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Montreal Aquarium: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 45°30′26″N 73°34′47″W / 45.50722°N 73.57972°W / 45.50722; -73.57972
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{{Short description|Defunct public aquarium in Canada}}
{{Short description|Defunct public aquarium in Canada}}


The '''Montreal Aquarium''', also known as the '''Alcan Aquarium''', was a [[public aquarium]] on [[St. Helen's Island]], located in [[Montreal]], [[Quebec]], [[Canada]]. Built for [[Expo 67]], the 1967 [[World Fair]], it operated for nearly a quarter of a century in [[La Ronde (amusement park)|La Ronde]] before shutting down in 1991. Apart from a brief re-purposing of the building as a video game center, it has been vacant ever since.
The '''Montreal Aquarium''', also known as the '''Alcan Aquarium''', was a [[public aquarium]] on [[St. Helen's Island]], located in [[Montreal]], [[Quebec]], [[Canada]]. Built for [[Expo 67]], the 1967 [[World Fair]], it operated for nearly a quarter of a century in [[La Ronde (amusement park)|La Ronde]] before shutting down in 1991. Apart from a brief re-purposing as a video game center, it has been vacant ever since.


==History==
==History==
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The city planned in 1988 to move the aquarium to a more popular location at the [[Old Port of Montreal|Old Port]], but the plan did not come through when the city was mired in recession in the early 1990s.
The city planned in 1988 to move the aquarium to a more popular location at the [[Old Port of Montreal|Old Port]], but the plan did not come through when the city was mired in recession in the early 1990s.


On September 15, 1991, the aquarium officially closed. Most of its exhibits were transferred to the [[Biodome Montreal|Biodome]]. The site of the former aquarium now belongs to the amusement park [[La Ronde (amusement park)|La Ronde]]. The dolphin pool is now vacant and closed off from the public.
On September 15, 1991, the aquarium officially closed. Most of its exhibits were transferred to the [[Biodome Montreal|Biodome]]. The main aquarium building was demolished, but the remaining former pool building now belongs to the amusement park [[La Ronde (amusement park)|La Ronde]]. The dolphin pool is now vacant and closed off from the public.


===Nintendo Mégadôme (1995–2006)===
===Nintendo Mégadôme (1995–2006)===

Revision as of 09:16, 31 October 2023

The Montreal Aquarium, also known as the Alcan Aquarium, was a public aquarium on St. Helen's Island, located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Built for Expo 67, the 1967 World Fair, it operated for nearly a quarter of a century in La Ronde before shutting down in 1991. Apart from a brief re-purposing as a video game center, it has been vacant ever since.

History

Montreal Aquadome (1967–1991)

The Expo pavilion was originally sponsored by Alcan Aluminum Ltd., who built the site as a joint venture with the City of Montreal and the Zoological Society of Montreal. The two buildings that made up the site were known as the Alcan Pavilion. The main aquarium building featured penguin pools, exhibits space and a gift shop. The separate dolphin pool building, the Alcan Marine Circus, had a 900-seat auditorium, show pool and holding tanks.

In February 1980, blue-collar workers enacted a 41-day workers' strike, refusing to enter the aquarium to feed or care for its dolphins. Abandoned by their trainers, and left to starve in isolation, 3 dolphins died as a result of the neglect.[1] The surviving dolphins were sold to Flipper's Sea School, a roadside dolphin attraction in Florida. The already failing aquarium received even more negative publicity.

The city planned in 1988 to move the aquarium to a more popular location at the Old Port, but the plan did not come through when the city was mired in recession in the early 1990s.

On September 15, 1991, the aquarium officially closed. Most of its exhibits were transferred to the Biodome. The main aquarium building was demolished, but the remaining former pool building now belongs to the amusement park La Ronde. The dolphin pool is now vacant and closed off from the public.

Nintendo Mégadôme (1995–2006)

The Nintendo Mégadôme opened inside the former aquarium space in 1995.[2] It was a Nintendo-sponsored video game centre with the then latest Nintendo video games and attractions. Although left vacant since, on occasion, the space has been incorporated into La Ronde's Halloween themed Fright Night as a haunted area.

References

  1. ^ Dr François Lubrina. "La fin pitoyable et tragique des dauphins de Montréal" (in French). Vetérinet. Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2009-12-27.
  2. ^ spacemtfan (June 10, 2016). "The Vampire of Montreal: Part 18 of the Inverted Coaster Serie". ParkVault. Retrieved August 2, 2018.

45°30′26″N 73°34′47″W / 45.50722°N 73.57972°W / 45.50722; -73.57972