Centre de la nature de Laval

Laval's Centre de la nature has successfully transformed an industrial site—a former quarry once mined in this area of Laval—into one of the city's most cherished family outdoor destinations, organized around an artificial lake whose shores now welcome five kilometers of paved hiking trails particularly popular with families pushing strollers seeking an accessible and safe walk. The site harmoniously combines several complementary attractions: a botanical garden adding seasonal colors and fragrances to the route, a small farm allowing urban children to discover domestic animals up close, as well as an enclosure where Virginia deer can be observed roaming in semi-freedom, offering an intimate wildlife encounter without requiring a journey to a wilder setting. The pony carousel, an attraction especially beloved by the youngest visitors, rounds out an already rich family offering that includes playgrounds equipped with swings and slides. The site's astronomical observatory, a more distinctive element of the Centre de la nature's offerings, allows for evening stargazing sessions despite the relative proximity of urban light pollution, while in winter the site transforms to welcome ice skating and cross-country skiing, completing a truly year-round program for Laval families and visitors from the greater metropolitan region.