Landscape & Urban Design Issue 18 2016 | Page 39

Photo: Christian Poules Photo: Romy Bosseau The jury was composed of Samuel Bernier- Presented at Les Jardins de Métis, at the Economic Development Canada is the Lavigne, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, École gateway to the Gaspé Peninsula, the major partner in the development of the d’Architecture, Université Laval, professor Festival is held on a site adjacent to the Landscape Laboratory project. in charge of FabLab-eaul and curator of historic gardens created by Elsie Reford, the exhibition Les Chambres blanchesby thereby establishing a bridge between About the Reford Gardens / Jardins de Pierre Thibault (2015); Caroline Magar, history and modernity, and a dialogue Métis Coordinator of the Champ des Possibles in between conservation, tradition and A National Historic Site and Québec Montréal and designer of the Méristème innovation. heritage site, the Reford Gardens / Jardins garden for the 2014 and 2015 editions de Métis are an obligatory stop for all of the Festival; Yvan Maltais, foreman those visiting eastern Québec. Cultural in horticulture for the Plateau Mont- space and tourist destination for over 50 Royal, Ville de Montréal, and technical years, the Reford Gardens is one of the coordinator of the International Garden most popular attractions in the Gaspésie Festival from 2001 to 2007; Julie St- region, providing visitors with experiences Arnault, AAPQ, OALA, Senior Partner, VLAN for every sense. Located on the banks of Paysages and Alexander Reford, director of the St. Lawrence and Mitis rivers, they were Jardins de Métis/Reford Gardens and the Each year the Festival exhibits conceptual created between 1926 and 1958 by avid International Garden Festival. gardens created by more than seventy gardener and plant collector, Elsie Reford. architects, landscape architects and Hydro-Québec has been the lead sponsor About the International Garden Festival designers from various disciplines in a of the Reford Gardens since 1999. The International Garden Festival is the pristine environment on the banks of leading contemporary garden festival the St. Lawrence River. The International The Gardens will be open every day from in North America. Since its inception in Garden Festival is presented with the May 28 to October 2, 2016. Children 13 2000, more than 150 gardens have been financial assistance of many public and and under are admitted free of charge. exhibited at Grand-Métis and as extra- private partners: Canada Council for the Consult www.refordgardens.com for more mural projects in Canada and around the Arts, Canadian \