The Centre for Conservation of Boreal Biodiversity is designed to encapsulate the new directions and mission espoused by our institution. The CCBB brings together a number of constituent parts that are all in alignment with the CCBB’s basic philosophy. Some of these constituent are already very familiar, through their long tradition within the very heart of the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region as, for example, the “Wild” Zoo and the Nature Trail Park. Others are newcomers that illustrate the ecological vision now at the forefront of the CCBB’s concerns. This vision has recently been given substance through the construction of the Borealium, and the development of a web portal that will be the virtual showcase of the CCBB.

       The Borealium will prepare you for an unforgettable northern experience. After visiting the Borealium, you will begin to look around you with a fresh eye as you walk round the pedestrian areas of the “Wild” Zoo and travel though the Nature Trail Park. After all, how can one understand an animal’s camouflage if one is not aware of the danger it runs from its predators? How can one really appreciate the Raggedy Ann appearance of the caribou in springtime if one is not familiar with the animal’s mechanisms for adapting to cold weather? You will also be introduced to those invisible or hard-to-see elements that are basic to all animal life (including the human animal). While at the same time offering you a great deal of entertainment, the Borealium will help you understand the way in which the CCBB has defined itself as a guide to sustainable development and to an ecological approach.

After that formal introduction, let’s lighten up and begin our visit to the Borealium!

    So, here we are! The first thing you see is our fine new building, the Borealium. As you approach it, you will notice a small compound bordered with trees, many of the same species, rivalling with each other in beauty. These trees are directly linked with your childhood – their roots are yours too! You are in the Érablière (maple stand)!

     Moving on, you may feel a little strange. You have just purchased a ticket for a tourist attraction – something you have often done before but, this time, there’s a difference. The atmosphere isn’t the same. You have entered a broad, shady space, and a resinous fragrance lingers in the air. Beings keep close together, this is something big, to be shared. You are now in one of the largest biomes, or “life zones”, of the Borealie - the taiga. The doors close behind you. This is your first real contact with the boreal adventure. Here, in this auditorium, you will watch a very special film where your senses, rather than your mind, will be needed to decode its messages. You will be overwhelmed by the beauty and intensity of these moments. You are now ready to meet with Nature…

       Before going outside again, you must discover the other biomes of the Borealie, as represented within the Borealium. Now that you have been permeated – through your eyes, ears, nose and pores by the theme film, you will move on again and find yourself in a huge, open area, filled with vertical structures, some of which tower over you. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly – this is the Exhibition Hall. It is here that we present travelling exhibitions and diverse aspects of the Borealie.

        Now you are on the walkways gazing at the magnificent Borealian panorama. A long descent and you step onto rock, where you sit down and gaze at the welcoming fire. All around you are rock paintings and archaeological artefacts to remind you of your distant origins. You are with the rock and of the rock, its touch, its feel, its presence, its sharp or gentle slopes. Even the air is different here, and in keeping with others over the past thousands of years, you fall into contemplative moods. You are at the Montagne (mountain) gazing dreamily into our huge, blazing stone hearth.

         Now, finally, you feel ready, ready to cross over the threshold of the Borealium, ready to take the ‘borealian’ feelings and pictures that fill you into the outside world of nature, where the river welcomes you and invites you to explore the “Wild Zoo” and the Nature Trail Park.

         At the end of this wondrous visit, you stand on the raised walkway, gazing down at the river, now a familiar friend. But, willy-nilly, you must return to earth and assuage the pangs of hunger and thirst that assail you. Never mind, you can go back later and enjoy the terrace. Hence, you stop at the Sapinière, (fir stand) the Borealium restaurant, with its delightful odour of balsam fir, a special species that enhances many traditional American Indian recipes.

        Now that you have eaten, you are wondering whether you can’t take something of what you have seen back home to treasure and contemplate. Just a little something to prove that it wasn’t all just a dream. So, let’s go next door, to the Pinède (pine forest), the Gift Shop, where there is something for everyone, a diverse abundance of souvenirs and memories of your discovery of the Borealie.

        You have seen a great deal today, but you are not ready to leave yet, and there are still magical places and exciting activities to discover and enjoy. Ah, here’s one, in you go! To find yourself in a huge expanse of whiteness where time stands still and sounds are muted. You are in the Toundra (tundra), the giant-screen cinema, a place where your eyes will be dazzled and where excitement runs high.

Ouff! Still ready for more?…

      Now you are standing in front of the Hangar… a strange place that intrigues you. You go in and discover an experiment room for the whole family. This is a really original idea… to show you what you cannot see! The young people round you are carrying out experiments so as to better understand the ways in which plant life, wildlife and other life forms have evolved so to adapt to the changes over time on their environment and their lives.  Thirteen stations, thirteen themes, each one more fascinating than the others.

      After your visit, you will understand the magnitude of the Borealie. You will have learned a great deal and at the same time will better realise how much you have still to learn and discover. So, before leaving, you will want to stop off at our documentation centre, the Pessière (spruce stand), a very busy place, full of ideas and information just for you. Here wood has been transformed… into paper, thousands of pages, masses of information all about the Borealie and its denizens. If your visit has given you a thirst for information – and it surely has! – then, here is the place to quench it. While you are inside, don’t forget to stop off at one of the four tourist information stands and check out the new Web portal of the Centre for Conservation of Boreal Biodiversity.

So, there you go! Your visit is over. Sorry, “visit” is really not the right word!  Let’s say, you have just completed a living experience, a Borealian experience that you now wish to share with those close to you. So, as you leave us, you are already dreaming and planning your next “experience”, this time with a group of friends… after all, everyone deserves to better understand the environment on which they so deeply depend.