— By Stéphanie Prévost, Local Journalism Initiative, L’Éveil (Photo: L’Éveil)

A new festival will take place in Mirabel, Quebec, on September 24 and 25. Called Volaria, the festival will be entirely devoted to the aeronautical field with the City of Mirabel serving as the official host.

Activities of all kinds are planned during this family weekend. “We are expecting 50,000 people over two days,” said Maude Paquette, general manager of the Volaria festival.

For the first edition of Volaria, several groups are scheduled for the shows, including the Snowbirds, the F-18 demo team, the SkyHawks paratroopers. “It’s very complex to organize an air show. There are a lot of preventions for the security level of the event,” adds Paquette.

In addition to the air shows, the concept of Volaria is also to create an immersion in the aeronautical universe. An informative section will be installed as an open-air museum. Festival-goers will be able to see the evolution of aircraft up to the present day through different models. “We are working hard so that people can go on planes and visit them,” Paquette says. A comparison with cars from the same eras is also planned in the presentations.

The organizers of the event want to both amaze their public and educate and transmit the history of aviation in Mirabel. “We try to awaken passion in young people. Aeronautics is not just about becoming an airplane pilot. There are so many jobs in the sector,” Paquette explains.

In the Quartier du futur zone, demonstrations of innovative technologies will be offered, such as drones and taxis of the future. These will also show the progress of the aeronautical industry in the face of environmental challenges.

Carpooling to get to the site will be strongly encouraged. “Any car with four or more people on board will not pay for parking,” Paquette says.

“Aeronautics in Quebec is very important. We are world leaders. And in Mirabel, we have a very important aeronautical district.”