Montreal garden tour stop the home of Quebec’s first same sex civil union

The Pointe-Claire Horticultural Society is celebrating its 90th anniversary, and members toured five gardens to mark the occasion.

One stop was at the home of a Theo Wouters, who for the first year has had to garden without the love of his life: Roger Thibault.

The couple became well-known as Quebec’s first same-sex civil union, and for their gay rights activism.

Gardening, however, may have been their greatest passion.

“I had many difficult moments because Roger is so present in the garden, but I’m doing it actually for him,” said Wouters. “You know, in memory of Roger.”

Wouters’ garden was a must-see spot on the tour.

“Theo’s garden is a little oasis in the city,” said Pointe-Claire Horticultural Society’s Diane Hadida. “Once you get into the back, you forget completely that you’re in the city. You could be up in the Eastern Townships. You completely forget. And it’s the perfect example of what a garden can be.”

Wouters’ garden contains water features, a koi pond and a wide variety of plants, including trees, native flowers and polinators. Much of the garden is designed to attract birds.

“From the big heron to the falcon coming through to the woodpeckers, I have three different kinds of woodpeckers coming here,” said Wouters.

The horticultural society has mentorship programs and offers garden tours and field trips with support from the city.

“We we focus on the networking and focus on inclusivity,” said Hadida. “Whether people are expert gardeners or novice gardeners. We welcome them.”

They want to encourage younger residents to give gardening a try.

“To explain to them that it can be a good break from the hectic-ness of their days,” said Hadida. “And that they don’t have to worry about failing. I mean, gardening is failing. You will plant something, it won’t work, but you will find something and it will grow.”

It is something Wouters knows all too well, and as each person walks through the space he and Thibault lovingly tended for decades, he hopes they’ll take a piece of it with them.

“I hope that some of it will inspire them to do something similar, maybe on a small scale, but just get rid of the lawn,” he said.