The "Cannon" at Walcott PlaceReclaiming our history....The intersections of Chaussee Rd., Chisel St. and Mary-Ann St form this tiny rectangular "island" green. For many years, this place has been known as the "Cannon." One immediately imagines an old cannon located on the spot, and of course wonder why a cannon might have been placed there to begin with as it does not appear to be a particularly strategic location. However, the name in fact originates from that of a tree. You may immediately think of a "cannonball" tree, but not so! The name is a corruption of a tree known in French as canang or in Kweyol as kannanng. There was a tree planted here that predated the 1948 fire which devastated the city of Castries. Such trees had flowers known as ylang-ylang, sweet smelling and used for making perfume. You may then appreciate the scientific name, cananga odorata. After the 1948 fire, the tree made way for a large water tank, installed as part of a strategy to prevent future devastation from fire. Someone painted an image of a pirate on tank, with his ship's cannon. And so the association was reinforced in people's minds that a cannon once stood there. The tank was then called "the pirate". Today, the pirate is no more and a new kannanng has been replanted
on January 21, 2016, as part of the opening of Walcott House, 17 Chaussee Rd.The plant was kindly donated by Mr. James Shingleton-Smith of Mamiku Gardens.Saint Lucia National TrustProtecting Fair Helen's Patrimony
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