For a week, researchers and students from the University of Montreal surveyed the west coast of the island of Terre-neuve, visiting historical and heritage sites, natural parks, ecological reserves, geological wonders, hidden rivers, secret beaches and abandoned villages. The trip was organized as part of the Fluvialities research project led by the UNESCO Chair in Urban Landscape, and the master’s level workshop in urban design taught by Shin Koseki, director holder of the UNESCO Chair and professor at the School of Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture, and Émile Forest, in charge of practical training; and in the collaboration with Duncan McIlroy, professor at Memorial University and director of the Bonne Bay Aquarium and Research Station.
Arriving at Deer Lake, the team quickly made their way to Norris Point, a municipal enclave in the heart of the Gros Morne National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was housed in the Bonne Bay Aquarium and Marine Station, a marine ecosystem research station at Memorial University of St. John’s. The visits of the natural village sites allowed the group to investigate the traces of the urban in this seemingly rural territory which has been shaped by migrations and exchanges between peoples throughout the years. First inhabited or visited by indigenous and Inuit populations, the region was then occupied by Basque, French and British communities. Its landscape is characterized by unique geological phenomena in the world.
This trip was made possible thanks to the support of the Department of International Affairs of the University of Montreal, the Sid Lee Architecture Fund, as well as the Canadian Commission for UNESCO.