The inauguration of the permanent exhibition Believe it or not! of the Parc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles

Yesterday evening the inauguration cocktail of the Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles museum space and its permanent exhibition, Believe it or not!, took place. For the occasion, the Exploration Center welcomed more than a hundred distinguished guests, partners and contributors for a “5 à 7” where they were able to discover this exceptional space.

The event offered the opportunity to meet and thank the artisans who contributed to the creation of this exhibition which highlights the history of the Mille Îles River, its vast ecosystems and its environmental issues. Some of these contributors and dignitaries present for the occasion took the floor to launch the festivities. Among these: the mayor of the City of Laval, Mr. Marc Demers, Ms. Virginie Dufour, municipal councilor of Sainte-Rose, Mr. Yves Robillard, deputy for the constituency of Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, Mr. Christopher Skeete , Member of Parliament for Sainte-Rose, Mr. Jean Lapointe, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Éco-Nature | Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles and Ms. Marie-Claude Dion, project manager of the permanent exhibition Believe it or not!.

Nothing was left to chance. The organizers had invited a jazz group to give a nod to one of the sections of the museum space which takes us back to the world of dance halls of the 40s and 50s. Many will be surprised to learn that none other than the great jazz musicians Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington and even Frank Sinatra performed on the banks of the Mille Îles River, to the great pleasure of Montrealers and vacationers of the time. A fascinating story to discover at the Exploration Center!

Even more, the exhibition Believe it or not! highlights in an immersive manner the many assets of an often little-known river, and suggests avenues for collective awareness of the actions that everyone can take to help conserve this important living environment.

The museum at the Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles Exploration Center is open every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. All profits from admission ticket sales are invested in the protection of the river and its ecosystems.