Arboretum History
Arboretum History
A group of men plant seeds in a farmers field. A carriage pulled by a horse stands nearby. A densely wooded forest is in the background.

Faculty

Header image: A group of men planting the Zavitz Pines, 1907

This is a sampling of some of the many photos that have been taken and people that have been a part of The Arboretum’s 50 years of operations. Do you have some photos you would like to share? Upload them to our Arboretum History Kudoboard.

R.J. Hilton stands to the left of a Amelanchier tree. He is holding pruning shears in his right hand and is smiling at the camera.

R.J. Hilton with Amelanchier tree in Nova Scotia, 1988.

“[The Arboretum] is a ‘classroom’ for the entire community. Whether it is students or faculty conducting research, taking a formal course or a member of the public taking a nature walk or children learning about the forest neighbourhood, it is a place for people to expand their knowledge of natural resources and wildlife.”
Two men look at a framed map of The Arboretum. The man in front leans over a table and points at the map. He has dark, short hair and a moustache. A man stands behind him and looks where he is pointing. That man has short hair, glasses, and a moustache. He is also wearing suit and tie.

Professor R.J. Hilton and Professor W. E. Coates look at the Master Plan of The Arboretum.

“This will most decidedly not be just another fancy piece of parkland. It will provide the University with outdoor classrooms and laboratory facilities that are vital for many of the programs offered on campus.”
Two people stand in a greenhouse while holding potted plants and smiling. The man on the left has short dark hair and is wearing a baseball cap and a white, short sleeved button up shirt. The woman on the right has medium length dark hair, glasses, and a white blouse with flowers on it.

Graduate student Xiuming Hao and Horticultural Science Professor Beverley Hale, 1992.

“The School of Environmental Design and Rural Development (SEDRD) has long been a champion of The Arboretum, especially through the School’s two Landscape Architecture programs – both having a cherished and symbiotic association with The Arboretum for +50 years.  The majority of Canada’s Landscape Architects started their studies at Guelph, having a ‘full-circle’ connection to The Arboretum where it offered a rich and rewarding learning experience in many courses using its 162 accessible hectares of ‘living lab’, a committed experiential training partner for many Landscape Architecture students through summer employment, a rich resource throughout one’s professional career and, as many have come to know, a familiar and comforting place to celebrate our landscape architectural colleagues and friends through its WC Memorial Forest Program. The Arboretum has been significant for SEDRD’s relationships and outreach, which remains strong through its educational, networking, and social events, often delivered through The OAC Centennial Arboretum Centre.”
  • Sean Kelly, Dean of the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development
Four men stand around a map of The Arboretum. One man points to a spot on the man and all of them look on.

Centennial Campaign Chairman Gordon Nixon points out the site of the OAC Centennial Arboretum Centre to Gordon Bennett (OAC Alumni Association President), George Best (Campaign Vice-Chairman) and ’73 Class President Tom Schmidt, 1972.

This is a sampling of some of the many photos that have been taken and people that have been a part of The Arboretum’s 50 years of operations. Do you have some photos you would like to share? Upload them to our Arboretum History Kudoboard.

The land where The Arboretum now grows has been home to plants and animals for thousands of years. It was home to Indigenous peoples before settlers arrived. We recognize the Dish with One Spoon territory, the treaty lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, and the Between the Lakes Treaty 3 lands on which the University of Guelph and The Arboretum now sit. We are honoured to work on and care for this land.