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Saanich and Victoria celebrate 100th honourary anniversary of Shelbourne memorial trees

Trees planted 100 years ago on both sides of Shelbourne Street to remember fallen soldiers
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From left: Saanich Mayor Fred Haynes, Victoria Coun. Marianne Alto, Michael Travers, Joan Wenman, and film director Geoff Bird gather to commemorate on Shelbourne Street. (Photo courtesy of Fred Haynes)

Residents commemorated the 100th anniversary of the planting of the London Memorial Planetrees on Shelbourne Street on Saturday.

The trees were planted on both sides of Shelbourne Street in Saanich and Victoria to remember fallen soldiers and nurses from B.C. in the First World War and Boer War.

“Associated with the sycamore, the London planetree symbolizes strength, protection, eternity and divinity,” said memorial avenue committee member Paul de Greef.

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Memorial Avenue was formally dedicated on the afternoon of October 2, 1921.

Since 2018, the committee has worked with both municipalities to install specially designed road signs along Shelbourne Street, which can be seen in Saanich at Shelbourne and Cedar Hill Road. In Victoria, they can be observed at Shelbourne and Albert streets.

To highlight the history of the trees, a film called Trees of Remembrance has been produced by Geoffrey Bird, professor of the War Heritage Research Initiative at Royal Roads University.


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