By T.W. Paterson
Originally, some 600 trees were planted but this proved to be insufficient — just one-tenth of the 60,000-plus Canadian men and women who lost their lives during the 1914-1918 conflict.
Having grown up in Saanich I’m familiar with the long, straight, north to south Shelbourne Street and its historical significance as a tree-lined memorial to those Greater Victorians who were killed in the First World War.
I vaguely recall, from my high school days, several miles of evenly spaced poplar trees. But years of accelerating development in this fast growing area of the municipality created conflicts and, sadly, many if not most of the these lefty sentinels have yielded to “progress”.
So it came as a pleasant surprise to read, in September, that Saanich Municipality was formally rededicating a stretch of Shelbourne Street as Memorial Avenue. Not just to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1918 Armistice that ended the First World War but also to honour the 1921 dedication of Memorial London Planetrees.
A procession complete with a pipe band and the Naden Band began at Mount Douglas Park and included a traditional First Nations blessing, speeches by Lieut.-Gov. Janet Austin and several regional politicians.
In advance of the event, Saanich installed 30 toppers above existing street signs to designate the Memorial Avenue stretch of Shelbourne, between North Dairy Road and Mount Douglas Park. Approved by Saanich Council in March 2018, the signs are the work of the Shelbourne Street of Unfinished Dreams Project, which refers to the fact that the original memorial project of 1921 was never fulfilled.
The signs depict the leaf of a London Planetree to represent the original memorial trees planted along Shelbourne, almost a century ago. “The leaf is coloured red, symbolizing the deep respect for the many who gave their lives for Canada, British Columbia and Greater Victoria during the First World War,” the Saanich Municipality website explains.
“The leaf is flanked by two poppy symbols, which are [the] registered trademark of the Royal Canadian Legion, Dominion Command, used under licence.”
Saanich and the SSUD Project’s Memorial Avenue Committee intend the signs to “preserve, enhance, maintain and recognize the London Planetrees along Shelbourne Street…as a memorial to those who sacrificed their lives during the First World War. The trees were originally planted on Oct. 2, 1921, with the intention to plant one tree for every soldier from B.C. lost during the war…”
Approximately 600 trees were planted but this proved to be insufficient — just one-tenth of the 60,000-plus Canadian men and women who lost their lives during the 1914-1918 conflict. The fact remains, Memorial Avenue as a Road of Remembrance and part of Shelbourne Street is said to be “Canada’s oldest memorial of this type”.
Personally, I’d prefer 600 real trees to symbolic signboards but the thought’s there!