NEWS TECHNOLOGIE

A rendering of GeoLAGOON. (Image: Louis Massicotte/GeoLAGOON) Petite-Rivière-Saint-François has never been considered much of a tourist destination. The tiny Quebec town is typically regarded as a pass-through municipality on the way to Canada’s Charlevoix region, an area known for its vast greenery, architecture, skiing, and arts scene. Soon, however, that’s going to change. In just a couple of years, Petite-Rivière will be home to geoLAGOON, the world’s largest geothermal solar lagoon.

If you’re thinking the term “geothermal solar lagoon” looks at first like a jumble of buzzwords, you’re not the only one. But each aspect of the self-sufficient, environmentally-friendly destination is carefully planned. The center will be a large, open-air lagoon heated to 100.4 F (38 C) year-round. The heat will come from an “energy ecosystem” consisting of solar, air, and biomass resources, as well as built-in geothermal equipment. Under the lagoon will sit a thermal reservoir heated to 150 F (70 C) by both solar and geothermal energy.

This ecosystem will help power a village of condominiums called Soleils Village, which will contain 150 “Airbnb-type” residences for both short-term and long-term use. These Scandinavian-style residences will be arranged in circular neighborhoods nested within wooded areas near the lagoon. GeoLAGOON will also eventually get a restaurant and a second village called LagonVillage, in which 100 solar-powered “urban-style waterfront cottages” will sit closer to the water.

A rendering of Soleils Village. (Image: Louis Massicotte/GeoLAGOON)

The project is inspired by Iceland’s Blue Lagoon, another geothermal lagoon and one of the 25 wonders of the world. Like the Blue Lagoon, GeoLAGOON hopes to draw in locals and tourists alike with the promise of an otherworldly spa experience that doesn’t negatively impact the environment and won’t require a connection to Hydro-Québec, the region’s public energy utility. But first, the project must be fully funded.

Approximately 80 percent of GeoLAGOON’s residences have been sold to investors so far. The firm’s goal is to sell all of the units to investors prior to beginning construction in winter 2023. While the idea of selling residences exclusively to investors might not be appealing to some, the firm says upfront cash is essential to its funding model, which strives to avoid “asking for subsidies.”

Should GeoLAGOON prove successful upon completion, the firm plans on constructing similar destinations in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and other parts of Quebec.

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