Nothing can cheer you up more on a cold, grey winter’s day than to visit a space designed by Claude Cormier and his firm CCxA. His joie de vivre is embodied in landscapes that bring joy and whimsy to all those who visit, encouraging interaction and engagement. Even more than that, his spaces are deeply rooted in rigorous historical, cultural and ecological analysis that give them an unparalleled sense of place. In Toronto, many of the city’s iconic public spaces—Sugar Beach, Berczy Park, Love Park and the recently opened Leslie Lookout Park, to name just a few—are part of Cormier’s legacy. 

Shortly before Cormier’s passing in September of 2023, The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) conducted a series of interviews with him about his life, design philosophy and projects. The resulting 28 short clips make up a remarkable 115-minute-long oral history encompassing much of his legacy and spirit.  

On Thursday, January 30, the public is invited to join the Toronto Society of Architects, the TCLF and the University of Toronto’s John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design for the special screening of a 45-minute director’s cut of the TCLF’s Claude Cormier Oral History Project, specifically highlighting Cormier’s Toronto projects. 

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion reflecting on Cormier’s legacy and how we can carry it forward when shaping our future public spaces. Among the scheduled panelists are Charles A. Birnbaum of The Cultural Landscape Foundation; Nina-Marie Lister of Toronto Metropolitan University; Agata Mrozowski, inaugural recipient of the Daniels Faculty’s Claude Cormier Award in Landscape Architecture; Elizabeth Pagliacolo of Azure Magazine; and Guillaume Paradis of CCxA. 

Opening remarks will be provided by the Daniels Faculty’s Elise Shelley (Associate Professor, Teaching Stream and Director of the Master of Landscape Architecture program) and Fadi Masoud (Associate Professor and Director of the Centre for Landscape Research).