WJ Elliott Arboretum: Evolving alongside Lakeland College

Growth and change have always been a huge part of Lakeland College. From its founding in 1913, the college itself has gone through many evolutions in response to changing times and circumstances. The latest evolutionary stage involves the rejuvenation of Vermilion campus’ Newcombe N. Bentley Building – and along with it, a reimagining of Lakeland’s WJ Elliott Arboretum.

WJ Elliott himself left an impact on Lakeland and Alberta that extends far beyond the naming of the arboretum. He is best remembered for starting Alberta’s first 4-H club, building the original dorm at the then-named Vermilion School of Agriculture and being college principal from 1924-1937. An ardent horticulturalist, he took on the task of improving the school grounds while serving as principal. He spent his time getting his hands dirty, planting seeds and cuttings, pruning shrubs, pulling weeds, and introducing many of the unusual plants that still grow on the Vermilion campus today.

Until the 1960s, most vegetables for the dormitory cafeteria were grown on campus, and the college gardens also supplied students and alumni with shrubbery cuttings, seed potatoes, grass and vegetable seeds, and flower bulbs, even through the Great Depression.

The arboretum as it stands now did not exist, however, until 1963, and since then, it has been a study in evolution. It began as a gift from the Class of 1963, consisting of a fishpond and rock work to mark the college’s 50th anniversary. A stylized maple leaf Canadian Centennial emblem was added, courtesy of the Class of 1967. From there, it continued to grow, leading to a greenhouse being constructed on campus in 1969 to supply bedding plants.

It’s evolved with the passing years. In 1985, it was officially named the WJ Elliott Arboretum in honour of the man who first dedicated his time to landscaping the Vermilion campus grounds.

The arboretum received a facelift in 2013 in honour of the college’s centennial. An updated new design officially opened in July 2019, which included new plants, trees and shrubs, as well as a fruit orchard.

“As construction work begins on the Bentley Building, the building’s expansion does mean that the arboretum will be impacted,” says Dr. Alice Wainwright-Stewart, president and CEO of Lakeland College. “But growth and change are an essential part of Lakeland. Look at how we have grown from our beginnings in 1913 − and the arboretum has grown right alongside us. Each new tree planted, and new memory made becomes part of the legacy of the arboretum, and these changes are just the next part of its story. It’s a good time to look back on the past of the arboretum, but also a chance to look to the future.”

Upon the completion of the Bentley Building modernization, signage will be installed in the WJ Elliott Arboretum to celebrate its rich history and ongoing evolution.