Staff & Board

John McDonnell, Executive Director – Ottawa Valley Chapter

Born and raised in rural west Quebec, John joined CPAWS Ottawa Valley as Executive Director in the spring of 2007. He holds a degree in forestry as well as in Canadian History and in political science from the University of Ottawa. He has a passion for the outdoors, having visited many of our national and provincial parks. In his spare time, he is restoring an 1840′s vintage log cabin located in the forests of his farm and he is developing a network of hiking and snowshoe trails on his property. Before joining CPAWS Ottawa Valley, John was Director of the Forêt-la-Blanche Ecological Reserve, a rare old-growth forest north of Buckingham, in the municipality of Mayo, Quebec. He serves on the board of several local organizations and has a passion for connecting people to nature.

You can contact John at jmcdonnell@cpaws.org

 

Geneviève Le Blanc, Conservation Director

Raised in St-Lazare (QC), Genevieve moved to Gatineau in 2012 to complete her studies at the University of Ottawa. First drawn to genetics and evolution, she became interested in conservation issues and obtained an MSc in environmental sustainability. Through this degree, she collaborated with the CPAWS national office to investigate the barriers to up-scaling protected areas in Canada. Furthermore, she researched the legalisation of Gatineau Park, learning about more about CPAWS-OV. Prior to her current position, she was an event project manager for Enviro Educ-Action. She particularly enjoys hiking, kayaking, cycling and camping.

You can contact Genevieve at gleblanc@cpaws.org

 

Julia Clarke, Noire and Coulonge River Watersheds Project Coordinator 

Julia completed her undergraduate degree in zoology at the University of Calgary and just completed her master’s degree at Carleton University in biology. She has always been passionate about nature and all living things and dreamed of working to protect our beautiful natural places and spaces. When an opening at CPAWS-OV opened up, Julia jumped at the opportunity and has now been working with us since September 2022. In her free time Julia loves hiking and cross country skiing in the Gatineau hills and spending time with her family.

You can contact Julia at jclarke@cpaws.org

 

Sasha Huybregts, Madawaska Highlands Project Coordinator 

Sasha grew up in Ottawa and recently moved back to the region after completing her Bachelor of Environmental Sciences from the University of Guelph. She is very passionate about ecology and conservation and is excited to be working on creating protected areas in the Madawaska Highlands. Sasha enjoys hiking, camping, or sitting down with a good book in her spare time.

You can contact Sasha at madawaska@cpaws.org

 

Yanny Ritchot, Conservation Project Manager for Western Quebec

Paul Lemoine, Chapter President

Paul was raised in Quebec’s Eastern Townships. He learned how to ski, skate, cycle and play hockey growing up in this beautiful region of Quebec. He also saw the terrible effects industrial pollution has on the region’s rivers, lakes and air quality.

Paul was educated in political science and public administration at the University of Ottawa and Carleton University. He is currently retired after 33 years with the public service. For most of his career, he worked for the Library of Parliament’s Information and Research Service. Through numerous assignments, he had an inside look at the workings of Canada’s parliamentary system. He also became keenly aware of the importance of legal protection for Canada’s parks and natural environment.

Paul joined CPAWS OV as a volunteer in 2013. His main interest was to gain legal status and protection for Gatineau Park. He is also interested in the Algonquin to Adirondacks Program that is trying to ensure connectivity and restore biodiversity in a large area between northern New York State and eastern Ontario from Algonquin Park to the Adirondack Mountains. He was elected to the CPAWS OV Board in 2014 and, as a result, has been able to take a more active role in the chapter’s campaigns and governance.

When not at his home in Gatineau, Paul can be found at his farm close to the extreme north western boundary of Gatineau Park. With his wife Sylvie, he enjoys gardening, mountain biking, cross-country skiing and recently, snowshoeing.

 

Monique Boivin, Vice President

Je suis d’abord et avant tout ornithologue amateur! Mon père m’a offert mes premières jumelles alors que j’avais 12 ans. Je pratique le loisir ornithologique dans mes moments perdus et depuis ma retraite, de façon plus intense. C’est aussi mon père qui m’a fait découvrir la pêche, le camping, la raquette, la randonnée. Je m’imaginais être la jeune autochtone Kateri Tekakwitha alors que je le suivais sur les pistes de randonnée du Parc Algonquin ou sur les terres sauvages de mes oncles dans le comté de Renfrew.

So what is a birder doing at CPAWS? You may recall the Canary in the coal mine image. Birds were then used to alert miners of the presence of toxic gases. Today, birds are again delivering an alarming message. If you have seen the 2017 documentary The Messenger, you know that the decline in bird populations is indeed alarming and often attributable to loss of habitat. CPAWS has been and will continue to be a very valuable resource in protecting habitats for birds and other species be they threatened or thriving.

J’ai exploré plusieurs parcs au fil des ans, notamment les parcs nationaux Terra-Nova, Pointe-Pelée et Mont-Revelstoke. Que ce soit le canot-camping dans le Parc provincial Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater ou la randonnée sur l’Île d’Anticosti, notre réseau de parcs recèle de nombreuses occasions de se ressourcer dans des endroits sauvages ou naturels. Il faut les protéger jalousement! Mais il y a aussi des joyaux inconnus comme le Refuge du Mont O’Brien en Outaouais qui mérite peut-être une attention particulière.

CPAWS has been a part of my cultural landscape for a number of years and I feel privileged to be offered an opportunity to contribute actively to its mandate.

 

Jane Maxwell, Secretary

Jane spent much of her career life in Toronto, working in the field of international development with a number of NGOs for over 25 years. She moved into the field of fundraising in her later career, continuing her work in the field of international development and social justice. In 2005 she moved to Ottawa for work and has been enjoying the National Capital and Gatineau Park ever since. She is now retired and is an active volunteer with a number of Not For Profits.

Varvara Lobonova, Treasurer

 

Bola Alamu

 

Robyn Molnar

 

Chris Reid

 

Alison Sidney

 

Graham Smart

 

Paul Wernick

Born and raised in Ottawa Paul joined CPAWS Ottawa Valley in the Spring of 2022. He holds a degree in political science from the University of Carleton. He loves the outdoors and knows the Greenbelt and Gatineau Park extensively. His favorite trails are Mer Bleue and Luskville Falls. Paul is a public servant and has experience working for a Member of Parliament.