Meaning
Portage represents a canoe trip through the repetition of a static component, the canoe shape, to create a landscaped stage. The canoe acts as a narrative icon. As a rice field is an icon of Chinese agriculture, the canoe is a cultural icon of Quebec that brings to mind the coureurs des bois and the great French explorers who travelled across America. Portage allows us to travel across the land and bring the land back into the cities.
Experience
At the entrance to the garden, visitors recognize a bridge assembled from canoes. The canoe is then carried through a rice field as if portaged on a man's shoulders, before returning to the water where visitors can simulate a canoeing experience with their feet in the water. Upon arrival, the canoe is emptied onto the dock as a waterfall within reach of visitors.
