Claude Cormier 1960-2023

[rdaner]

ccxa.ca

 

[Northern Light]

I will post the statement from CCxA below. Normally I wouldn't wholesale copy/paste from a site, but I can't imagine any objection in this case:

Pictures included w/the above:

Lots more at https://ccxa.ca/en/

What a profound loss for the field of landscape architecture, his colleagues, friends and family.

My sincere condolences.

His dedication to originality, quality and people-centred design will be missed. May his legacy live on not only in the projects he oversaw, but also in those he taught, mentored and inspired.

 

[Northern Light]

May I suggest that Cormier's Work in Toronto would be worthy of a Front Page retrospective article.

A photo-essay using existing member photos, and I would happy to add new ones as well, as I'm sure others would.

I will also draw @AlexBozikovic 's attention to this loss, as he may wish to consider a piece in print or on Twitter.

 

[Northern Light]

The thoughts of Toronto Planning Activist Phil Pothen:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1702698322010554547

 

[DSC]

Not only an amazing landscape architect, also a very very nice person. Too sad!

 

[Irishmonk]

I'm devastated. He was one of the best friends Toronto ever had. A shining light in a grey, bean counted sea of mediocrity

 

[Rascacielo]

RIP. I met him at the grand opening of Berczy Park (with some UT folks). Afterwards, we went to the pub at the Flatiron Building. I sat next to him and we chatted about his life and career. He was very friendly and humble. After dinner we took some pictures in front of the lit up fountain.

His works will live on as a testament to his genius, creativity and whimsicality. All the best to CCxA and may they continue to design great parks in Toronto and beyond.

 

[Northern Light]

@interchange42 was obviously at work on the front page story right away.

As one is now up:

Celebrated Landscape Architect Claude Cormier Passes at 63 | UrbanToronto

Claude Cormier, one of Canada's greatest landscape architects, has passed away following a battle with cancer. Cormier and his Montreal-based firm CCxA have been responsible for dozens of celebrated park and green space designs, especially in his home town and in Toronto.

urbantoronto.ca

I'll encourage people to read the thoughtful and appropriately laudatory piece above by following the link.

But I will bring forward from that piece a list of his completed, in progress, and pending works in Toronto:

"Completed spaces in Toronto can be found at The Selby, Backstage on the Esplanade, River City, 300 Front, Daniels Waterfront, King Portland Centre, and others. Local spaces partially complete or still to come include Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, The Well, 88 Queen East, Scrivener Court, Maple House at Canary Landing, 25 St Mary, Leslie Slip Lookout Park, 5207 Dundas West, St Clair Place and more"

***

I will also bring forward this tidbit which many UT'ers may not know, and which I think speaks so well of Claude as a human being:

"You could tell he simply loved people, and loved to create spaces that would bring joy. Following the opening ceremonies of Berczy Park, Cormier joined UrbanToronto staff and Forum members for a get-together at the pub in the Flatiron Building just beside the park. Cormier was happy to chat about anything, and revelled in people's reactions to his work. When you told him how much you loved some aspect of whatever he was doing, he also made sure to tell you that it wasn't all just him, and spread the love around to his colleagues at the firm."

 

[interchange42]

RIP. I met him at the grand opening of Berczy Park (with some UT folks). Afterwards, we went to the pub at the Flatiron Building. I sat next to him and we chatted about his life and career. He was very friendly and humble. After dinner we took some pictures in front of the lit up fountain.

His works will live on as a testament to his genius, creativity and whimsicality. All the best to CCxA and may they continue to design great parks in Toronto and beyond.

Yup, I'm so glad that we have that event to look back on, the whole thing from the packed public ceremony for the opening, to the time with him at the pub afterwards. (I think Marc Hallé and Yannick Roberge from the firm came to that too, no?) Claude had this kind of perpetual combination of enthusiasm and nonchalance with which he presented himself, and it was disarming as ever.

He really expressed his appreciation for our community's support of him that day, and he never forgot it either. I have quite a bit of correspondence with him from over the years, and that appreciation continued up to the opening day of Love Park, which I couldn't make myself, unfortunately, but I'll include Claude's last note to me about our story that day;

"Hi Craig! Matias did a great job!​

Please thank him for us! The photos that he has selected are very good, the text is clear and well written!​

Thousand thank you for continuous great support .​

Claude "​

@interchange42 was obviously at work on the front page story right away.

As one is now up:

Celebrated Landscape Architect Claude Cormier Passes at 63 | UrbanToronto

Claude Cormier, one of Canada's greatest landscape architects, has passed away following a battle with cancer. Cormier and his Montreal-based firm CCxA have been responsible for dozens of celebrated park and green space designs, especially in his home town and in Toronto.

urbantoronto.ca

I'll encourage people to read the thoughtful and appropriately laudatory piece above by following the link.

But I will bring forward from that piece a list of his completed, in progress, and pending works in Toronto:

"Completed spaces in Toronto can be found at The Selby, Backstage on the Esplanade, River City, 300 Front, Daniels Waterfront, King Portland Centre, and others. Local spaces partially complete or still to come include Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, The Well, 88 Queen East, Scrivener Court, Maple Hose at Canary Landing, 25 St Mary, Leslie Slip Lookout Park, 5207 Dundas West, St Clair Place and more"

***

I will also bring forward this tidbit which many UT'ers may not know, and which I think speaks so well of Claude as a human being:

"You could tell he simply loved people, and loved to create spaces that would bring joy. Following the opening ceremonies of Berczy Park, Cormier joined UrbanToronto staff and Forum members for a get-together at the pub in the Flatiron Building just beside the park. Cormier was happy to chat about anything, and revelled in people's reactions to his work. When you told him how much you loved some aspect of whatever he was doing, he also made sure to tell you that it wasn't all just him, and spread the love around to his colleagues at the firm."

So yup, I learned about this today when @ProjectEnd passed @AlexBozikovic's tweet to me at 11.38 AM... and I knew we had to drop everything to put something up to just start to express our appreciation for Claude, and to express our loss.

Claude will no doubt be lauded over the next while by every voice in Canada's city-building realm, and you'll get to see far more detailed and extensive reports than we've had time to do. I'll look forward to the Boz's piece in The Globe, and I assume Stefan Novakovic will be writing in Azure. In the meantime, I have added into our front page story a short tribute from Jennifer Keesmaat that she provided for us, and we may continue to add more.

If you have worked with Claude Cormier over the years and would like to say something, but you post anonymously here on the Forum and would like to go on the record publicly, then please send me a note at craig@urbantoronto.ca and we'll try to add it into the article.

So, still processing my own shock over this...

42

 

[Northern Light]

I will post a single recent pic of mine from the Love Park thread; there are many great pics of his project, far more by others than I; but I was fond of this shot, and thought it showcased Claude's design intent well: (Taken Sept 8th, 2023)

 

[Northern Light]

"Hi Craig! Matias did a great job!​

Please thank him for us! The photos that he has selected are very good, the text is clear and well written!​

Thousand thank you for continuous great support .​

Claude "​

That was Claude.

If you have worked with Claude Cormier over the years and would like to say something, but you post anonymously here on the Forum and would like to go on the record publicly, then please send me a note at craig@urbantoronto.ca and we'll try to add it into the article.

I never had the pleasure. I did get to talk to him briefly a couple of times, but only as a private citizen taking an interest in his work. He was remarkably accessible.

 

[emphurent]

This news was rather shocking this morning, it hit close to home even though I never got to meet him, and based on others experiences, I really wish I did. I'm still processing it for sure. He was only the same age as my parents, I still feel that's far too young to go.

I'd say that's how impactful his life work is, that even just the wonderful spaces he's created genuinely got me invested in his craft, there's just so much love put into the details. The first work of his I became aware of was the Montreal pride village installation, it genuinely was such a powerful piece through it's simplicity and scale, I only wish I got to experience it. (Still gutted that they got rid of it!)

I may wish to leave some flowers at love park later, any way to show my condolences. Rest in peace

 

[yrt+viva=1system]

From the CBC:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/claude-cormier-dead-at-63-1.6968255

 

[Rascacielo]

Yup, I'm so glad that we have that event to look back on, the whole thing from the packed public ceremony for the opening, to the time with him at the pub afterwards. (I think Marc Hallé and Yannick Roberge from the firm came to that too, no?) Claude's had this kind of perpetual combination of enthusiasm and nonchalance with which he presented himself, and it was disarming as ever.

He really expressed his appreciation for our community's support of him that day, and he never forgot it either. I have quite a bit of correspondence with him from over the years, and that appreciation continued up to the opening day of Love Park, which I couldn't make myself, unfortunately, but I'll include Claude's last note to me about our story that day;

"Hi Craig! Matias did a great job!​

Please thank him for us! The photos that he has selected are very good, the text is clear and well written!​

Thousand thank you for continuous great support .​

Claude "​

So yup, I learned about this today when @ProjectEnd passed @AlexBozikovic's tweet to me at 11.38 AM... and I knew we had to drop everything to put something up to just start to express our appreciation for Claude, and to express our loss.

Claude will no doubt be lauded over the next while by every voice in Canada's city-building realm, and you'll get to see far more detailed and extensive reports than we've had time to do. I'll look forward to the Boz's piece in The Globe, and I assume Stefan Novakovic will be writing in Azure. In the meantime, I have added into our front page story a short tribute from Jennifer Keesmaat that she provided for us, and we may continue to add more.

If you have worked with Claude Cormier over the years and would like to say something, but you post anonymously here on the Forum and would like to go on the record publicly, then please send me a note at craig@urbantoronto.ca and we'll try to add it into the article.

So, still processing my own shock over this...

42

Yes, I believe they were there.

 

[turini2]

Devastating news for Canada, and landscape architecture generally. What a loss.
It says a lot that I'm getting interactions from friends who don't know him - but they do know his projects!

(when is Montreal or Toronto naming a park after him?)