MONTREAL -- Want to get out of the house? Nowhere to go? Nights getting long?

A $15 million project in Laval is suited for COVID-19 drive-thrus. It’s a “labyrinth of light” just off Highway 15 at Du Souvenir Boul.—but you probably won’t miss it.

It starts with Halloween scenes made out of lights, then horses, and flashes of faraway places no one can get to these days. There are 17 tableaux in total, with a grand tree at the centre.

Built by Illumi, last year’s version had half a million people, and this year, since it’s all by car, the numbers won’t go that high.

“We can't have half a million people in cars,” said Normand Latourelle, the creator of Illumi. “A couple of thousand per night. That’s it.”

Still, he thinks it’ll be a solid draw during the pandemic, feeling like what the artistic director calls being “in the middle of a chandelier.”

“This is the most secure place—they come, they drive, they are with their family, they go in, they go out and they enjoy at least some light in this tough world,” said Latourelle.

When and if Laval stops being a red zone, Illumi will open its walkways and mini-train options. For now people can reserve their car visits in advance.