Lights out! Popular attraction 'illumi' in Laval will close in January

Illumi, the popular winter light installation in Laval, is closing.

A post on its site announced that the show would end on Jan. 7.

The city will not extend to its contract because of plans for the site along Highway 15 between Saint-Martin and de Souvenir boulevards.

The space will be used for a major Carre Laval development project. Laval spokesperson Philippe Dery said the agreement in 2019 stated that the city would retake control of the space in 2024.

"Geotechnical analyses are to be carried out as of autumn 2024 on the land currently occupied, and the nature of these studies is incompatible with occupation or activities on the site," said Dery.

The project will be a mixed-use innovation district and "is the cornerstone of a sustainable transformation of the area," Dery said.

With 25 million lights creating 19 installations over a three-kilometre route that visitors can access on foot or by car, illumi bills itself as the largest light, sound and multimedia show in the world.

The show was launched in 2019 by the same people who created the Cavalia horse show. It has welcomed around 2 million visitors and has added around $100 million to the local economy.

Illumi spokesperson Eric Paquette said visitors come from all over the province to see it and illumi added summer and Halloween displays.