We've all heard of Montreal’s underground city, but did you there's a hidden underground cave underneath one of its parks?
The St-Léonard cave, originally discovered in the early 1800s by a local farmer, was later used to store weapons and ammunition during the Upper Canada Rebellion.
In 1980, a portion of the 15,000 year-old cave (home to fossils that are said to be 450 million years old) underneath Parc Pix-XII was opened to the public.
Cavernautes, located at the Pie-XII Park pavilion, offers a new, unique exploration of an unexplored section of the St-Léonard cave.
Through technology using drone-like equipment, visitors can digitally explore this section thanks to a collaboration between the NXI Gestatio laboratory at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), the INIT Robots laboratory at the École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS), Spéléo Québec and the borough of St-Léonard.
Cavernatues is also an artistic experience, thanks to microphones (underwater and otherwise) that pick up sounds from both the surroundings and the water.
These sounds are played through speakers that are partly underwater, creating small waves on the water's surface. The waves change how light is reflected on the cave walls, creating shifting patterns that add a visual element to the experience.
Where is Cavernautes located?
Head to the Pie-XII Park pavilion, 5200 Boulevard Lavoisier, St-Léonard, in Montréal.
When is Cavernautes happening?
Due to the weather on August 9, 2024, Cavernautes was put on pause.
Free entry to the installation should resume Friday, August 28 to September 6, 2024, every day from 1 to 6 p.m.
How can I visit the St. Leonard caves?
Tours of the caves are still available between June 1 and Oct. 28, 2024, through Spéléo Québec.
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For more information about Cavernautes, click here.
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