The landscape architect behind the Montreal Oval and Village Boules died of cancer on Friday at age 63.
“The news of Claude Cormier’s death is a shock and a great loss. Claude was a visionary, a builder and a great Montrealer,” said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante on X (formerly Twitter).
The news of Claude Cormier’s death is a shock and a great loss. Claude was a visionary, a builder and a great Montrealer.
Its influence on the city’s monuments and public spaces can be counted in dozens: the Ring, the Boules du Village, the square… pic.twitter.com/UBmtJKPip5
— Valérie Plante (@Val_Plante) September 15, 2023
The news was confirmed a little earlier by his architectural firm CCxA.
She highlighted his works visible in the public square, adding that he will leave an important legacy to the metropolis.
“My condolences go out to his family, his loved ones and everyone who mourns his loss today. Thank you for everything, Claude, and have a good rest,” concluded Ms. Plante.
Claude Cormier is involved in numerous creative projects in Montreal but also in Toronto and is the author of several architectural landmarks that have left their mark on tourists and residents of these metropolises.
“A great lover of the city, culture and art, Claude Cormier has truly broken new ground with a poetic, inspiring and uplifting work that challenges the modernist orthodoxy of public space but is also practical and appreciated in a popular environment Path opened in landscape architecture.” Context. He invites people to laugh, to come together and to see things differently,” says the company’s press release announcing the architect’s death.
The opposition leader at Montreal City Hall, Aref Salem, also expressed his condolences to Mr. Cormier’s relatives.
“This great architect will have left his mark right to the end with the giant ring and made Montreal shine around the world. His legacy is immense and our city owes him a tremendous amount,” he testified.
Other players in the Montreal community – such as President and CEO of the Montreal Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, Michel Leblanc – also paid tribute to him on social media.