"Play history. Live history": that's the motto for a Immersion Quebec, an immersive, family-friendly learning experience.
Sebastien Ivers says he is passionate about sharing Quebec City's rich heritage.
“We want to take people back in time with virtual reality,” he said.
He's been working in the tourism industry for more than 20 years, and says this Immersion Quebec project is a dream come true.
“It's important to transmit this passion to the visitors, obviously, and now with Immersion Quebec, it's one step further,” Ivers added.
The experience is divided into three phases.
Visitors use tablets to choose and customize an avatar before browsing interactive installations highlighting some of the city's unique attractions.
Then it's time for some competition, giving people a chance put their knowledge to the test with games and trivia on a giant screen.
And finally, guests get front-row seats to key moments in the history of Quebec, thanks to virtual reality headsets that give a 360 degree perspective.
“With the virtual reality it's good because you're surrounded, you're living the scenes as it's unfolding around you, hence the name "Immersion,” Ivers explained.
From the arrival of Samuel de Champlain, to the battle of the Plains of Abraham, the idea is to make the details as historically accurate as possible.
The journey begins with a focus on First Nations.
“We want to show who was here before. So we have a little presentation of the Iroquois of the Saint Lawrence Valley and you go through a typical village - the Iroquois nation,” Ivers said. “Then you see Europeans coming, Jacques Cartier and Champlain and then we go with the foundation, with the development of the city.”
Visitors can choose from four languages: English, French, Spanish and Mandarin.
“In order to please either the locals or visitors coming to Quebec and want to get a better grasp of the history of the city and culture by going back in time,” he added.
