Cavernicole Cave, Show cave in Saint-Leonard, Montreal, Canada.
Cavernicole Cave is a show cave beneath Pie-XII Park with a main passage around 35 meters long and reaching depths of about 8 meters. The entrance leads through natural rock formations, and the main passage opens into smaller chambers that visitors explore during guided tours.
A newspaper article of 17 July 1815 in Le Spectateur places the cave's discovery between 1811 and 1812, and records the first person entering to explore it on 1 July 1815. During the 1837 Patriote Rebellion it served as an armoury, weapons cache and hiding place for Les Patriotes. Closed as a safety risk in 1968, it was cleared by the Quebec Speleological Society on 25 April 1979.
The name "caverne" is preferred to "grotte", since the cavity is thought to be of glacio-tectonic rather than water-carved origin. During the 1837 Patriote Rebellion the cave served as an armoury, weapons cache and hideout for Les Patriotes. Guided tours are led by speleologists of the Société québécoise de spéléologie.
Guided tours run from May to September and are led by speleologists of the Quebec Speleological Society. Access is through a concrete staircase in Pie-XII Park, closed by a solid gate, so entry is only with a guide. The visit covers a development of more than 300 metres with a drop of 8 metres.
A second tunnel section around 250 meters long was discovered in 2017 through continued exploration efforts. This newer opening reveals that the underground structure is larger than originally thought and still holds surprises.
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