PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release
Gatineau, November 27, 2023 – The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – Ottawa Valley Chapter (CPAWS-OV) and the Conseil régional de l’environnement et du développement durable de l’Outaouais (CREDDO)* are organizing information workshops on the protection of the Noire and Coulonge rivers watersheds.
CPAWS-OV and CREDDO have been mandated by the Quebec government to organize planning activities for the creation of a protected area of approximately 1,150 km2 in the watersheds of the Noire and Coulonge rivers (MRC Pontiac). Since 2020, these organizations have carried out ecological surveys of the territory and had discussions with stakeholders in the region and members of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg Indigenous Community to hear their needs and concerns regarding this project.
On August 30, 2023, the Quebec government announced that 852.6 km2 of this territory had been set aside as a reserve, officially designating this section as a protected area. CPAWS-OV and CREDDO would like to expand this territory to at least 1,150 km2 and suggest a management structure that ensures governance for and by the local community. These organizations want to present the project to the public and hear their comments and suggestions before submitting a proposal to the Quebec government in March 2024.
We invite you to discuss the project on November 29 in Gatineau. The meeting will include a detailed bilingual presentation of the project, followed by your comments and questions. You will also have the opportunity to comment on a map of the territory where the protected area is located.
November 29, 2023
6:30 p.m to 8:30 p.m.
Salle Mont-Bleu (Maison du Citoyen)
25 rue Laurier, Gatineau, QC J8X 4C8
The event will be free and will include snacks. We encourage you to register in advance on Yapla for logistical reasons.
Information workshops will also be held on December 4 in Fort-Coulonge (6 p.m. to 8 p.m.) and online on the Zoom platform on December 6 (5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Zoom link). Other meetings may be held according to demand to ensure representative and inclusive participation.
Yapla links for free registration
November 29: https://creddo-ca.s1.yapla.com/fr/event-47631
December 4: https://creddo-ca.s1.yapla.com/fr/event-47649
December 6: https://creddo-ca.s1.yapla.com/fr/event-47661
Mailerlite: https://preview.mailerlite.com/x5m8r7a3w0
*These two organizations are supported by CPAWS Quebec as part of the Plein aire initiative, subsidized by the Quebec government.
About CPAWS-VO
For over 50 years, the Ottawa Valley Chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS-OV) has worked to protect and preserve biodiversity in the Ottawa Valley by promoting and defending ecological integrity in public land management, working with other local and regional environmental groups, and collaborating with aboriginal communities, industry and government.
About CREDDO
The CREDDO is one of 17 regional environmental councils across Quebec. As such, it is the privileged interlocutor of the Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP). Its main mandate is to ensure the concerted action of Outaouais stakeholders on the region’s environmental issues. An NPO active in the region since 1990, we now have close to a hundred members, including associations, businesses, government bodies and individuals. Our projects provide solutions to the management of residual materials, the fight against and adaptation to climate change, sustainable development, biodiversity conservation and the development of a green economy.
For more information or to request additional meetings:
Yanny Ritchot
Western Quebec Conservation Coordinator, CPAWS-OV
Web sites: