Original subtitles

At the time the Cabots settled here,

it was 1902,

when the seigniory had been purchased by Georges Boner.

It was rural countryside.

The population was made up of artisans of course,

woodworkers, carpenters, blacksmiths,

farmers, sailors, loggers.

All of these people obviously lived much simpler lives than we do now.

Steamboats began to travel the river

in the mid-19th century.

That's how, for example,

in 1890, William Howard Taft,

who would later become President of the United States,

came with Mrs. Taft to visit the Saguenay River.

He stopped at La Malbaie or at Pointe-au-Pic,

was seduced by the region and decided to return.

It is obvious that the arrival of someone that important

would encourage other people to follow.

That is one of the reasons that

a sort of American vacation colony

was established in I. Malbaie.

[Jean] In those days, the primary concern of people building their villa

was to find an exceptional view.

That is why these homes are often perched high on a cliff looking out over the river.

At the same time, these people wished to remain a bit isolated.

Their villas were often surrounded by wood

and frequently included a garden.

It is obvious that the garden at Les Quatre-Vents

is something absolutely special.

It is not a simple villa garden.

It's one of the most beautiful gardens in the world,

and it is regarded as such.

[Raynald] Here we see the Primula Raynald.

Its unique characteristic is its color.

It is magenta, which didn't exist before.

The second thing is that it is sterile.

It doesn't produce seeds.

As far as I know, they don't exist anywhere else.

Not in Quebec or the world.

It has been recognized and registered.

Its name is "Primula X Florindae Raynald."

[laughing] It was Mr. Cabot who decided to give it that name.

It was very nice of him because I don't deserve any special credit.

I only found it.

There are rare plants in the garden.

The Cypripedium acaule is one of these.

We had one specimen which grew into one large mass.

About ten years ago, we decided to divide it,

except that, the following year, we lost almost half of it.

That's part of nature too. We have to live with that.

We can't choose what will survive and what will die.

We aren't the ones who decide.

We're just performers, trying to do the best we can.

[Jean] On the other side of the Malbaie River,

the seigniory that extended from Les Eboulements near Cap-aux-Oies

was the property of John Nairn.

The seigniory was named Murray Bay.

On the site of the Murray Bay seigniory,

there was naturally a manor house.

Regrettably, it was demolished in 1960.

I was later informed that it was in such a state,

having been constructed almost entirely of wood

that it couldn't be saved.

Obviously, I didn't believe this

because a structure can always be restored.

Now this area is the shopping mail of I. Malbaie.

I believe that the loss of the Nairn Manor

is one of the biggest cultural losses of I. Malbaie.

[Father Louis Genest] We came to Mr. Cabot's home,

and I had brought the plans and estimates that had been drawn up.

I showed them to him and he said,

"What? This exists only a few kilometers from my home

and I don't know about it."

He said, "Can I help you out in some way?"

It was decided that we would organize

a Festival of Natural Sciences in Charlevoix.

Mr. Cabot decided to offer a public visit

of his gardens for the first time.

[Father Louis Genest] They had announced it in the media,

on the radio, on the television.

It was the only event of the festival that was a success.

Because it was a hot summer,

people would have rather been in their bathing suits

with a cold beer in their backyard

than listening to scientists making lectures.

But the opening of the gardens was a success.

But it ended abruptly, that's the funniest part!

There were so many people I tell you, it was like Expo '67.

At 6 p.m.,

the supervisor looked at his watch and said that it was time to close.

There were still around 800 or 900 people waiting.

They started yelling, "We've been here for six hours!

“We've been here for four hours!

I came all the way from Lac Saint-Jean!“

[Raynald] If it gives people the desire to create a garden,

even on a small scale, that is what's important.

If it gives even one more person this desire, then all the better.

[Father Louis Genest] Visiting the gardens at Les Quatre-Vents

definitely encourages people to protect the environment.

They are filled with such wonder

that they can't help but fall in love with nature...

and what we love, we defend.

[Raynald] My wish for the gardens is that

it continues to flourish for a very long time.

And also that people recognize the contribution

that Mr. Cabot has made to horticulture in Quebec.

That is very important.