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 provide them an unparalleled sense of place. Many of Toronto’s most iconic landscapes — Sugar Beach, Berczy Park, Love Park, and the recently opened Leslie Lookout Park just to name a few — are part of Cormier’s legacy.

Shortly before Cormier’s passing in September of 2023, The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) held 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 Claude’s legacy and spirit. 

Taking place at the University of Toronto’s John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, the Toronto Society of Architects’ special screening of a 45-minute director’s cut of the TCLF’s Claude Cormier Oral History Project, specifically highlighting Claude’s Toronto projects, will be followed by a panel discussion reflecting on his legacy and how we can carry it forward when shaping our future public spaces. Moderated by Azure’s Editor in Chief, Elizabeth Pagliacolo, the talk features CCxA’s own Guillaume Paradis, Agata Mrozowski of Trophic Design, Charles A. Birnbaum of The Cultural Landscape Foundation, and Nina-Marie Lister of Toronto Metropolitan University.