Sundial
Installed in the summer of 1987, near the Centennial Fountain and the central pavilion, the sundial recalls part of the history of the Plains, specifically the time when the Quebec Observatory governed the measurement of time in the city through the astronomical work conducted there.
Summer of 1987
A sundial was installed by the National Battlefiels Commission in the summer of 1987, close to the Centennial Fountain and the central pavilion. The sundial, which rests on a block of pink granite, was designed by surveyor Rafael N. Sanchez, then Dean of the Engineering faculty at Tucuman University in Argentina, and professor at Laval University.
This sundial is one of the few that indicates Eastern Daylight Saving Time and is accurate to within one minute. As opposed to the setup of the traditional metal gnomon, the shadow on this sundial is cast by a prismatic aluminum double-crested style. The elliptical face has 1,000 points corresponding to every 10 minutes of the first and fifteenth day of the month from May to October; computer calculations were used in creating it. There is a different coloured line for each month; the intersection of the shadow and the line indicates the time.
Sundial
DirectionsIn the heart of the Plains of Abraham, a stone’s throw from Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, rediscover the magnificent stage of the Edwin-Bélanger Bandstand. Family activities and musical performances are presented for free throughout the summer.
Located at the central pavilion, next to the Edwin-Bélanger Bandstand, the Maison Smith Café offers coffee, food and refreshing drinks throughout the year. Its Smith Mobile and its espresso bike are also deployed in the park during the summer.
