Roger-Luc Chayer
At the start of autumn and with the return of regular activities both at school and professional level, people often feel a certain nostalgia when thinking of the return of autumn and winter, with the cold, the greyness, etc. So I thought it was appropriate to introduce you to a magnificent garden that few people know about, a private park but accessible to the public, an island of greenery worthy of the most beautiful European parks, it is the Jardin du Chemin de la cross, located just on the east side of St-Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal, you can access it directly on foot along the Oratory.
This park certainly represents the Stations of the Cross of Jesus, but with breathtaking scenes made up of a series of gigantic sculptures, in the heart of a splendid landscaping done by professional gardeners. Construction began in 1942 and the facility covers 200,000 square feet. Architect Frederick G. Todd designed the plans and Montreal artist Louis Parent created the sculptures. The monumental ensemble includes 42 figures of about 9 feet each that the sculptor modeled in his studio at the Oratory, between 1943 and 1953.
The garden is open until Thanksgiving and visits are free and unlimited. You can rest there, have a picnic or simply daydream on the edge of the fountain of the golden calf. See the other photos in the central pages of this edition. (Photos: Gay Globe Magazine)