[BCMA] FW: St. Ann's Academy Outdoor Signage Project Announcement

[Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv.]

For release Dec. 14, 2011

 

New interpretive signage will honor

contributions made by Sisters of St. Ann

 

Dec. 14, 2011 -- A series of new bilingual interpretive signage to be
installed this spring on the grounds of St. Ann's Academy National Historic
Site will tell the important story of the beginnings of education and health
care in the province.

 

The Provincial Capital Commission (PCC) is pleased to announce new
partnerships that have forged to provide financial and other support towards
this project, in particular the Francophone Affairs Program of the
Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat which administers the Canada-BC
Agreement on Official Languages for British Columbia. This contribution will
ensure that future generations will continue to appreciate the connections
between British Columbia and Quebec through the use of stories in both
official languages.

 

The Society of Friends of St. Ann's Academy, formed in 1997 to honor the
spiritual, social, and cultural heritage of Victoria's St. Ann's Academy, is
also providing support as part of its goal to develop a community resource
centre.

 

Technical assistance is also being provided by staff of the Ministry of
Community Sport and Cultural Development; the Ministry of Forest, Lands and
Natural Resource Operations, and the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and
Innovation.

 

"Since the earliest days of the fur trade, Francophone Canadians have played
an important role in the settlement of British Columbia. Francophones and
their history have contributed significantly to the story of B.C.'s diverse
cultural heritage being told at St. Ann's Academy," said Ida Chong, B.C.
Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development. "The provincial
government is proud to support efforts to celebrate St. Ann's in both
Canada's official languages."

 

PCC staff, responsible for overall project management as well as researching
and producing signage text and graphics, will continue to work closely with
the Sisters of St. Ann Archives to ensure that stories told are historically
accurate.

 

Development of the signage program began earlier this fall and the formal
sign unveiling will occur in the spring of 2012.  "When the project is
completed, there will be 15 interpretive panels to tell the important story
of a group of francophone nuns who pioneered education and healthcare in the
Pacific Northwest and established many institutions throughout British
Columbia, Alaska and the Yukon including their provincial headquarters in
Victoria at St. Ann's Academy," said Ray Parks, CEO for the PCC.  To
complement these, there will also be four orientation signs with site maps
and directions as well as more detailed plant identification signs.

 

"For visitors to St. Ann's since the building and grounds were opened to the
public in 1997, there has been little available information on the grounds
to tell the important stories of the Sisters of St. Ann and the Academy,
which operated as a school for more than 100 years," Parks said.  "Until
now, it has been difficult to appreciate the contribution these Quebec-based
women made to the development of BC's capital, the province and Western
Canada."

 

-30-

 

For additional information, contact:

 

 

Kris Andersen

Program Manager,

  Outreach and Engagement

office (250) 953-8826

cell (250) 588-6238

fax (250) 386-1303

 <mailto:kris.andersen at bcpcc.com> kris.andersen at bcpcc.com

 

British Columbia Provincial Capital Commission

613 Pandora Avenue, Victoria, BC, Canada, V8W 1N8

 <http://www.bcpcc.com/> www.bcpcc.com

Celebrating Our Capital Since 1956

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