Sainte-Flavie, September 26, 2023. With the help of the Fonds de solidarité FTQ, TELUS, the municipality of Sainte-Flavie and a group of volunteers, the Jardin de bord mer II took root recently. Planted with native plants chosen because of their capacity to retain the shoreline, this second pilot project will inspire others in the region.
The design of the garden is the work of Rosetta Elkin and her team from Practice Landscape (Emily Hicks, Sarah Diamond), a firm that specializes in ecological projects. Rosetta Elkin is the author of Landscapes of Retreat (published by K. Verlag in 2022), a publication that highlights the response of Sainte-Flavie to shoreline erosion as a case study. See: https://landscapesofretreat.com/. The layout of the garden was done by project manager Catherine Auger in August.
The planting of the garden was completed by volunteers from Sainte-Flavie, TELUS employees and a team of staff from Les Jardins de Métis. The site was completely transformed by the plantings and landscaping. The project is supported by the Municipality of Ste-Flavie and Les Amis des Jardins de Métis, partners in the project and its maintenance. The Fonds de solidarité FTQ has contributed $35,000 to Les Amis des Jardins de Métis for this project.
« In December 2010, the lives of hundreds of residents of the Lower St. Lawrence were disrupted by the high tides. Again today, because of climate change, shoreline erosion on the St. Lawrence continues. This restoration project of the shoreline by Les Amis des Jardins de Métis and the Municipality of Ste-Flavie illustrates how communities can contribute to combating climate change and the protection of their region,” commented Janie C. Béïque, présidente and cheffe de la direction of the Fonds de solidarité FTQ.
« Les Jardins de Métis is leading this second project to create a shoreline garden, to follow on the success of our 2022 project. Les Jardins de Métis were greatly affected by the high tide and storm in 2010, losing a large part of our landscaping at the mouth of the Mitis River. Beginning in 2011, our organization created a shoreline nursery, the Pépinière du littoral, to propagate native plants to be used as an ecological response to shoreline erosion. For the Jardin de bord de mer II, located on the eastern end of the municipality on a magnificent site overlooking the St. Lawrence, we are grateful for the support of the Fonds de solidarité FTQ, Telus and the talents of our gardeners to plant more than 2,500 sea-lyme grasses, trees and shrubs. This second pilot project will contribute to solidify the coastline and assure access to the river », commented Aleander Reford, director of Les Jardins de Métis.
« The shoreline of the St. Lawrence is at the heart of the tourism industry of the Lower St. Lawrence and key to its success in the future. This contribution supports a key industry in our region’s economy and illustrates the commitment of the Fonds to the economic vitality of the Lower St. Lawrence more than 25 years after the creation of the Fonds Régionaux de solidarité FTQ,» commented David Lord, vice-président des Fonds régionaux de solidarité FTQ pour le Bas-Saint-Laurent et la Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine.
« Over the past several years, climate change has augmented the likelihood of shoreline erosion as well as the intensity and frequency of storms. Our financial contribution to Les Amis des Jardins de Métis as well as the help of our volunteers will contribute to transform abandoned sectors to create dynamic spaces all the while responding to erosion in coastal zones. This is another concrete response linked to our commitment to become carbon neutral by 2030, a goal that we now expect to achieve in advance of our objective, by the year 2027,» said Nathalie Dionne, vice-présidente régionale, Marketing – Québec, TELUS.
About Les Jardins de Métis
A National Historic Site of Canada and a Quebec heritage site, the Les Jardins de Métis / Reford Gardens is a must-see stop for anyone visiting the Gaspé and the Lower St. Lawrence. A cultural space and tourist destination for 60 years, the Reford Gardens are an iconic landscape that offers visitors soothing and innovative experiences of connection to nature. Located at the confluence of the St. Lawrence and Mitis rivers, they were designed by the adventurous horticulturist Elsie Reford from 1926 to 1958 and are listed as one of North America's most famed gardens and one of the world's top 150 great gardens. Hydro-Québec has been the lead sponsor of the Reford Gardens since 1999.
About the Fonds de solidarité FTQ
The Fonds de solidarité FTQ is the pride of Quebec that realizes its mission through a unique business that has shown its success for more than 40 years. Since its creation, the Fonds has rallied Quebeckers to create a retirement fund for 765,721 shareholders and participants.
With assets of 18.4 billion dollars on May 31, 2023, the Fonds assists more than 3,700 businesses with risk capital investments with solid returns, both financial and social. To learn more, visit fondsftq.com ou LinkedIn.
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Source:
Charlotte Garneau
Agente aux communications et gestionnaire des médias sociaux
418-775-2221, ext. 228
charlotte@jardinsdemetis.com