This text is part of the special section Culture Montérégie
We often imagine that the essential exhibitions and museum activities are to be found in the metropolises. However, the heritage of our regions is unsuspectedly rich, and the dynamism shown by the regional structures is really worth the trip. So, off to the museums of Montérégie!
Did you know that it is possible to visit more than 40 museums, interpretation centers and historic sites in the Montérégie region? From the largest railway museum in Canada, Exporail, to the Maison Félix-Leclerc, via the Abenaki Museum or the beer museum, there is something for everyone.
Get away from it all at the Biophare
Established since 1992 within the Lac Saint-Pierre World Biosphere Reserve, recognized by UNESCO, Biophare celebrates both the historical and natural heritage of this immense territory of approximately 500 square kilometers located between Sorel- Tracy and Trois-Rivieres.
“A lot of people are completely out of place when they come here. They have the impression of traveling very far! says the general manager, Anne-Marie Dulude.
This trained biologist and her team have made it their mission to raise public awareness of this reserve, which contains one of the rare preserved wetlands in the country, which plays both the role of a natural filter for the St. shelter for a generous fauna.
In order to pay homage to this majestic territory, Biophare therefore has a permanent exhibition highlighting its biodiversity, but also its archaeological richness, since it was successively the host of Iroquoians, French and English explorers, then partner in the development of shipbuilding. Panels, artefacts and eco-facts, installations, videos and a giant model capture the essence of this place.
“We are working on the scenography of our exhibitions so that visitors feel enveloped and immersed in them,” confirms Ms.me Dulude. The latter are also invited to discover a second presentation devoted to the importance of shipbuilding and the manufacture of weapons in a setting reproducing these imposing factories of the Second World War. A third, temporary exhibition, made up of 42 photos and 4 videos from the reserve over the seasons, completes the institution’s indoor offer.
But the Biophare is just as interesting to visit from the outside. The vast park that surrounds it invites you to stroll, supported by temporary exhibitions or literary or youth events. However, the activity not to be missed, according to Mme Dulude, is that of the nautical excursion, lasting three hours, which brings 12 passengers and a captain-guide to explore the reserve and its many treasures and legends. An invitation to travel that cannot be refused.
A small museum that thinks big
Saint-Hilaire is not only a paradise for hikers and apple lovers. This land was also the stronghold of three great names in the visual arts in Quebec: Paul-Émile Borduas, Ozias Leduc and Jordi Bonet. This is what led the artist André Michel, to whom we also owe the founding of the Musée régional de la Côte-Nord and La Maison amérindienne, to work tirelessly to create an art museum which started in 1995.
In addition to the works of these three visual artists, presented in a permanent exhibition and two artists’ houses in which they lived, the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts of Mont-Saint-Hilaire contains small jewels of art contemporary, current and up-and-coming. Its regional stature has not prevented it from hosting exhibitions by Jean Paul Riopelle, Dali and even Picasso over time!
We are therefore not too surprised to learn that the artist in the spotlight until June 12 is Zïlon, a pioneer of street art Quebec. Will then follow, from June 18 to September 12, the exhibition From one mountain to anotherconsisting of works from the France-Quebec cultural exchange.
“We favor the diversity of artists, big names and others less known, explains André Michel. Saint-Hilaire is a city of creators to highlight. We therefore dedicate a special place to them on our walls, and we also organize events for the next generation, such as a Drawing Biennale. »
A visit to this museum is therefore synonymous with surprises, to which the institution adds activities (conferences, meetings) and a big picnic of yesteryear every September. To discover !