Glenairley Centre for Earth and Spirit
“Long before the Sisters of St. Ann (SSA) had heard of creation spirituality or knew the names of Brian Swimme, Thomas Berry, Diarmuid O’Murchu, those serving in leadership in the late 1950s, early 1960s recognized the potential healing value of the natural environment,” writes Sheila Moss of the Sisters of Saint Ann.
The nuns purchased a piece of property in the wilds of East Sooke on Vancouver Island, British Columbia to provide the sisters a place of rest, renewal and recreation. Each summer they arrived in droves from the classroom, from wherever they had been serving in ministry to enjoy this haven of natural beauty.
As time went on, “Glenairley” became a place to be shared with others, as the Sisters invited different groups to share the benefits of the sea, the fields, the woods and the closeness of the Creator God. People from the inner city, from poetry and art groups, from social justice organizations, from the Contemplative Society and other groups found their way to east Sooke. 
“Promoting ecological responsibility is always a priority for a Sister of Saint Ann. We strive to live in Right Relationship with God, with self, with one another, with others and the cosmos…”
In 2001 the Sisters of St. Ann began to discern a more sustainable and long-term plan for Glenairley. They recognized the need to work in partnership with another group. This process culminated in the decision to enter into a lease partnership with the Centre for Earth and Spirit Society. The SSA saw this project as “daring and creative, and coming out of a spirituality that is pivotal to the well being of the earth and its inhabitants.” Glenairley became “Glenairley – Centre for Earth and Spirit” on January 1, 2004.
This nonprofit ecological centre is “committed to the protection and healing of Earth through fostering a mutually enhancing human-Earth relationship.” Glenairley offers a mix of programs and resources linking the earth and spirituality.
