|
|
 |
 |
History
|
| |
Origin of Parc Aquarium du Québec
The origin of Parc Aquarium du Québec goes back to the 1940s, when Dr. Vadim D. Vladykov, pioneer of research in marine biology dreamed for years about giving Québec’s capital city a centre equipped with laboratories and aquariums. In addition to doing research in an appropriate climate, the centre he dreamed about would contribute to educating people of all ages in the natural sciences. His dream progressively came true in the 1950s as the Centre biologique de Québec took shape.
First Phase of the Work
In January, 1956, the first phase of the work ended after the construction of the rotunda, the auditorium (162 seats), the two aquarium corridors and the laboratory section, occupied by Dr. Vladykov’s team.
At the time, supplying the aquariums with fresh and salt water was not easy. Two-hundred-thirty thousand litres of fresh water was first taken from Lac Saint-Charles by a tank truck and later directly from the Saint Lawrence River through a feed tunnel. Three-hundred twenty thousand litres of salt water travelled by train and tank truck from Pointe-au-Père.
Second Phase of the Work
In 1956, a new wing was added to the main building. The library of the Ministère des Pêcheries, founded in 1946, moved into Centre biologique de Québec. More laboratories were also set up in the new section for the purpose of doing research on a variety of fish species such as eel, lobster and salmon, and other species that were suffering the negative consequences of commercial fishing. The relevance of grouping researchers together from different maritime research centres in the wintertime also justified the construction of these new facilities.
Third Phase of the Work
In anticipation of eventually opening the Centre biologique de Québec to the public, a third phase of the work started in 1958 to build a restaurant above the aquarium corridors. On June 18, 1959, Centre biologique de Québec, also known as Aquarium du Pont de Québec, welcomed its first visitors. In the first year, some 150,000 people came to see the 30 aquariums. From that moment on, Centre biologique de Québec had a double mission – to contribute to the advancement of sciences through research, and participating in wildlife conservation through community education.
Year after year, work was done to enlarge the installations or improve existing services: the construction of three basins for the seals in 1960 and many aquariums (the number of aquariums had doubled by 1971), creating a park on the grounds, etc.
The Aquarium du Québec
From 1959 to 1970, Centre biologique de Québec devoted most of its time to research, while satisfying the curiosity of thousands of visitors. However, in 1971, the researchers from Centre biologique moved to the new Complexe scientifique de Québec, taking all of their scientific equipment and the library with them. In 1971, having been cut off from its original vocation, Centre biologique became Aquarium du Québec. This institution would devote itself from then on to community education in aquatic ecology and environmental protection. Aquarium du Québec would remain active in the field of research by collaborating on university and other projects, and participating in training aquatic wildlife technicians.
Since Then…
Aquarium du Québec welcomed its 8,000,000th visitor in 1999 on the occasion of its 40th anniversary. In 2002, after being closed for renovations for two years, the new Parc Aquarium du Québec reopened its doors to the public and made room for aquatic species from the Boreal to the Arctic. In the summer of 2007, to the great pleasure of kids and adults of all ages, exotic species became part of the aquatic collection. Just two years from now in 2009, the Aquarium will celebrate its 50th anniversary.
|
|
|
| | | | |
| | | | | | |
© 2008 La Sépaq, all rights reserved.
|
|
