On Thursday, September 28 at 5 p.m., the team at Parc du canal de Soulanges, an organization based in Pointe-des-Cascades, inaugurated its Placotoir space, located just a few feet from its new offices. Some twenty guests were on hand for the occasion.

What is a "placotoir"? It's a terrace set up at the entrance to the Village des Écluses de Pointe-des-Cascades, where walkers, cyclists and users of the Soulanges canal Park can stop to relax and chat.

Inside the closet, there's a bench that seats a dozen people, and a round picnic table whose shape encourages discussion. Works of art by three artists - Sonia Haberstich, Valérie Langlais and Adèle Reeves - are also displayed at the heart of the closet to brighten up this civic space.

"This project was brought to fruition with passion and dedication on the part of the Soulanges Canal Park team. This stretch of water is a heritage treasure that is part of our identity and the DNA of the Vaudreuil-Soulanges region. It is the guardian of our family histories.It's important to enhance and showcase the Soulanges Canal. The Placotoir is a place where people can meet and where culture can be made more accessible to all," says Serge Raymond, Director General of the Municipality of Pointe-des-Cascades.

An initiative that quickly took shape

The first bricks of the Placotoir project were laid last February, when the Parc du canal de Soulanges issued a call for applications to find participating artists.

At the same time, the organization was working on its move to new premises, located at the entrance to the Village des Écluses and the Pointe-des-Cascades campground.

"We wanted a place where people could meet, but also a place where we could eventually hold artistic and cultural activities such as art workshops, conferences and outdoor shows. I also have to admit that my team and I wanted to have an outdoor space where we could dine and take our breaks (laughs)" says Marianne Sigouin-Lebel, General Manager of Soulanges canal Park.

Ms. Sigouin-Lebel's aim was to encourage collaboration and exchange between participating artists and passers-by.

"There's a lot of traffic here in the summer because of the camping and the presence of the Village des Écluses.While the site was being set up, many passers-by stopped to chat with the artists.That was one of the objectives of the project" she added.

The Placotoir was made possible thanks to the financial participation of several partners, including the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications, the Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation and a financial support program from the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Vaudreuil-Soulanges.

A challenge for the artists

Two of the three artists involved in the project, Sonia Haberstich and Adèle Reeves, were present at the inauguration to share their experience with guests.

"At the start of the project, I went to the Saint-Lazare sawmill to pick up some wood bios. When I chose them there, I kind of lost track of their size.I was quite surprised when they were delivered.It's a material I enjoyed working with. For the colors, I was inspired by those of the Soulanges Canal. It was a very physical job. It was also very hot at the time of creation. Luckily, Adèle's boyfriend had a whole range of woodworking tools, which helped us a lot.We're very proud of the result, it's really an extraordinary place," says the former, who lives in Hudson.

For her part, Adèle Reeves enjoyed working as part of a team."I also enjoyed working with wood and collaborating with the girls. It's funny because at first, I thought I could use a single tool to create the works, but I quickly realized that it wouldn't work. Then my boyfriend, who has a carpentry background, gave me access to his old tools. We found a way to use them. Thanks to Parc du Canal de Soulanges for the experience and the opportunity. I invite everyone to come and discover and enjoy this exceptional place" she confided.

Interesting fact: cultural and artistic programming will be held on site this fall and in spring 2024.

More details to come. In the meantime, you can walk, drive or bike to the Placotoir for some great encounters!