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Claude Cormier 1960-2023

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@interchange42 added to the front page article with a brief tribute from former Chief Planner for the City, Jennifer Keesmaat.

I feel like one line jumped out at me:

"I'll never forget our disbelief at the City of Toronto when he proposed the dog fountain for Berczy Park. Porcelain dogs! Most of us responded with complete disbelief. But he was so convincing we couldn't say no."

This was a tremendous strength of Claude's; not merely to propose great design; but to be able to sell it as worth the money, the time and/or risk.

Her next sentence takes the above from the specific to the general:

"He made us believe we should reach higher, try for more"

Amen!

***

There must be a way for the City to properly honour him through a specific naming and/or project.

But there would be no better tribute than for all us here, and (and in other communities he has touched) to insist on reaching higher and trying for more in landscape architecture, in parks, in public realm/streetscape and every other thing we care about.

Good enough is NOT good enough.

But don't just complain, advocate for better and make the case stick!
 
turini2 said:
(when is Montreal or Toronto naming a park after him?)
Click to expand...
Both should name parks after him.
Northern Light said:
There must be a way for the City to properly honour him through a specific naming and/or project.

But there would be no better tribute than for all us here, and (and in other communities he has touched) to insist on reaching higher and trying for more in landscape architecture, in parks, in public realm/streetscape and every other thing we care about.

Good enough is NOT good enough.

But don't just complain, advocate for better and make the case stick!
Click to expand...
On your first point, I would hope that the powers that be at The Well are figuring this out now, and talking with the City about it. All of The Well's streetscaping is CCxA, and that includes The Cats Parkette that ties to project to Draper Street, and I believe the City is going ahead with the CCxA plan for the park that will tie The Well to KING Toronto across Wellington to the north. It's that last one that I hope comes together with Marc Hallé and his colleagues completing the firm's plan there, and as it will be a City Park, they can name it in Cormier's honour. If not that, then maybe The Cats Parkette, though that seems a little too to-the-side. Or, with just a little maudlin feeling rising in me, a grander gesture by renaming Love Park as Claude Cormier Love Park.

To your second point, yes!

42
 
Frankly, if UT Forum contributors come up with more good photography of Cormier works in Toronto over the coming days, I'd love a weeks' worth of Photos of the Day. You are all challenged. Post them in the various dedicated project threads and/or this one.

42
 
interchange42 said:
Or, with just a maudlin feeling rising in me, a grander gesture by renaming Love Park as Claude Cormier Love Park.

42
Click to expand...

I had this exact thought; but, I know Claude had to accept some things here, that we all wish he hadn't; it's still a great space; but I'd love to rename it and give CCxA some additional funds that would cover new signage, custom waste receptacles and one grand gesture of some type that was in the original design, that got cut.
 
interchange42 said:
Both should name parks after him.

On your first point, I would hope that the powers that be at The Well are figuring this out now, and talking with the City about it. All of The Well's streetscaping is CCxA, and that includes The Cats Parkette that ties to project to Draper Street, and I believe the City is going ahead with the CCxA plan for the park that will tie The Well to KING Toronto across Wellington to the north. It's that last one that I hope comes together with Marc Hallé and his colleagues completing the firm's plan there, and as it will be a City Park, they can name it in Cormier's honour. If not that, then maybe The Cats Parkette, though that seems a little too to-the-side. Or, with just a maudlin feeling rising in me, a grander gesture by renaming Love Park as Claude Cormier Love Park.

To your second point, yes!

42
Click to expand...
Love Park is such a generic name anyway. There's one in Philadelphia and another one (albeit in Spanish) in Lima, Peru. Claude Cormier Park or Claude Cormier Love Park would be a fitting tribute to him and a constant reminder to landscape architects, urban planners and our municipal leaders to always challenge the status quo and create public places we can all enjoy and be proud of.
 
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