The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Elsie Reford and Alexander Reford. They are the guests of the Honourable Senator Forest.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, I wish to draw your attention to the presence in the gallery of Elsie Reford and Alexander Reford. They are the guests of the Honourable Senator Forest.

On behalf of all honourable senators, I welcome you to the Senate of Canada.

Hon. Éric Forest: Honourable senators, this Wednesday, in honour of International Women’s Day, Les Jardins de Métis, or Reford Gardens, and Les Éditions Umanium are launching the book Elsie Reford: 150 Objects of Passion.

The official launch is being held this evening at 7 p.m., at Library and Archives Canada. Alexander Reford, author, historian, director of Reford Gardens and great-grandson of Elsie Reford will be in attendance.

Elsie Reford, née Mary Elsie Stephen Meighen in 1872, is best known for founding the Reford Gardens in the Lower St. Lawrence. In 1926, at the age of 54, this self-taught woman began her work to develop the thematic gardens around Estevan Lodge, an estate covering over 20 hectares. Passionate and meticulous, she became a plant expert and was published in many horticultural journals in Canada and abroad.

Open to the public in 1962, her gardens have been designated a heritage site under the Quebec Cultural Property Act since 2012. Visitors to the gardens can admire more than 3,000 species and varieties of plants, including the famous Himalayan blue poppy. I strongly encourage you to visit this magical site.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the work of the current director of the Reford Gardens, Alexander Reford, who has been breathing new life into the estate since 1995. In 2021, Mr. Reford was invested as a member of the Order of Canada for his leadership in Canada’s horticultural community, his support for regional tourism development and his contribution to conserving heritage and the environment.

We’re familiar with Mrs. Reford’s horticultural legacy, but on this special day, I would also like to highlight her contribution to advancing the status of women. Mrs. Reford was concerned about the lack of opportunities for women to be informed about the political, economic and social debates of her time, so in 1907, she founded the Women’s Canadian Club of Montreal together with Julia Drummond. The club’s goal was to promote Canadian unity and provide information to women.

Over the years, prominent individuals, such as Governor General Earl Grey, politicians and prime ministers, such as Wilfrid Laurier and Arthur Meighen, illustrious writers and philanthropists have been invited to address the Women’s Canadian Club.

Elsie Reford’s political and social engagement took many forms, including giving speeches, volunteering, lobbying and writing. She put pen to paper to condemn the 1911 Canada-U.S. free trade agreement and participated in various public forums to defend conscription in 1917. It is said that she even tried to convince Henri Bourassa of the merits of the federation movement in the British Empire. We can certainly say that she was confident in her ability to tackle such a task.

She was known for her social engagement. For example, she participated in the financing of Quebec City’s tricentennial celebrations and worked on the project to create a national park on the Plains of Abraham. She also helped Canadian military families affected by the war by volunteering with the Canadian Patriotic Fund.

In conclusion, a feminist ahead of her time, Elsie Reford, born more than 150 years ago, did not hesitate to occupy every space afforded her, much like her magnificent gardens, which eventually made their place amidst a forest of spruce trees.

I wish you a wonderful International Women’s Day, and I hope that this day will bring solidarity and respect.