Amos: Harricana River, Esker and Culture

Discover Amos through its water, geology and culture. The Harricana River runs through the town centre; Le Puits brings the region’s geology to life through sound, light and underground projections. There is also canoeing, active transportation trails and a range of cultural venues. You can shape your trip around whether you want to focus on the river, outdoor activities, or exhibitions and events.

Harricana River and Geology

The Harricana is a defining feature of Amos: it flows through the town centre, is now used for recreational canoeing, and runs north to James Bay. The river connects the town’s geography with a specific on-water activity.

Le Puits offers an immersive exploration of Amos’s municipal well. An impressive choreography of sound and light conveys how the region’s geology formed across a watershed divide. Underground projections follow a river’s course through the heart of the esker and pay tribute to this exceptional water.

Eskers are also part of Amos’s natural heritage. They act as natural filters and contribute to the exceptional purity of the area’s fresh water, known as “OR BLEU” (“BLUE GOLD”). In Amos, two perspectives on water come together: the river as part of the town’s geography and fresh water in connection with the eskers.

Cycling and Inline Skating Trails

Within the city limits, there are more than 11 kilometres of active transportation trails that can be used for cycling and inline skating. The cycling network also includes a 5-kilometre, paved, off-road bike path connecting Amos with Trécesson. These figures describe different scales: a trail network within the city limits and a single connection between two places. If outdoor activity is part of your trip, these trails offer a distinct complement to the river and geology.

Performing Arts, Art and Local History

Built in 1982, the Théâtre des Eskers is managed by the City of Amos and is a multipurpose performance venue. Each year, it presents more than 50 professional performances and more than 80 different events. The program may change over time. For planning your trip, the focus here is on the events on offer.

The Centre d’exposition d’Amos combines public education and outreach with cultural activities and research. It promotes, interprets and presents primarily contemporary and current art from Québec, including crafts. Some exhibitions also explore topics in history and the sciences. This gives the Centre a different emphasis from the Théâtre: the focus is on art and public engagement.

Those interested in Amos and the surrounding region can find exhibitions, archives, photographs, newspapers and reference works at the Centre d’archives de la Société d’histoire d’Amos. The archive centre is located in the Maison de la culture. The Maison Hector-Authier offers guided tours with commentary; this is a seasonal offering. Check the current visiting information before your visit if you plan to take a tour.

The cultural venues offer different ways to explore the area: performances and events at the Théâtre, art and public engagement at the Centre d’exposition, and historical materials and guided tours with commentary at the other two venues. When looking for a vacation rental in Amos, you can consider whether you’d like your stay to focus on the river and canoeing, cycling and inline skating trails, geology or culture.

For the broader travel overview: Abitibi.