The Dark Sky Preserve in Mt. Megantic
Comes the night in Canada, stars find refuge over the Mt. Megantic natural reserve park.
Under the scrutiny of ASTROLab's telescopes, this bit of Quebec surrounded by forests and lakes, 260 kms east of Montreal, received the first Dark Sky Preserve certification of the world in 2007. Supported by the park authorities and local government representatives, the astronomers patiently convinced town and cities around the zone to adapt their nocturnal lights to the fragile shine of the stars. Their approach was accompanied by pedagogy on the field, so they could show again the Milky Way to those who hadn't seen it in a while.
From atop Mt. Saint-Joseph to Sherbrooke's city services, we met with various participants in this genuine and political fight against light pollution. It served as an example for the Pic Du Midi, which received the Dark Sky Preserve label in 2013.
Text & caption: Sylvain Lapoix
Photos: Antoine Doyen
First published in We Demain, May 2016.