You are here : Home » History And Research » Places » Humboldt Gates » Allee

Humboldt Gates

Alleé

The 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 Vullinghs' 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. A 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 The Allee
Winter, 1999
(click here for larger image)
Gate and entrance Gate and entrance
(click here for larger image)

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.

Mary Flanagan (Grant), a student in the 1920s and 1930s, had a memorable experience on the Alleé. At that time, the trees that lined the lane were poplars. This leafy species had become the home of an infestation of caterpillars. They emerged from their cocoons, and, as Mary walked in through the gate and towards the school, fell from the branches and into her hair. There were so many that she needed the help of one of the Sisters to pull them all out before going to class!

The Allee Sequoias in front of St. Anns

At the top of the Alleé, at the main entrance to the building, two tall evergreens still stand. This pair of Sequoias, Sequoiadendrum giganteum, was given to the Academy as a gift by the McQuade family at the turn of the century. Mr. and Mrs. Peter McQuade wished to mark the entry of their daughters, Cecelia and Anna, into the Sisters of Saint Ann. They were the first women from Victoria, and the whole of British Columbia, to become Sisters of Saint Ann. Giant Sequoias come from California and are an exotic species to the Victoria area. This made them special gifts. A number of Sequoias can be found in Victoria, that were planted at the same time period and were also presented as gifts, such as the tree in Oak Bay, an area just outside the city. Many of the girls who were forced to find other schools, when the Academy closed in 1973, chose to attend Oak Bay High School. A story grew amongst them that this tree was related to the pair at St. Ann's, perhaps as a way to remind themselves of the school they missed so much.

The Alleé has now been relined and replanted. Wedding parties often pause for photographs or leave the chapel ceremony by horse-drawn carriage via this lane. When St. Ann's was designated as an important heritage site, plaques were set up by the government, listing the accomplishments of Bishop Demers and the Sisters. Today, visitors do not have to be royal to enter through the wrought iron gates and stroll up the Alleé.