Client: City of Amos and Pikogan

Overview

Anisipi (the Anicinape word for “pure water”) is a water-discovery route made up of four immersive experiences that celebrate water and Anicinape culture in the Amos-Harricana territory. These experiences, with water as the unifying narrative element, have been designed to create tourist attractions in Amos, encouraging visitors to explore the entire region and (re)discover places like the municipal well, the municipal beach at Lac Beauchamp, the Refuge Pageau and Pikogan. Throughout the route, the use of multimedia, along with info-panels, delivers opportunities both for immersion and raising awareness.
At Pikogan, under a large tee-pee at the top of the hill, the Anicinapek share their stories through video projections and a documentary-like presentation. At the municipal well, sound, light, and projections come together to direct your gaze along the course of the underground river. At the Refuge Pageau, an interactive experience prompts you to reflect on the interplay of ecosystems. And at the beach, in a unique show come evening, a digital art piece that pays tribute to the legacy of glaciers comes to life on the water thanks to a floating LED screen.

Goals

The project wished to showcase a region's rich natural heritage. At the heart of the Amos-Harricana territory known the world over for its wilderness and scenic beauty lies an area criss-crossed by the six largest eskers in north-western Quebec. Remnants of the passage of glaciers, these rare geological formations occupy more than 4% of this territory, that of the Abitibi MRC. Tourism Amos-Harricana, driven by a desire to bring to light the immense wealth of this unique natural resource, aspired to create a themed tour with a strong and vibrant educational and tourism content.

Anisipi is a water discovery trail that will take in Amos and several other municipalities (17) in the region, showcasing Amos-Harricana's natural heritage and offer activities highlighting the importance of water for the environment. Anisipi also celebrates the culture of the Anicinabe people, their ancestral values and their historical contribution.

Visitors are free to choose one, several or all of the experiences in the order that suits them. At all four sites, the use of multimedia creates immersive, interactive, contemplative or entertaining moments, weaving a story of the water’s course through the land that aims to enlighten and inform.

Process

Moment Factory has had the privilege of collaborating with different indigenous communities around the world to develop authentic projects that respect and represent the uniqueness of these people and their culture. Each stage of the project, from ideation to production, is a process of close collaboration between our teams and those of the different communities with whom we develop the experiences.

For Anispi, the town of Amos and the community of Pikogan called on Moment Factory to create a tourist attraction for the Amos-Harricana territory.

Close collaboration between non-indigenous communities and the community of Pikogan has led to four immersive experiences that provide an opportunity to (re)discover the region by celebrating its aquatic resources as well as Anicinape culture.

As the bearer of a foundational story, this vast collaborative project is revitalizing an emblematic rural locality through distinct but complementary experiences that entertain visitors from near and far and alert them to the region’s rich heritage.

In both its message and creative approach, the Anisipi project is a unifying force that brings together stakeholders in the local community and the Abitibiwinni First Nation.
To develop a meaningful project honouring the land, the culture, and natur