International Peace Garden; History and Progress

              u p to the s e c o n d or T e r r a c e P a n e l T h e y are b o r d e r e d by A s i a t i c E l m hedge?
w h i c h are a s s u m i n g a t t r a c t i v e p y r a m i d f o r m . B e y o n d these hedges to the n o r th
a n d south are s e v e r a l rows of L i l a c s that b l o o m w e l l i n t o J u l y , b o r d e r e d b y a
r o w of A m e r i c a n E l m s that are g i v i n g h e i g h t to these p l a n t i n g s . B e y o n d are
t w o r o w s of A m u r M a p l e s that i n t h e a u t u m n flaunt their f l a m i n g c o l o r s to the
s k i e s . O u t s i d e these p l a n t i n g s are p a r k i n g g r o u n d s , m a r k e d b y stone curbs.
T e r r a c e P a n el
T h e plans p r e p a r e d by the N a t i o n a l P a r k s S e r v i c e s c a l l for seven terraces
w i t h se\- en stone r e t a i n i n g w a l l s , a n d an o r n a m e n t a l p o o l i n e a c h terrace. These
p o o l s are to be on the B o u n d a r y L i n e , a n d the w a t e r w i l l flow f r om one to the
o t h e r d o w n to a p o o l i n the S u n k e n G a r d e n . F r o m this p o o l , it w i l l be p u m p ed
b a c k to the first pool i n the u p p e r terrace, to start on its r o u n d s a g a i n.
T h e first t e r r a c e is b o u n d e d o n the west by t h r e e m a s s i v e g r a n i t e w a l l s , each
109 feet l o n g . T h e c e n t r e w a l l is 10 feet f r om the c o n c r e t e footings to t h e top
o f the pilasters, a n d each w a l l is t o p p e d w i t h i r o n b a l u s t r a d e s . F l a g s t o n e s f o rm
t h e floor of this 312- foot terrace. The ends of the terrace are c l o s e d i n w i th
stone w a l l s t o p p e d by i r o n b a l u s t r a d e s . The f o u r - i n c h spaces b e t w e e n the flag­stones
h a v e l> een f i l l e d w i t h grass s o d . m a k i n g a p l e a s i n g p r o m e n a d e . T h e f . O . D . E.
is m a k i n g its s p l e n d i d c o n t r i b u t i o n to t h e d e v e l o p m e n t of the G a r d e n b y financing
t h e i r o n b a l u s t r a d e s and part of the flagstone terraces on the C a n a d i a n side.
T h e G a r d e n H o u s e on the A m e r i c a n side of this terrace has been c o m p l e t e d,
w i t h its stone w a l l s t h r e e feet t h i c k a n d ten feet h i g h . It is 82 x 3 4 feet, w i th
l a r g e o p e n i n g s from w h i c h one can v i e w the entire formal area. T h e footings of
t h e G a r d e n H o u s e on the C a n a d i a n side have been c o n s t r u c t e d , a n d the b u i l d i ng
w i l l be c o m p l e t e d in 1955.
T h e stairs w h i c h l e a d f r om the u p p e r t e r r a c e to the l o w e r terraces are stone,
13 feet w i d e a n d 67 feet l o n g . C o m m e n c i n g at the ends of the centre r e t a i n i ng
w a l l , t h e y p a r t l y e n c i r c l e t h e g r o u n d s a r o u n d the s e c o n d p o o l . T h e treads on the
s t a i r s are s a w n g r a n i t e f r om S o u t h D a k o t a , as are the caps on the p i l a s t e r s a nd
the c u r b s o n the m a i n w a l l s . T w o steps of s a w n g r a n i t e treads, 7 0 feet i n l e n g t h,
l e a d f r om the s e c o n d to the t h i r d terrace.
M o s t of the h e a v y m a s o n r y c o n s t r u c t i o n in the T e r r a c e P a n e l has n o w been
b u i l t . T h e r e s t i l l r e m a i n s the c o m p l e t i o n of the C a n a d i a n G a r d e n H o u s e , four l ow
stone w a l l s , e a c h 190 feet i n l e n g t h , four c o m p a r a t i v e l y s m a l l p o o l s a n d a c o n c r e te
c h a n n e l 3 8 0 feet l o n g , to c a n y the w a t e r f r om the t h i r d p o o l to each of the four
f o l l o w i n g pools. W a t e r s i d e plants w i l l be p l a c e d a r o u n d these pools a n d a l o n g the
w a t e r c h a n n e l . P l a n t i n g of s h r u b b e r y a n d trees o n the terraces w a s c o m m e n c e d in
1953. Sufficient l a n d has n o w b e e n p r e p a r e d a n d is r e a d y for p l a n t i n g 3 , 0 0 0 a d d i ­t
i o n a l shrubs. W h e n the a b o v e has been c o m p l e t e d , the T e r r a c e P a n e l w i l l have
b e e n c o n v e r t e d f r om a draftsman's d r e am to stone w a l k s , pools, stairs, t u r f plots,
trees, shrubs, a n d G a r d e n houses, w h i c h even n o w are a t t r a c t i n g many visitors
f r om near a n d far.
P a r k A r e as
E a c h year the trees p l a n t e d i n the P a r k A r e a s g i v e m o r e d e f i n i t e character
t o the G a r d e n . T h i s year three h i l l s i d e s a l o n g the drives were selected for
r e p l a c e m e n t of t h e n a t i v e g r o w t h w i t h some 2 5 0 c u l t i v a t e d s h r u b s . T h e P l a n n i ng
C o m m i t t e e of t h e G a r d e n h a v e d e l i b e r a t e d on t h e d e t a i l s o f d e v e l o p m e n t of e a ch
n e w unit s p o n s o r e d b y o r g a n i z a t i o n s . T h e O r d e r of the E a s t e r n Star, M a n i t o ba
s e c t i o n , i m p r o v e d t h e i r P i c n i c K i t c h e n b y h a v i n g t w o coats of o i l p u t on t h e logs
a n d b y e r e c t i n g a l o w w a l l a r o u n d part of t h e k i t c h e n , a n d c o n s i d e r a t i o n is b e i ng
g i v e n to their s u g g e s t i o n that a d r i v e be made to l i n k the " I n - r o a d " at the
s o u t h e a s t e r n corner of L a k e S t o r m o n w i t h the " O u t - r o a d " at the p i c n i c k i t c h e n .
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