Bonsai Winnipeg's Journey:
A Tale of Growth and Passion

The Bonsai Society of Winnipeg, founded in the early ’80s, was led by Roger Dutton, who had experience with bonsai in the UK before he moved to Canada. A passionate small group of members met regularly and improved their bonsai techniques. A difficult task this was, due to the lack of resources. Books on Bonsai were scarce and videos and visiting teachers non-existent. Leadership was assumed by Irv and Bonnie Hilderbrand who helped the club grow. Next it was Dean Laughren’s turn at the helm. “We were very much at the ‘twigs in pots’ stage of learning. Every thing was either bought at Bonsai Fred’s store or Benhke’s Garden Centre. Not much yamadori back then.” Dean met with the small group of members in a room at the bus depot on Osborne Street. Then his carreer, a new puppy and his first house became his priorities. After a short hiatus, the bonsai bug called him back to the club.

In the meantime, Marcel Comeault served as president. Dean recalls, “Marcel came into the club like a tornado. Not destructive but man-o-man did he have energy and enthusiasm.” Marcel’s son had joined the club but soon lost interest. Marcel took over his son’s trees and worked hard to become a self-taught bonsai artist. Books by Peter Chan, Harry Tomlinson, Colin Lewis and Dan Barton, all UK bonsai artists, provided the inspiration. Marcel adapted the bonsai knowledge and techniques in these books to our growing zone 3 and to our native tree species—larch (tamarack), spruce—and nursery stock that was hardy to zone 3; mugo pine and many varieties of junipers. 

The Society discovered and joined Bonsai Clubs International (BCI), an organization dedicated to bonsai education, offered a course syllabus by Tom L. Zane called Introduction to Bonsai, as well as lectures in 35mm slide format, a magazine that covered bonsai from around the world, and other resources for young clubs. Marcel adapted the Introduction to Bonsai course for growing zone 3 and taught the course for almost a decade, helping many newcomers to the hobby get started on their bonsai journey.

Enter Ardythe McMaster. Ardythe loved all things horticultural and bonsai was no exception. She saw that Marcel was doing most of the work to keep the club viable and growing so she offered to lead the club, allowing Marcel to do what he did best. Teach bonsai, demonstrate bonsai techniques, and organize club projects such as making bonsai pots. With Ardythe administrating, and Marcel teaching, the club flourished. 

Five or six club members attended the BCI international bonsai convention in Toronto in 1997, called Bonsai Borealis, and participated in workshops styling Thuja occidentals, Larix laricina and Malus. They interacted with the senior members of the Toronto Bonsai Society, who provided role models and inspiration for what a bonsai club could accomplish. The convention was Bonsai Winnipeg’s first exposure to bonsai artists with international reputations; John Naka, Marc Noelanders, David DeGroot, Harold Sasaki, Norman Haddrick, George Reichert, Chase Rosade, David Rowe, Arthur Skolnik, Harry Tomlinson, and William N. Valavanis. Upon their return with their workshop bonsai, the club was inspired to work on larger trees, and most importantly, a species that had been overlooked, the Eastern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis). Manitoba has many of these trees growing in road allowances (a fancy name for ditches) and ripe for turning into beautiful bonsai. 

Under Ardythe’s leadership, the club grew to over 90 members. An experienced school teacher, Ardythe had the grace and charm to make everyone feel included. One year, the club had to offer two classes for the Introduction to Bonsai Course as the classroom was too small to accommodate the 30 people who wanted to learn about bonsai that year.

Stuart Innes, the club’s resident engineer, donned the president’s mantle and the club continued to evolve and prosper. His leadership was thoughtful, consistent and effective. He started every general meeting with a joke that reminded participants they were there for fun and bonsai. The club continued to bring in visiting artists to lead workshops and Stu helped promote the work of talented club members, who performed demonstrations and led workshops.

Puppies grown old, teaching career and house under control, Dean Laughren rediscovered bonsai at the club’s Red River Exhibition show a few years earlier and now Stu passed the president’s baton to him for Dean’s second time leading the club forward. During his two-year tenure the club continued to grow and prosper. Dean’s playful sense of humour ensured that meetings were fun and adventurous.

For the next 14 years, Paul Collard presided over the club and Bonsai Winnipeg accomplished many more milestones. When the Assiniboine Park Conservatory closed its doors, the club found a new venue for its meetings and workshops from Spring to Autumn, the River Heights Lawn Bowling Club (RHLBC), a heritage building just a stone’s throw from Paul’s house. During the winter months, the club booked meeting space in various community centres. Eventually, Bonsai Winnipeg joined the Centro Caboto, an Italian-Canadian Cultural Center as an affiliate member. This gave the club a meeting space while workshops continued at the RHLBC. 

During Paul’s tenure, many bonsai professionals led workshops and the club imported bonsai trees from Florida, Georgia, and Vancouver Island. The Introduction to Growing Bonsai Course, now taught by Stu Innes, Dean Laughren and Joe Grande was offered yearly and was vital to bring new members into the bonsai fold.

In 2019, long-standing president Paul Collard, recruited Scott Sampson to lead the club as its new president. Scott’s training in visual communications, his newly found passion for bonsai, and customer service experience with running his own graphic design business, coalesced and little by little, the club started gaining more momentum. Membership hovered at 40 to 50 members, but grew to 110 in just four years. Even the pandemic helped as people in isolation were looking for new activities. With the help of dedicated volunteers like Aaron Frost, the club adopted the Zoom platform so meetings during the pandemic could continue. 

Scott’s support and encouragement of volunteers resulted in a group of 12 coordinators that planned and executed club events and programs. Notable milestones or accomplishments include: an Annual Bonsai Exhibit at the Caboto Center where the club honoured all past presidents and acknowledged the contributions of Paul Collard and club treasurer Deborah Sutcliffe; A redesigned Introduction to Growing Bonsai Course, the Annual Display and Awards Banquet at the Norwood Community Center, an invitational exhibit at the Winnipeg Art Gallery, curated by Scott Sampson, Deborah Sutcliffe, Kathy Gutheil and Joe Grande, the inclusion of viewing stones in the annual display, and an overall improvement in the quality and quantity of promotional activities and materials.

The future for the club looks bright with new initiatives on the horizon. Watch this space as Bonsai Winnipeg redefines bonsai appreciation in Growing Zone Three.