Montreal Gardeners’ & Florists’ Club
The Montreal Gardeners’ & Florists’ Club celebrated 120 years on
Nov. 10. The event was a tribute to the group’s longevity and also to
the 128 people who took the time to gather for the celebration.
Joseph Botelho, the youngest president ever, emceed the evening, assisted by the secretary-treasurer, Christina Lefebvre-Schatz and past president, Claudette Goulet of Cupidon Florist. Botelho gave a toast to the past and in the hopes of gathering again for the 125th anniversary.
Many attendees travelled from out of town to attend and several were second and third generation members. A number of wholesalers also came out including: Marché Floral Inter-Provincial Flower Market, Fleurexpert, Tenefleurs, Dutch Greenhouses, Planterra, Canadian Floral Depot, Patrick Studio, Everflora and Teleflora Canada.
Recognition went to Klaus Schatz for his perseverance in selling the most tickets to the event. Rita
Truba was honoured for collating the club’s historic records into 16 volumes. Early in 2008, one of the two 16-volume series will be presented to Library and Archives Canada and the other series will be donated to McGill University’s Macdonald College of Agriculture for posterity.
The Costa Del Mare Restaurant was the ideal venue for such an evening. Tall candelabras graced with red roses proved picture perfect. The food was a feast worthy of any elaborate Italian wedding.
Florists in the news
On Sept, 23, the Church of St. Eugene, near Drummondville, celebrated its 100th anniversary. The church was decorated by Hélène Marcotte, AIFD, who received rave reviews for her designs.
Gilbert Lanouette of Gilbert Fleurs in Westmount blew away attendees of the Jewish General Hospital’s 26th Annual Hope & Cope fundraiser with his exquisite floral designs.
The incredible work of Dany Fraser and Pierre St. Jacques of “Fleurs De Juin”, a floral shop located on Notre Dame West, is attracting the interest of interior designers as far away as New York. Their original designs are being regularly featured in the Maisons de Prestige magazine, the French equivalent of Architect Digest. The boutique is also currently undergoing some major renovations. At this point, there is no need to envy Los Angeles or New York – floral designing talent, at its best, can be found on rue Notre Dame Ouest.
|
