The announcement of the creation of the Fondation Rivière Bonaventure was made during the annual general meeting of the ZEC of the Bonaventure River on April 27. The protection of wildlife, including Atlantic salmon, as well as that of the habitat will be at the heart of the priorities of the future foundation.
It does not yet have federal status, but the non-profit organization is created with the Government of Quebec
indicates the chairman of the board of directors of the ZECAndré Hébert.
In addition to ZEC de la rivière Bonaventure, representatives of the organization Mission Rivière and the City of Bonaventure sit on the provisional board of directors of the foundation.
A fisherman in the Bonaventure River
Photo: Radio-Canada
If these are the same organizations that make up the committee looking for a solution to resolve the impasse in the dossier of access to the Malin site, André Hébert assures us that these are separate approaches.
We’ve been juggling that since last spring. The problematic of the Evil One presented itself at about the same time, in the fall
he notes.
A legal dispute is underway between Camp Bonaventure and the Le Malin company regarding the operation of the beach, which is very popular with residents and tourists.
The sign announcing access to Le Malin, in Bonaventure, was recently put up. She now announces that the site is closed due to a legal dispute.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Louis Pelchat-Labelle
The recreational tourism company Cime Aventures also filed proceedings in Superior Court last summer against the Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks to invalidate the agreement signed with Quebec which limits its activities on the course of ‘water.
These two cases have been highly publicized in recent months. According to Mr. Hébert, it is essential to bring to the fore the importance of preserving the emblematic river.
” The river is on its own right now. She has no say in all these disputes and that is a bit unfortunate. We try to protect her as best we can. »
Solicitation steps will take place later in order to raise funds. It’s embryonic, but we have lots of good ideas for the future
says the manager.
The funds raised will make it possible to better protect the fauna, in particular the Atlantic salmon (archives).
Photo: Hooké / Fred Campbell
Work has already been done in conjunction with the Bas-Saint-Laurent-Gaspésie-Les-Îles Community Foundation. The next step will be to sign a contract for the official creation of an endowment fund with this organization.
According to Mr. Hébert, this agreement will make it possible to raise funds in the short term, even if the process of creating the foundation has not been completed with the federal government.
André Hébert specifies that the objectives of the non-profit organization have been duly recorded and that it is in no way authorized to use the money raised for other purposes. Awareness, education and protection: it revolves around that, no more.
For the quality of the resource
The Mayor of Bonaventure, Roch Audet, recalls that the Bonaventure River is an engine of economic development that is part of the DNA of the city’s citizens.
” It is more than a tourist attraction for the city. There is a strong sense of belonging around this river. It’s part of our history, it’s part of our culture. »
The chosen one, however, believes that it is imperative to be more sensitive to its preservation. It is fortunate that a foundation has been launched to watch over the fate of the watercourse. For me, it is a good option that we are currently giving ourselves to maintain the quality of this resource.
he notes.
Reference-ici.radio-canada.ca