The Month-Long Dormitory Move at Shawnigan Lake School: A Local Moving Story

Shawnigan Lake is at once a picturesque, semi-secluded rustic area that feels both far away and close to Victoria. The roads may be narrow and the the area's access points may leave a little to be desired, but businesses and institutions thrive there despite the moderate isolation. When construction season hits Shawnigan Lake, however, getting materials in and out takes a lot of planning.

Two Small Men mover Paul Quinn and his crew discovered this reality the hard way when they were tasked with a project far different from the usual one-day move.

“In Shawnigan Lake, they were getting a new dormitory built,” Paul says. “At the Shawnigan Lake School.”

A popular boarding school, the Shawnigan Lake School sits on a massive campus featuring a blend of historic buildings and more recently added modern facilities. As the school continues to grow, renovations and other construction projects often occur while classes are still in session and so it becomes a balancing act of coordination where the safety and security of the students is paramount. When Paul was called in, it was to deliver bedroom furniture for new dormitories.

“The bedroom furniture was being moved into the suites while it was still being constructed,” Paul explains.

While such a delivery wouldn't normally be a big deal for a professional moving crew, in this case the guys had to tiptoe around an unfinished building, which made things decidedly more awkward. The site was marked by partially-completed staircases, exposed drywall, scattered tools and ever-evolving work areas that made their time there unpredictable at best.

“So this was a job that took pretty much a whole month.”

Long-term commercial moves like these work on their own schedule and it's often in coordination with construction timelines. You can bring in anything too early when the site isn't open yet but it absolutely can't be late either. It's a matter of precise timing.

For the movers, it wasn't all bad as they were being compensated for full days.

“They paid eight hours a day,” Paul says.

The crew would return every morning over the course of a month, hauling in more furniture. The tricky part was working in a way that was consistent over this extended period and to maintain a high rate of productivity. The furniture in question was heavier than normal as it was designed for maximum durability.

“It was bunk beds, nightstands, and wardrobes,” Paul says. “On the main floor and the second floor of the dormitory building. I was leading the crews every day,” Paul says. “It was great.”

While Paul had much experience with strenuous physical moves, in this case he was acting almost as a project manager over this extended period, which tested his ability to plan and make decisions as well as his accountability. It was far from just moving some furniture around.

“We were also following planograms,” Paul explains.

The crew followed planograms telling them what each room needed

“They had to have a certain amount of furniture in every room.”

This also meant they had to keep close track of inventory.

“I was going around marking down all of the contents,” Paul says. “Making sure that everything was where it was supposed to be.”

Paul was also the one to relay instructions to the rest of the crew handed down to him fronm the construction team on site.

“I was also dealing with the site guy — the guy that was paying us," he says. "I was managing crews of six, sometimes eight people.”

The size of the team would vary day to day based on shipment volume. Because of the nature of the site, the larger trucks originally carrying the furniture couldn't get too close, so Paul also had to manage that.

“We were offloading semis,” he explains. “Offloading the semis onto our trucks and then bringing our trucks in.”

This allowed them to keep making progress even when the site had restricted access.

A further complication was the added weight of the furniture on account of the boxes they showed up in.

“The wardrobes weren’t like loose doors and stuff,” Paul says. “It was all boxed up. Sometimes that’s good when you’re moving, but sometimes it can also be a hindrance — especially in tight spaces.”

To avoid scratching or damaging brand new walls, each piece of boxed furniture had to be moved meticulously.

Despite all this, Paul says the project was memorable for good reasons.

“The experience stood out because it was the first time I got recognized personally for a leadership role with the company. That same guy would ask for me by name to do the job again.”

In the world of commercial moving, consistency and reliability is king and Paul and his crew had made a great impression.

“They were really pleased with it,” he says. "Based on that move, I just took the role of the leader."

Over the course of the long project, he had developed a routine.

“I made sure to go over a game plan on what’s going to happen during the day. I made sure everyone knows the plan.”

And as the days dragged on, Paul always prioritized safety.

“I checked in and made sure the guys were still good to work.”

He also stayed in constant communication with the site manager.

“In that situation, I’d point out the progress that we were making throughout the duration of the move,” Paul says. “Whenever I’d see him, I’d let him know. He was never unhappy.”

And although it went on for a while, everything finished on time.

“Yeah,” Paul says. “We got everything done on schedule.”

In the years since, Paul has gone back to the campus on several occasions.

“I’ve had some jobs at the Shawnigan Lake School,” he says. “Not dealing with that guy specifically, but some of the other teachers and stuff — we’ve moved them in and out.”

Because when you do a job well, people remember and they call you again and again. That's what makes Paul a great mover and Two Small Men a great company.

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