TRIUMF is a self-described “science factory” that seeks to uncover the mysteries about the nature of the origin of our universe and develop therapies to cure illnesses such as cancer.
Located at 4004 Wesbrook Mall, TRIUMF’s scientists carry out their research using experimental facilities and world-leading particle accelerator infrastructure.
Inquisitive campus residents can participate in tours that offer a firsthand experience of TRIUMF science by following “the path of the proton from its origins bound in a hydrogen atom to its destination down the beamline and into targets and detectors.”
These free 45-minute guided tours are provided by student volunteers with TRIUMF’s Graduate and Postdoc Society and cover most of the sprawling facility, including two of their largest research halls.
“The hour-long public tours are for anyone to come and see what goes on ‘behind the fence’ as we say at TRIUMF,” says John Biehler, a TRIUMF spokesperson.
“You’ll get to walk a portion of our 13.5 acre site, see many of the ongoing experiments that happen at TRIUMF, and learn more about the lab’s work, directly from the people that work there.”
Tours are open to all ages but children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Participants are required to walk, climb stairs, and stand for the duration of the tour. A more accessible route is available upon request, although the lab’s scale is best viewed from up above. Close-toed shoes and pants or shorts are mandatory. They also host group tours for schools and other public groups.
Tickets are required and can be booked in advance by visiting triumf.ca/visit-us/public-tours.
Isaac Newton Apple Trees
When visiting TRIUMF, be sure to take note of the apple trees located at the roundabout on Wesbrook Mall, opposite the entrance to the facility.
These seven trees are not your typical fruit trees. They are “Isaac Newton Apple trees”, with direct roots to the renowned English polymath.
In 1969, the founders of TRIUMF, Canada’s particle accelerator centre, planted the first apple tree – a direct descendant of the apple trees on Isaac Newton’s family farm.
According to the TRIUMF website, the trees are “a representation of the lab’s six-pronged logo, itself inspired by the six magnetic sectors of the TRIUMF main cyclotron” and “the seventh tree in the centre represents the machine’s main injection beamline, the start of the particle journey.”