A park where relaxation meets recreation. That’s Parc Berthe-Louard. It’s a place to unwind and enjoy nature’s beauty. You can also indulge in various outdoor activities.
Parc Berthe-Louard offers something for everyone. This park provides many facilities. These include a hockey rink and a decorative skating rink. A ball field and a pétanque/bocce court are also present. There is also a children’s playground.
Imagine children laughing as they play. Toddlers can enjoy their own dedicated play area. Parc Berthe-Louard has heated areas. These offer comfort during colder months.
This park is more than just a recreational space. It is named after Berthe Chaurès-Louard. She was a remarkable woman. She founded the first French-Canadian consumer cooperative in Quebec called La Familiale in 1937.
Berthe’s journey began in Limbourg Belgium. She arrived in Quebec with her husband Édouard Louard after World War I. She dedicated herself to the cooperative system. She had known it in her home country.
To realize her vision she joined forces with economist François-Albert Angers and writer Victor Barbeau. Together they co-founded La Familiale. Berthe managed its three branches. They eventually became Cooprix stores in the 1960s.
Berthe Louard established a network of organizations. In 1939 she created the Guilde familiale. The Cercles d’études followed in 1940. She also established the École des loisirs and vacation camps for young people.
She promoted her ideals through lectures. She launched a periodical called Le Coopérateur in 1940. Berthe received the Mérite coopératif in 1949. This award came from the Conseil québécois de la coopération du Québec.
In the 1950s she developed the Domaine St-Sulpice. This was a corporate model for modest families. In 1954 Berthe created a housing committee within La Familiale. Its goal was to help low-income families access affordable property. This materialized in September 1962 with the Domaine Saint-Sulpice.
Berthe Louard was an active feminist. She was a delegate at the Congress of the World Union of Women’s Organizations in Rome in 1961. She participated in the Economic Congress of Domestic Economy of the Province of Quebec in 1962.
In 1967 she bequeathed her residence to the Guilde familiale. It is now the Maison communautaire Berthe-Louard. It serves the same purposes. Berthe Chaurès-Louard passed away in Montreal in 1968.
Victor Barbeau wrote Hommage à Berthe Chaurès Louard 1889-1968. This happened when she was awarded the title of Officer of the Order of Canada. She is remembered as the founder of the first French-Canadian consumer cooperative. The City of Montreal recognized her as a Builder of the City.
Her legacy lives on in the residents of Domaine Saint-Sulpice. A street and a housing cooperative bear her name. Since 2007 a public artwork commemorates her work near her former residence.
Parc Berthe-Louard stands as a testament to her vision. It is a place where community thrives and memories are made. So take a moment to appreciate this space. It embodies the spirit of Berthe Chaurès-Louard.