Backgrounder: UVic To Purchase Arbutus Rd Properties From Sisters of St. Ann
Many Sisters of St. Ann are alumnae of Victoria College and UVic, and one member was part of the first faculty of the School of Nursing at UVic. The Sisters originally purchased the Queenswood property to use as a residence for the Sisters taking post-secondary education on campus, due to its proximity to the university. The ongoing strength of this relationship was underscored by the Sisters’ generous endowment of $300,000 to the university in June 2008 to support UVic nursing and rural education students. The gift celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Sisters’ arrival in the capital city and their missionary work in BC.
The Sisters are a religious order responsible for founding many of BC’s first hospitals and schools, including Victoria’s St. Ann’s Academy, St. Joseph’s Hospital and St. Joseph’s School of Nursing. In 1858, the Sisters of St. Ann arrived in Victoria from St. Jacques, Quebec, and immediately set up a school for local children. Members of the congregation also serve in Quebec, eastern USA and as far away as Haiti, Chile, the Republic of Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their mission in Haiti is currently struggling to recover from the devastating Jan. 12 earthquake.
Queenswood retreat centre provides individual and group retreats with a unique program focus on the spiritual, emotional and physical renewal of those who care for others in education, healthcare, and social services. In addition, Queenwood hosts training, planning and wellness events for local service agencies, educational organizations and non-profits. The retreat centre includes a therapeutic pool and a library featuring books on theology, personal growth and spirituality.
The Queenswood Society was established by the Sisters of St. Ann in 2004 to assume the management of Queenswood retreat centre and transform it into a financially self-sustaining legacy of the Sisters of St. Ann. The society’s board has been working toward the goal of being financially independent of the Sisters of St. Ann by the end of 2010.