A Place in History
What it actually looks like
No photographs published on St. Ann's Academy National Historic Site’s site.
What the children do
A 90 minute school program offered free of charge to BC schools, recommended for Grades 2 and 3 and adaptable for Kindergarten to Grade 5. Advance booking is required. After a short orientation in the chapel the class splits into two groups and rotates through activity stations of about 15 minutes each, with a St. Ann's facilitator at every station. The three activities are a wood graining paint activity about how the building was made and restored, a session on Chinook trading phrases and archival photographs of early Victoria, and an outdoor mapping exercise on the grounds. A pre-visit booklet with photos, information and suggested classroom activities is sent to the teacher when the booking is made.
Sit for a short welcome in the restored 1858 chapel, then split into two groups and move between three stations. They paint a wood graining pattern with poster paint after looking at the woodwork in the chapel and foyer, try saying phrases in Chinook and compare archival photographs of Victoria with the city now, and go outside to draw a map of the grounds and walk among the heritage trees and gardens.
Good to know
Washrooms are inside and somewhere to eat lunch can be arranged on request. There is a lift as an alternative to the grand staircase but it has to be arranged in advance, and buses have to park on the street rather than on site.
Getting there
835 Humboldt Street, Victoria, BC