Cultural canal
Source of inspiration
The canal is a source of inspiration for many artists, local and not local alike. Dabblers and professionals see in it an interesting subject for painting, photography, monumental art, artistic professions…
Photo exhibition, the Soulanges cycle path banners
From the start of the 2010s, thanks to a project initiated by the “Autour de nous” artist collective and the Soulanges Cycling Path committee, the Soulanges cycling path is adorned with 27 banner holders (1 per kilometer on the 27 first kilometers of the cycle path) which allows out-of-walls exhibitions, for the cyclists’ and walkers’ happiness.
A call for photographers was launched in 2020 to renew the exhibition and eleven citizen amateur photographers were selected. Accompanied by artist-curator Caroline Hayeur, the participants had the chance to be guided through various technical workshops aimed at developing their artistic approach to photography. The series born from this project are oriented towards themes that are related to Vaudreuil-Soulanges: rurality, mountains, water and heritage. Thanks to our partners, the MRC Vaudreuil-Soulanges, the Ministère de la Culture et des communications du Québec and the Conseil des arts et de la Culture de Vaudreuil-Soulanges.
- Samuel Anger
- Caroline Campeau
- Philippe Chevalier
- Patricia Chousa
- Caroline Forget
- Claire Gervais
- Alain Lajoie
- Valérie Langlais
- Nancy Lépine
- Natacha Marleau
- Stéphanie Toulouse
Archipel, le documentaire sonore
Né de la collaboration des artistes sonores Guillaume Côté et Guillaume Campion en 2016, le Projet Archipel propose une exploration des berges de l’archipel de Montréal à travers des captations sonores et des entrevues. Après avoir lancé une première série sur les berges du Saint-Laurent, les deux artistes se sont intéressés à notre beau canal pour leur deuxième série du Projet Archipel.
10 capsules sonores ont donc été co-réalisées par 12 citoyens Vaudreuil-Soulangeois en 2019. Celles-ci dressent un portrait singulier du majestueux canal de Soulanges, témoignant de l’attachement des riverains envers ce vestige d’une autre époque et des efforts de mise en valeur actuellement en cours.
- France Biron
- Sebastien Roy
- Annie Binette
- Sophie Daoust
- Philippe Chevalier
- Justine Verreault Fortin
- Caroline Thivierge
- Réal Ménard
- Natacha Marleau
- Valérie Langlais
- Marjolaine Campion
- Marilou Fortin
Placottoir project
The Soulanges Canal is a heritage site of great importance for the Vaudreuil-Soulanges region. It is also a gathering place for our citizens, where the identity of the place is closely linked to family stories, childhood, or the landscape of a welcoming land for our new residents. The placottoir project consists of bringing together artists to create a collective work inspired by the landscape of the Soulanges canal and for the benefit of citizens. The chosen mode of creation (creation outside the walls) aims to introduce the arts to the public and to solicit the spontaneous participation of visitors and the transfer of knowledge from the artist to the citizen.
The project, which took place between March and September 2023, was made possible thanks to the support of the Ministry of Culture and Communications (MCCQ) and the MRC of Vaudreuil-Soulanges as part of the cultural development agreement 2021-2023.
March 2023
Artist selection
Following a call for applications issued in February 2023 in collaboration with the Conseil des arts et de la culture de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, the jury selected the following artists for the project: Adèle Reeves, Valérie Langlais and Sonia Haberstich.
April and May 2023
Defining the final concept
Several meetings take place between the artists and the Soulanges Canal Park team. The location is studied, the creative concept is refined, the workshop dates are chosen and the shapes, colors and meanings are defined. The final plans are submitted to the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications and the Municipality for approval. The project is ready to go!
The hot-iron mark symbolizes the heritage and cultural imprint of the territory where the Soulanges Canal originated. Each motif refers to a heritage of the landscape, the built environment or the layout handed down by ancestral generations. These unique emblems are transposed in time to conceptualize a multi-degree meaning. Artistic expression thus manifests itself in concepts that are both abstract and symbolic.
June 2023
Official project launch!
The artistic materials and supports for the works are conceptual and purchased. Thanks to our suppliers: marché écolocal CSUR; Hugo, Sabourin ébéniste; Création Artisan Alain Biron; Construction Hutchinson; Scierie JTM; Pro-Pieux;, soudure Robert Gauvin; Pavage Desrochers; Patrick St-Denis, électricien; Multiplus; La Bonne Impression and ZEL. We’re launching the promotion… and the workshops starting in July!
July and August 2023
Off-site co-creation and workshops for the public
Artists are introduced to new disciplines (mainly stamping, silk-screening and sculpture) at a rate of 4 to 5 work sessions per week. During weekend periods, additional tables are set up on site, and creative items (stencils, stamps, paint, etc.) are made available to the public as they pass the notice board for the Soulanges Canal Park and Village des écluses.
August 2023
Finishing off and looking back
Late August is the time to finalize the artwork and layouts. It’s also a time for artists to take a step back. As summer draws to a close, this project has been an emotional and instructive marathon for our creative trio. Learning to work as part of a team, outdoors with the vagaries of the weather, to let yourself go in an organic creation, tinged by exchanges, encounters and the unexpected.
See the following section for testimonials from our artists.
Testimony of the artists
“Magnificent experience with two extraordinary artists”.
I embarked on this project with complete blindness from start to finish. I immersed myself in the space, the colors, the environment and the atmosphere.
I am very grateful for the months of work to complete this mandate. We were able to step back in time, transporting us to the time of loggers, travelers and indigenous peoples. I felt like I was tapping into the rich history of the land and the sweat and tears that people of the past put into transporting goods across these waterways.
We have faced several challenges throughout our journey. Weather conditions, heat and humidity have forced us to continually adapt and demonstrate resilience. Contact with visitors reconnected us with the present moment and with the uncertainty of mandates worked externally, and that is the richness of the experience!
It was a wonderful trip that will remain engraved in my memory.
Adèle Reeves
“A unifying and inspiring project
I am honored to have participated in this project. I loved working in such a charming environment as the canal park. It reminded me of the importance of reconnecting with nature. The historical richness of the environment stimulated my creativity, triggering a journey of introspection! I let myself be carried away by this amalgamation of emotions in order to reflect my inspiration at the true value of my heart and my mind.
My commitment to artistic expression is expressed through each of the patterns, colors and textures chosen. The use of new techniques and working methods has aroused unimaginable inner strength. My limits were quietly pushed back, allowing me to blend into the environment and the space.
I also had the chance to share my passion for art with the public during the workshops. This generated unforgettable encounters.
What an enriching experience!
Valérie Langlais
“An artistic challenge that took me out of my comfort zone”
This adventure results in a complete immersion combining passion for art, nature and human connection.
Initially, we were three separate artistic entities. Then, through our journey, we created bonds of friendship generating real complicity. From that moment on, we became a whole. This union had the power to transcend linguistic and artistic barriers. Without this synergy, it would not have been possible to have as much creativity and the experience would have been less enriching.
Each individual will be able to perceive our creation in their own way, finding their own meaning in it. That’s the beauty of art: the ability to evoke different reactions in each of us. The curiosity of the public and the participation of visitors to the workshops, particularly families, filled my days with gratitude and smiles.
This project had an impact on my progress, both personally and professionally. I thank the trust that was given to me as well as the opportunity to work alongside such talented artists.
Sonia Haberstich
These art pieces that surround us
Sébastien Borduas, 2020
Passage
The Passage art piece narrates the past, present and future of the Les Cèdres municipality. A character pointing to the horizon… symbolizing these canoeing travelers of the past who would stop on the shores to rest, before the portage that would lead them to the crystal-clear waters of the St-François lake.
A small tractor, a child kneeling down in the tall grass, a bicycle set down there… Les Cèdres in the present with its agricultural soul, and its cycling network. Waves on the River, hand prints left by school kids…the city’s vitality, the future awaits!
Artwork made possible thanks to the financial support of the Fonds d’Appui au Rayonnement des Régions du ministère des Affaires Municipales et de l’Habitation, in collaboration with the MRC de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, DEV Vaudreuil-Soulanges and the CACVS.
Sonia Haberstich, 2019
De la rive à la rivière
Once a relay for travelers, merchants and missionaries, Les Coteaux is born from the fusion of the Coteau-Station and Coteau-Landing municipalities. The artwork evokes the water via the metal’s reflecting surface.
The stone base and the Corten steel are reminiscent of the railroads that roam the land. The Saint-François lake shores are celebrated by the peak of the first steel sheet. The sinuous and dynamic flow of the Delisle river is represented by the second sheet.
Artwork made possible thanks to the financial support of the Fonds d’Appui au Rayonnement des Régions du ministère des Affaires Municipales et de l’Habitation, in collaboration with the MRC de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, DEV Vaudreuil-Soulanges and the CACVS.
Sonia Haberstich, 2018
Cocreated artwork, Point de vue sur le canal
“Point de vue sur le canal” marked the start of our interventions at the canal. A shipping container served as our consulting office, and the artist Sonia Haberstich created bubbles with the citizens who would come visit us there. Reproduced and stuck on the container, they remind us of the citizen process that inspires our actions around the canal.
The citizen consultation “Point de vue sur le canal” happened during the summer of 2018. The consulting container roamed the lands of Pointe-des-Cascades, Les Cèdres, Coteau-du-Lac and Les Coteaux to meet the citizens. Today, the shipping container covered in citizen bubbles is a master piece of our animations. Since the summer of 2019, it’s positioned each summer in Coteau-du-Lac’s city centre, and is used as a kayak rental kiosk.
Kayak rental container, Coteau-du-Lac
Sophie Wilkins, 2007
Coteau-du-Lac fresco
This fresco, painted by artist Sophie Wilkins, was inaugurated on the occasion of the 175th anniversary of Coteau-du-Lac, in 2007. It tells the significant moments and elements of its history. Represented on it are elemnts such as the work’s building, the agricultural and maritime identity, the presence of Natives, among others.
We can reach the mural by the chemin du Fleuve in Coteau-du-Lac, or by foot via the chemin du Vieux-Canal which leads near to the bridge.
The cultural projects along the canal are made possible thanks to the precious collaboration of the Conseil des arts et de la culture de Vaudreuil-Soulanges.
