The Sisters' first presence in Vancouver came in 1888 (two years after the city was established) with a school on Dunsmuir, next to a cathedral and, according to an article researched by the late Sister Eileen Kelly (the last St. Ann order principal of LFA), "on the edge of a forest clearing.
ðə sˈɪstɚz fˈɜːst pɹˈɛzəns ɪn væŋkˈuːvɚ kˈeɪm ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi ˈeɪt tˈuː jˈɪɹz ˈæftɚ ðə sˈɪɾi wʌz ɪstˈæblɪʃt wɪð ɐ skˈuːl ˌɔn dˈʌnsmjʊɹ, nˈɛkst tʊ ɐ kɐθˈiːdɹəl ænd, ɐkˈoːɹdɪŋ tʊ ɐn ˈɑːɹɾɪkəl ɹᵻsˈɜːtʃt baɪ ðə lˈeɪt sˈɪstɚɹ ˈaɪliːn kˈɛli ðə lˈæst sənt. ˈæn ˈɔːɹdɚ pɹˈɪnsɪpəl ʌv ˌɛlˌɛfˈeɪ, "ɔnðɪ ˈɛdʒ əvə fˈɔːɹɪst klˈɪɹɪŋ.