Aquarium du Québec to close on weekdays until December

Aquarium to be closed on weekends until December

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

The Aquarium du Québec will be open on weekends only until Dec. 15, the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (Sépaq), which oversees the aquarium, announced late last week.

In a statement, Sépaq officials said, “The extent of the two construction sites in progress near the establish- ment” led to the decision. Work is underway on a new multilevel parking garage for the aquarium itself, and unrelated, extensive construction is ongoing along the Avenue des Hôtels in Sainte-Foy and near the entrances to the Québec and Pierre-Laporte bridges, making the aquarium difficult for drivers to access.

“Heavy vehicles and mechanical shovels are circulating extensively along the route to get from the parking lot to the reception area,” the statement said. “In order to ensure the safety of visitors, it was preferable to close the Aquarium du Québec during this busy period of construction site operations. The safety of visitors and team members remains our highest priority.”

The aquarium will remain open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends and over the Thanksgiving holiday, when the construction sites are less active. The Sépaq statement said “expanded programming” would be offered on week- ends, although further details weren’t available at press time.

A pre-booked online ticket is required to visit the aquarium. Clients and groups who had al- ready reserved weekday tickets during the period of the closure will be reimbursed. The expiry dates of annual memberships will also be extended. No job losses are expected.