Published on 21 Jun 2011

Hillman Garden Update

Background

Mr. Charles Hillman, a friend of Christ Church Cathedral Vancouver, contacted Dean Peter Elliott in 2009 with the idea of dedicating a garden at the Cathedral in memory of his wife the late Winnifred Mather Hillman and her association with the Garden Club of Vancouver.  Winnifred had been an avid gardener, and during her career as a fashion editor in New York, her favourite place for respite had been the garden at the Little Church Around the Corner (on East 29th Street between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue).  Mr. Hillman says “It is such a special garden, in the middle of that huge city.” It was Winnifred’s dream to plant a similar garden here in Vancouver – a place of beauty and open space to be used by the bustling population of downtown Vancouver.

Thanks to a very generous gift from Mr. Hillman, the Cathedral has begun an extensive beautification and planting project on both Georgia and Burrard streets.  The highlight of this work will be a remarkable new 396 m2 garden on the Cathedral’s west side, on Burrard street.  This large garden will significantly increase the amount of open space available for use by Vancouver’s diverse downtown population, and will add 86 m2 of planting area alone under the Cathedral’s beautiful stained glass windows.

A plaque in the new garden will read:

Solo Deo Gloria

Winnifred Mather Hillman and
The Garden Club of Vancouver
Year 2009

One who plants a tree
Plants a hope
One plants a friend of sea and sky…

To view photographic updates of the Hillman Garden construction, please visit:  http://photos.mkphotomedia.com/ccc/hillman

Hillman Garden HD Video:

Stills from the Hillman Garden Video: