Cavernicole Cave

Entrance to Cavernicole Cave in Pie XII Park

The Cavernicole Cave or la caverne de Saint-Léonard is a cave on the island of Montreal, in Quebec, Canada. It is located underneath Pie XII Park (Pius XII Park) in the borough of Saint-Leonard in Montreal. It is a registered historic site with restricted access and guided tours.

History

The cave was discovered in 1812. During the Patriote Rebellion of 1837, it served as an armoury, weapons cache, and hidey-hole for Les Patriotes. In 1968, the government deemed it a safety risk and closed off the cave. In 1978, the Quebec Speleology Society reopened the cave for study. It was subsequently declared a historic landmark, and tours were set up. Until 2017, the cave was thought to be comparatively small underground structure, at 35 metres long with a depth of 8 metres.[1] However, a second cave was discovered in 2017 which measures 250 metres long. This dimension may be extended with further exploration.[2]

References

  1. ↑ The Saint-Leonard Cavern, Alive 375: Society for the Celebrations of Montréal's 375th Anniversary, 2015
  2. ↑ Michelle Lalonde, Spelunkers discover 15,000-year-old cavern in St-Léonard park, Montreal Gazette, December 1, 2017

Coordinates: 45°35′19″N 73°36′28″W / 45.5886°N 73.6077°W / 45.5886; -73.6077


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