A Short History of CVIC

CVIC was created in 1996 by Kassandra, Kathy, and Daniel Dycke. The school is now under the management of Luke and Robyn Pendak.

Brief Background of Management

Luke and Robyn have both called the Comox Valley home since they were young. They attended local elementary, middle and high schools, as well as North Island College. The Pendaks' vast knowledge of the area means that CVIC students are given the chance to partake in a wide array of local activities.

Luke earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree at the University of Victoria, and is also the holder of a Canadian TESL Certificate. He has travelled extensively and worked in both Europe and Asia.

Robyn has a Bachelor of Education Degree and is a BC certified teacher. She will play an active role in the operation and administration of the school.

We are pleased to have both Kassandra and Dan remain with us as consultants for the time being.

• Kassandra - Sociology graduate - University of British Columbia. Kassandra has taught English in Korea, Malaysia, and Canada; has travelled a great deal and lived overseas for a number of years. Kassandra is fluent in several languages.
• Dan - Senior Management experience in Operations, Quality Assurance, Engineering, Marketing, Finance, and Customer Relations.

Why the Comox Valley?

In 1996, the Dycke's identified a specific need for a high quality English language school in a safe, rural setting. Their first job was to determine the best location, but it was first necessary to define what they meant by "best". The following list of requirements was the result;

1. The community should be of a size that would support the needs of the College and Students yet maintain a safe and hospitable atmosphere. (population of 50,000 to 100,000 people)
2. The area must be safe for all people at all times.
3. There must be a vast array of readily available recreational and cultural activities.
4. All types of private and public transportation must be easily accessible.
5. Year round weather patterns must be relatively mild.
6. The community must be in reasonable proximity to the universities in both Vancouver and Victoria.
7. The College is to be located in British Columbia.

Once this list was developed they researched every community in British Columbia that statistically fit these parameters and received a pleasant surprise. The Comox Valley exceeded their requirements in every way, which was confirmed by later visits to the area.

In conclusion the Comox Valley is one of the most diverse and perfectly structured communities for a Language College in the world.