation.
“On that fifth day, the students and their families could do more outdoor recreation and mountain sports,” Cannon explained.
The school as a catalyst for community
From the start, the school relied on partnerships with SD73, Sun Peaks Resort LLP and the municipality. The resort allowed use of land and buildings and continued to help as new classrooms were added. The municipality, formed in the same year as the school, worked closely with the society from day one.
“The resort was unwavering in their support,” Cannon said. “They continued with that support with how the land, the classrooms, all those things have gone.”
Today, the school is deeply woven into the fabric of Sun Peaks.
“The community as a whole understands the importance of a school because it’s the heart of a community and it’s been a catalyst in this exponential growth of the community,” Cannon said.
One of the school’s earliest champions was the late Al Raine, Sun Peaks’ first mayor and a longtime supporter of local families. Nancy Greene, Raine’s wife and fellow community advocate, also backed the project wholeheartedly.
“The municipality had this vision here of this school and particularly the unique environment of our school.”
Their legacy lives on as the town and school continue to grow hand-in-hand.
Moments that matter
For SPES, moments of celebration and everyday joy have left lasting impressions.
“What stands out for me was that first opening day as a school, and over the years more families coming in [with] more children.”
Watching students go from kindergarten to graduation is especially meaningful.
“They’re finding the things they love to do, their passions and then seeing what they’ve gone on to do, it’s very cool to see that.”
Looking to the future
Now, the school has outgrown its current footprint.
“We are pretty much outgrowing the nine classrooms that there are now.”
Since 2018, SPES has been included in the district’s capital plan for a new building. Fundraising and planning are already underway.
“We need that full-on school building. We need new facilities.”
The future school would include space for a public library, arts programming and additional community facilities. The vision is clear: to build something lasting that continues to serve Sun Peaks residents for generations.
Asked to summarize what makes the school special, Cannon said simply: “Community, mountain environment and the healthy active outdoor lifestyle.”
And to the families still to come?
“Just make the most of living and learning in such an incredible place. It really is an incredible place.”
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