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What does connect, however, is spaces where people can see, touch and experience aquatic life, which is exactly what the Aquatic Biosphere Project wants to achieve by making Edmonton the site of Canada’s next world-class aquarium. The project is still in its conceptual stages, but the vision is to harness creative engineering, direct conservation initiatives and the power of technology to build an aquarium that is at once ethical and engaging. Picture self-sustaining miniature reefs alongside immersive VR–powered whale exhibitions. You can experience a whale without a captive whale, and understand its connection to Alberta.
“Even your space definition for a building like that is much different,” Polman says. “It means you can become a lot more adaptable in creating exhibits and experiences and also means we can take some of that stuff on the road too. So you’re not fixed.”
The project’s fully realized dream is likely still several years away, with the board focused on education and promotion in the meantime. The centrepiece of those efforts is a mobile →