PLACES
Chapel
Humboldt Gates
Academy Green
Arboretum

H
umboldt Gates


Alleé

he Alleé, the tree-lined path which leads towards the building, became an aspect of the formal gardens at the Academy. The walks on the property were part of Father Adrian Vuhllings' landscaping project of the 1910s and early 1920s, measuring 1/8th of a mile, when joined together across the grounds. Wide enough for cars and carriages to drive down, the Alleé was generally restricted to pedestrians. Bricks were used to edge the other paths, but, by the 1920s, a concrete border had been put in place for this path to the main entrance.

Part of the original design of the Alleé included a row of backing hedges The comparison of old photographs reveals that a variety of trees and bushes were planted alongside the lane, in carefully planned, straight rows. At various points in the school's history, the Sisters and lay-gardeners attempted to cultivate exotic species. Over the years, oaks, large rhododendron shrubs, and broad-leafed poplars lined the Alleé. In the 1930s, Port Orford Cedars, a tree related to the Yellow Cedar which was native to the Victoria area, were brought from California. Too far north, these trees did not thrive, and had to be replaced. (Tom Loring, St. Ann's Rescue Coalition)

The Allee
Winter, 1999

Described by one former student as being "like a big, long bowling alley", this was a place where the older girls could stroll when they were restricted from leaving the grounds. The younger pupils could play dodge ball and other games. These children were subject to falls, scrapes and bruises with all their running around, but St. Joseph's Hospital, first opened in 1876, with the current design dating to 1908, sat right across the street. At least one child, late for class, tumbled to the ground heading up the walk and was tended to by a nurse, who saw the accident from a hospital window.
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