Media Room

Speeches

Speaking Points for the
Honourable Scott Brison
Minister of
Public Works and Government Services Canada

Renaming Ceremony Garden of the Provinces

October 6, 2005
Ottawa, Ontario

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Colleagues, Premier of Nunavut, ladies and gentlemen. Good morning.

I am very pleased to be here today to participate in the reopening and renaming of this important landmark for the City of Ottawa.

This beautiful park – The Garden of the Provinces – is significant for so many reasons.

Every week, thousands of people who work nearby or drive by the Garden on their way to and from work also enjoy it.

I pass it quite often as I go between my departmental office in Gatineau and my Hill office in the Confederation Building.

The Garden is of historic importance as well. It played an important role in the dreams and vision that decision makers had for the national capital.

In fact, the seed for this garden was first planted at a meeting between Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King and the French urbanist, Jacques Greber, at the 1936 Paris Exposition.

The Garden was officially opened on September 25, 1962, and was described as "an impressive western gateway for Wellington Street leading to the Parliament Buildings."

As you can see around you, this Garden is adorned with many symbols of our vast country:

• The flags of each province and territory, grouped according to when they entered Confederation.
• The bronze plaques with the floral emblems of each of the provinces and territories.
• The six-metre tall fountain symbolizing a tree.
• And the series of concave concrete slabs portraying the Great Lakes.

The original designer had obviously tried to capture the essence of Canada in this Garden.

However there was one significant oversight that we're here to rectify today: there was no mention of the Territories that cover more than 40 percent of the landmass of this great country.

The Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut contribute enormously to the culture, wealth and identity of this country – and they're poised to contribute so much more in the years to come.

So a park that symbolizes the nation is not complete if it does not recognize the Territories.

So, I am honoured today to be able to officially rename this park the Garden of the Provinces and Territories.

Many of you will be aware of the extensive rehabilitation and repair work that has taken place in this park over the past couple of years.

The work certainly hasn't escaped the notice of experts.

This year, three Public Works employees received Certificates of Merit in the Restoration-Landscape category for their work here, during the 2005 Ottawa Architectural Conservation Awards.

You have done outstanding work.

Thanks to all of you for coming to celebrate the new Garden of the Provinces and Territories.