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I've been thinking about Claude's passing all day. He was not just a great landscape architect, but by all accounts lovely person who exuded kindness, warmth, and optimism.

I watched a lot of WT Design Review Panel recording on YouTube early on in the pandemic, and I was struck by the quality of Claude's feedback to presenters. He often started started his feedback by complimenting them on their presentation and thanking them for explaining their work. He didn't hold back when offering constructive feedback, but it never felt blunt or mean. It was clear that he always took the time to engage deeply with the work being presented and offered excellent, thoughtful critiques. Definitely go listen to some of the old recordings if you want to see how he shaped the design of the waterfront even on the projects that don't bear his name.
 
Claude’s passing came as a very sad surprise to me. I had the pleasure knowing and working with Claude on a number of projects while working at HPA. He had such playful curiosity and was a pure joy to work with. He was also such great warm kind person and someone you really enjoy being around. I remember the conversations we had while on our way or returning to job sites or meetings and often he would take the time to chat even though he was rushing to get to the airport to get back home.
Claude was a rare talented professional in the industry and he will be dearly missed.
 
In reading the above piece linked by @AlbertC I found a further link on to another piece at The Cultural Landscape Foundation.

Canadian Landscape Architect Claude Cormier, Designer of Innovative and Playful Public Spaces, Dies at 63 | TCLF

Claude Cormier's distinctive approach to designing public spaces leaves a colourful and deeply original imprint on North American cities.
www.tclf.org www.tclf.org

It's written by Cormier's long time friend Beth Kapusta.

There are some insights on his health (he was first diagnosed with 3 types of cancer, 4 years ago); and the relationship of that to a genetic condition in his family, of which he had been unaware.)

That really places many of the choices he made the last few years into context.

Also, a link to a video featuring Claude, recorded only 1 month ago, today.


I gather that this is part of a comprehensive oral history series the Foundation is doing; with any luck there will more content forthcoming.

Also brought up is that a retrospective of his work was published in 2021:

Serious Fun: The Landscapes of Claude Cormier (ORO Editions, 2021), by Marc Treib and Susan Herrington

****

That in turn led me to find this video of Claude's presentation at U of T back on May 31st, 2018.


From the above link, a picture of Sugar Beach, under construction:

1695064124482.png


Just a few Silva Cells!

***

Just after the 1 hr 5 minute mark, Claude discusses value engineering and his thoughts on how to handle it are just perfect.

He doesn't really disparage the need to work within a budget, but instead he speaks to how it should be handled, that he wants (ed) to be involved at the earliest stage possible to work through any budgetary challenges so they can deliver input into how they might be addressed, he then shows as an example how he handled that in Montreal with a real-world example of exactly how such challenges should be addressed.

A bit further on, around the 1h 20 mark he gets into the process that led to Berczy's design. Interestingly he speaks very lovingly of former Councillor Pam McConnell and her role in getting Berczy done, who passed on 3 days after Berczy opening.

We also get to meet 'Dizzy' who inspired 'The Cat Park' on Wellington.

Just a great video.
 
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Ed Keenan in The Star with a piece:

www.thestar.com

Edward Keenan: Pink umbrellas, a heart-shaped pond, a dog fountain: Here’s to the man who put some needed whimsy in Toronto’s public parks

Claude Cormier breathed new life into parts of the city, making it a more interesting place to be.
www.thestar.com www.thestar.com

I love just his closing for the click-averse to consider:

"Claude Cormier gave us a series of places that directly contradict those characteristics, and breathed new life into parts of the city, and made Toronto a more interesting place to be.
It isn’t that the people who would rain on our parade disappeared or went silent during that time. It’s just that Cormier gave us umbrellas we could sit under and relax while they thundered on."
 
From Azure:

www.azuremagazine.com

A Love Letter to Claude Cormier (1960-2023)

The Montreal landscape architect Claude Cormier brought joy, wit and a sense of grand occasion to public spaces.
www.azuremagazine.com www.azuremagazine.com

And LAM:

Claude Cormier: Hell of Fun | Landscape Architecture Magazine

As the news of Claude Cormier's death touched us, we look back to a profile we published in 2020. A remembrance of Cormier's legacy and life is available on the Cultural Landscape Foundation website. -September 15, 2023 By Brian Barth When Claude Cormier, ASLA, and I pull up to Dorchester Square...
landscapearchitecturemagazine.org landscapearchitecturemagazine.org

AoD
 
AlbertC said:
Tributes made by other architects to Claude Cormier:

www.canadianarchitect.com

Remembering Canadian Landscape Architect Claude Cormier

A collection of homages in memory of Claude Cormier, who passed away on September 15.
www.canadianarchitect.com www.canadianarchitect.com
Click to expand...

All the tributes are read worthy, though most cover ground we here will be familiar with........

The last one, however, comes from Michael VanValkenberg

Its last 2 paragraphs, I think offer something that many here may be less familiar with, and which speaks so well of Claude, it's worthy of bringing forward.

1697557620336.png
 
Northern Light said:
In reading the above piece linked by @AlbertC I found a further link on to another piece at The Cultural Landscape Foundation.

Canadian Landscape Architect Claude Cormier, Designer of Innovative and Playful Public Spaces, Dies at 63 | TCLF

Claude Cormier's distinctive approach to designing public spaces leaves a colourful and deeply original imprint on North American cities.
www.tclf.org www.tclf.org

It's written by Cormier's long time friend Beth Kapusta.

There are some insights on his health (he was first diagnosed with 3 types of cancer, 4 years ago); and the relationship of that to a genetic condition in his family, of which he had been unaware.)

That really places many of the choices he made the last few years into context.

Also, a link to a video featuring Claude, recorded only 1 month ago, today.


I gather that this is part of a comprehensive oral history series the Foundation is doing; with any luck there will more content forthcoming.

Also brought up is that a retrospective of his work was published in 2021:

Serious Fun: The Landscapes of Claude Cormier (ORO Editions, 2021), by Marc Treib and Susan Herrington

****

That in turn led me to find this video of Claude's presentation at U of T back on May 31st, 2018.


From the above link, a picture of Sugar Beach, under construction:

View attachment 507490

Just a few Silva Cells!

***

Just after the 1 hr 5 minute mark, Claude discusses value engineering and his thoughts on how to handle it are just perfect.

He doesn't really disparage the need to work within a budget, but instead he speaks to how it should be handled, that he wants (ed) to be involved at the earliest stage possible to work through any budgetary challenges so they can deliver input into how they might be addressed, he then shows as an example how he handled that in Montreal with a real-world example of exactly how such challenges should be addressed.

A bit further on, around the 1h 20 mark he gets into the process that led to Berczy's design. Interestingly he speaks very lovingly of former Councillor Pam McConnell and her role in getting Berczy done, who passed on 3 days after Berczy opening.

We also get to meet 'Dizzy' who inspired 'The Cat Park' on Wellington.

Just a great video.
Click to expand...
Thanks VERY much for posting, it is a great video of CC in 2018, he really was a very nice (and very talented) man. He is right that without Pam McConnell we would not have Berczy Park as it is.
 
Time to dust off this thread to discuss an excellent column from @AlexBozikovic on the need to complete and preserve Claude's legacy, here and in Montreal.

www.theglobeandmail.com

Claude Cormier was a great designer. Now activists are working to preserve his legacy

This winter, Toronto designers and advocates are pushing to recognize the scope of achievement and to protect the places Cormier created
www.theglobeandmail.com www.theglobeandmail.com

A couple of people in the column suggest a Conservancy model.

As many here will have read, I am an advocate for the idea of a Public Art Conservancy in Toronto, which could be funded (over time) from the public art contributions of developers, (1/2) rather than dolling out small amounts hither and yon for 1/2 rate work few like or remember.

Such a Conservancy could be charged with preserving key Cormier pieces such as the Dog Fountain.

I'm not opposed to looking at one specifically for Claude's Parks, though because most of his work in Toronto was relatively small spaces, it might be hard to get the funding base needed for full-time, top tier staff, including fundraisers.

Rough math, 100M in endowment spins off 4M usable dollars each year. (this assumes a roughly 6.5% return on investment, with 2.5% covering inflation as retained earnings).

****

On finishing the Cormier legacy, I agree with Alex on the Cat Park, and will add the Racoon offering contemplated for Yonge/St. Clair.

I will then add, we ought to revisit the existing parks to finish them properly as complete thoughts, wherever possible. That should get proper budget and be sole-sourced to ccxa.

Logical 'completion' efforts.

Love Park - Washrooms, minor improvements to landscape beds to add colour/whimsy, improved park signage and waste recepticles.

Berczy - Better waste receptacles and fix this:

1741300094275.png


Not expensive.

Choice 1 - relocate sculpture, introduce barriers to prevent walking on the grass here.

Choice 2 ( likely preferred), add paving here at the highest quality, to and around the sculpture, maybe some added seating, uplight the sculpture, touch up the landscaping.

HtO Park:

- Add washrooms, the porta-potties are not acceptable.

- Replace the waste receptacles.

- Add something to the beach segment

1741300379970.png


Its just a bit too spare..............I don't want to gut the umbrellas, but maybe just one or two trees, Claude has a real love of Willows.........

***

Finally, how about letting CCxA have one City wide project.......replace those awful waste receptacles everywhere........a new standard design. I could suggest lots of off-the-shelf stuff that would be a drastic improvement.

But the City always loves to reinvent the wheel. Fine..........let someone competent have at it. PS, we can give them the drinking fountains while we're at it.
 
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