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About Mount Allison
Mount Allison University, a campus of extraordinary
beauty, is nestled on the Tantramar marshes in the picture-perfect town of
Sackville in the province of New Brunswick, also known across Canada as the
picture-perfect province. But Mount Allison has more claims to fame than beauty
alone. It offers five degrees to undergraduate students Bachelor of Arts,
Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Commerce, and Bachelor
of Music, as well as some postgraduate degrees in science. Mount Allison
encourages personalized combinations of courses and offers a very strong
academic and extracurricular experience, one that we fondly refer to as Mount A
plus.
Founded in 1839 by Charles Frederick Allison, Mount Allison has a
rich history but has always kept an eye squarely on the future. Mount Allison
was one of the first universities in the country to introduce a completely
wireless campus and has had a lot of other firsts as well.
Mount
Allison was the first university in the British Empire to confer a bachelor s
degree to a woman, Grace Annie Lockhart, who earned a Bachelor of Science in
1875. It was also the first university to grant a Bachelor of Arts degree to a
woman Harriet Starr Stewart. Mary Electa Adams (1823-1898), who taught at
Mount Allison, paved the way for women s access to Canadian
universities.
Mount Allison has the oldest university art gallery in
Canada the Owens Art Gallery, which opened in 1895 and has a permanent
collection of more than 3,000 works, including paintings and sketches by the
Group of Seven. Noted Canadian artists such as Alex Colville, Christopher Pratt,
Mary Pratt, John Hammond, Lawren P. Harris, Tom Forrestall, and Ted Pulford,
whose works are also featured in the gallery and around campus, are all former
Mount A faculty members and/or alumni.
Mount Allison was the first
Canadian university to offer a Canadian Studies program, and the late Dr. George
Stanley, the first director of the Centre for Canadian Studies, designed the
Canadian flag. The octagonal Ralph Pickard Bell Library and Archives boasts an
extensive collection of Canadiana.
The Mount Allison campus is well worth
exploring. The new Academy Gardens and en-suite residence, Campbell Hall, are
special spots for conferences or family visits. The Swan Pond on Main Street is
an ideal location for a picnic in the summer or a skating party in the
winter.
The charming President s Cottage, in the middle of campus, is
one of the oldest buildings on campus, predating Confederation. It served as a
home for Mount Allison presidents from 1857-1957 and is now a University Club,
where lunches are served to the public and club members during the academic
year. The chapel nearby has been described as a masterpiece of art and
architecture, made even more stunning by its unique stained glass
windows.
Mount Allison is also a cultural draw for people across the
province, bringing in well-known artists, lecturers, and performers for local
citizens and tourists alike. A Shakespearean Festival by the Marsh is
traditionally staged by the Swan Pond in the summer, and plays, concerts, and
special events are also held in Mount Allison s Windsor Theatre, Brunton
Auditorium, and Convocation Hall one of the largest concert halls east of
Montreal. |
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