(Quebec) Exasperated by the increasing episodes of warm spells, the managers of the famous Dufferin Terrace slide in Quebec have decided to install a refrigeration system to counter the effects of climate change.
Published at 5:00 a.m.
“Last year was the straw that broke the camel’s back. We lost a third of our season,” says the slide manager and co-owner of Au 1884, Marc Duchesne.
The famous slide from which we see the St. Lawrence River was inaugurated in 1884, almost ten years before Château Frontenac, its neighbor. The structure has become a popular attraction over time.
“We receive calls from all over the world, emails. We have people who contact us to ask us if the slide will be open when they visit, otherwise they will not come at all, notes Mr. Duchesne. People from Texas or Australia, these are real cases. »
But the vagaries of the climate made the operation of the slide hazardous. In 1884, who received the contract for the management of Parks Canada infrastructure, found it increasingly difficult to deal with the disappointment of tourists and the tickets to be refunded.
This is my 11e year as terrace operator. And over this short period of time, we have seen the number of days of activity decline from year to year. Episodes of mild spells are more frequent, there is rain in February, that sort of thing.
Marc Duchesne, manager of the Dufferin Terrace slide
Last year, out of a season that usually lasts 95 days, the slide was closed for 32 days due to weather.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY SYNERGLACE
Refrigerated mats have been installed on the slide.
The manager therefore received a Synerglace system in November, notably used at Red Bull Crashed Ice. The mats, cooled by a compressor, were installed on the slide.
The operation cost around $400,000. Already, the system is bearing fruit, notes the manager, who wants to extend the season and operate the slide from the beginning of December to March 31 each year from now on.
