Quebec park ready to unveil green-powered astronomical observatory
Stéphane Michaud admits he hasn’t spent much time star gazing.
“But I think I’m about ready to start,” he says with a laugh.
Michaud is the executive director of Parc régionale éducatif Bois de Belle-Rivière. Since 1997, Michaud and his staff have encouraged Montreal-area residents to visit the Mirabel, QC-based park and appreciate the natural world around them.
And in the near future, visitors will also be encouraged to look up . . . way up. That’s because workers are now putting the finishing touches on an astronomical observatory in the park—a rare and special opportunity for Montreal-area residents.
With a scientific telescope offering a powerful view of the heavens, the observatory will be open to curious members of the public and discerning young scholarly minds alike. It’s tentatively slated to begin operations on June 20; a grand opening celebration with government and industry partners, including Enbridge, is scheduled for Oct. 5.
“This observatory has been more than 10 years in the planning and development stages, so this is a pretty exciting time for us,” says Michaud.
“It’s generating an incredible amount of interest—from local astronomical scientists, from teachers in the region who can work this into their lesson plans, from amateur astronomy clubs in the area, and from the kids who’ll be attending our summer camps, too.”
The Mirabel observatory will be powered entirely via an on-site renewable energy system, consisting of a wind turbine and solar panels, through a $9,600 donation from Enbridge. Its Celestron telescope, which will keep a powerful eye on the night sky, was also funded through an identical Enbridge grant.
It’s expected that this new attraction will provide a considerable boost in visitor traffic for Bois de Belle Rivière, which already attracts 120,000 people a year.
Enbridge is committed to enhancing quality of life in the communities near our projects and operations. Bois de Belle Rivière offers visitors a wide variety of year-round activities—including hiking, skating, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, , birdwatching, snowshoeing and fishing—and Enbridge has supported the park for more than 10 years by sponsoring its educational and recreational programs.
The annual Enbridge Kids’ Fishing Derby, a highlight on the annual Bois de Belle Rivière calendar, will be held on Saturday, June 4 and Sunday, June 5—with prizes up for grabs, and all competitors aged 16 and under receiving their Quebec provincial fishing license.
“Across North America, our renewable energy investments—including our three wind power projects in Quebec—generate enough electricity to power nearly a million homes,” says Eric Prud’Homme, Enbridge’s Quebec-based senior manager of stakeholder and Aboriginal relations.
“So it was a natural fit for us to partner with Bois de Belle Rivière on this observatory initiative—not only for its widespread benefits to schools and the community, but also for its green profile.”
(TOP PHOTO: An astronomical observatory is set to open in the next few months in Mirabel’s Parc régionale éducatif Bois de Belle-Rivière.)
