Year of the Garden

By Kaileigh Nichols

2022 is the year of the Garden; aiming to inspire and inform Canadians about the countless health, economic, and environmental benefits gardens bring to our lives. Local people and visitors from around the world have come to the Sault Ste. Marie Canal to enjoy the beauty of the gardens located on the canal grounds.

Gardens are the source of much inspiration and enjoyment in the world, and the Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site has a rich history of gardens. This picturesque park landscape has been present, in some form or another, since the early 1900s. Over 100 years ago, from 1907 to 1936, J.W. LeBreton Ross, the second Superintendent of the Sault Ste. Marie Canal and the first president of the Sault Ste. Marie Horticultural Society, worked to transform the canal grounds into an iconic garden destination and one of Sault Ste. Marie’s major attractions. In the 1920s, the site had 3 full-time gardeners on staff to tend to the grounds, aiming to mimic an English style garden. For many years, the Canadian and American locks maintained friendly competitions to determine who had the best gardens. After LeBreton Ross retired, his successors kept his vision alive by maintaining the exquisite grounds and gardens.

Once described as a “riot of colours” by the local newspaper, the legacy of these gardens is still evident today. Though not as robust as they once were, many of the gardens are still intact and are being managed by Parks Canada, with the collaboration of the Horticultural Society and a team of dedicated volunteers.

Might you consider becoming a volunteer groundskeeper or gardener at the Sault Ste. Marie Canal? To learn more about the horticultural history of the Sault Canal while walking through the grounds, past wetlands and 100-year-old trees, consider the Gardening Adventure Lab, a geocaching experience available using your smart phone.

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