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"You're in the elevator with mining employees, surrounded by people just going to work, which was really cool," says Fournier, who plans to specialize in mining engineering. "It's amazing to see a physics lab working seamlessly alongside an active mine, and you wouldn’t even know that there’s a full research facility beneath the surface."

Once underground, the transition from the active mining area to SNOLAB was striking.

"You walk through long, dimly lit rock tunnels with pipes going overhead. After about a 20-minute walk, you get to a room where you take off your boots, shower, put on clean suits, and then walk into these hallways lined with equipment," says Bell. "The contrast was bizarre but fascinating."

As the students walked the halls of SNOLAB, they encountered detectors and equipment designed to capture some of the rarest particle interactions in the universe. The deep underground location of SNOLAB uses layers of rock as a natural shield against cosmic radiation. On the surface, cosmic rays constantly bombard the Earth creating background noise that can interfere with the detection of particles. 

Supporting this research is the Arthur B. McDonald Canadian Astroparticle Physics Research Institute (McDonald Institute), based at Queen’s. As one of Canada’s major research centres, it serves as a national network for astroparticle physics, bringing together researchers from across the country to lead many of the projects housed at SNOLAB. 

For Reimer and Bell, this visit held special significance because they had previously analyzed data from one of SNOLAB’s key experiments, the PICO-40L detector, as part of their roles as trainees in the STEM Indigenous Academics Research Experience Program.

PICO-40L is a bubble chamber detector that searches for dark matter by using superheated liquid to capture rare particle interactions. When a potential dark matter particle (such as a WIMP, Weakly Interacting Massive Particle) collides with a nucleus, it creates a tiny bubble, which cameras and acoustic sensors analyze to distinguish signal from background noise.

“Seeing the equipment in person helped connect the dots between the concepts we’d been studying in the lab on campus, and the actual work happening underground,” says Reimer. "It made all the theoretical work we've been doing feel much more tangible."

Inspiring careers in STEM

Beyond the science, the visit reinforced the value of experiential learning and access to opportunities that support students as they navigate their academic paths, like those provided through the STEM Indigenous Academics (STEMInA) program.

"Seeing everything up close at SNOLAB made me realize just how much there is still to learn," says Fournier. "It pushed me to think about the kind of work I want to do, and how I can be part of something that big in the future."

STEMInA is an academic support and community-building program for Indigenous students enrolled in undergraduate degree programs at Queen’s based in science, technology, engineering, and math. Students in STEMInA take part in a range of experiences designed to build community, from transition programming in their first year to hands-on learning opportunities like visiting SNOLAB.

"As Indigenous students, it can sometimes feel like institutions aren’t really set up for us," says Reimer. "Being part of the SNOLAB experience showed me how powerful it is to be in a community that fosters hands-on learning and collaboration."

Programs like STEMInA play a crucial role in helping students find their place in research and academia while building a sense of community. It is also a reminder of how critical it is to have experiences that allow students to explore different fields and envision potential career opportunities.  

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