Thousands of Montrealers gathered in the Old Port to watch the Jacques-Cartier Bridge lighting ceremony on Wednesday night, marking the start of a 10 year light display across the span.
Now, the Jacques-Cartier and Champlain Bridge Corporation have commissioned a study to look into how the lights might impact the well-being of residents and tourists, as well as the effects on the surrounding flora and fauna.
Rosa Galvez is a professor at the Université de Laval, and along with a team of researchers, will be analyzing the environmental impact of the lights.
"Mostly, we are concentrating on the insects and the birds," Galvez told CJAD 800. "We are expecting that because of the light, we will have more insects. But are they all of the same kind, or are we going to attract other species?"
Claude MH Demers is also a professor at the Université de Laval, and will head up the team responsible for looking into the effects the lights may have on Montrealers and tourists. The theory is that the lights will attract more people outside, and result in positively affecting their mood, and potentially even combatting Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Radiant Vision Systems, an American company that specializes in display test solutions, visual surface inspection, and light measurement, was also hired to assist researchers.