Our hero of the year: the man who saves the rivers. Reader's Digest pulled no punches in 2003 when describing our co-founder and president Alain Saladzius. And with good reason: Alain Saladzius is awarded the title of doctor honoris causa by the Assembly of Governors of the University of Quebec!
Thirty years after being awakened to the harmful effects of small dams for regional communities, Alain received an honorary doctorate for the implementation of our organization as well as for his exceptional contribution to the protection and development of Quebec rivers, particularly in Operation Adopt a River.
“The astrophysicist and ecologist Hubert Reeves has already pointed out “that on a cosmic scale, water was rarer than gold”. This is also the observation of Alain Saladzius, who has not only dedicated his career to the protection of this vital resource, but is also the perfect example of a committed citizen who has been able to put his expertise at the service of society. »
We are very proud of him and of what this recognition represents for the Foundation's accomplishments! A look back at the impressive career of a discreet but determined man.
A tenacious “investigating engineer”
A graduate of Polytechnique Montréal, Alain started out at the Quebec Ministry of the Environment as an engineer in charge of water sanitation projects. In 1992, he noted with dismay that a hydroelectric dam had dried up a portion of the river in addition to destroying the landscape of his childhood, in Saint-Raphaël de Bellechasse, for the benefit of private developers.
He therefore began to be interested in the effects of blockades and the awarding of dubious contracts. The more he searches with his ally Anne-Marie Saint-Cerny, certain unions, journalists and police officers, the more they find. They obtained various testimonies which prompted them to alert the Minister of Energy of the new provincial government. Their research led to the launch of the Doyon public inquiry commission which delivered a disturbing report in 1997 on the lack of state control in the awarding of contracts, including to certain promoters linked to organized crime.
Kick-off of the Fondation Rivières
A few years later, projects for small private hydroelectric plants, that is to say with a production of less than 50 megawatts (MW), are back. It didn't take much for Alain to react: in 2001, he initiated and coordinated the operation Adoptez une rivière to prevent the provincial government from destroying 36 falls to build dams there. Alain receives the Phénix environmental award for this accomplishment.
Around a hundred volunteers and around sixty artists, including our co-founder Roy Dupuis, join the movement headed by five organizations. Together, they are working to recognize that small power plants cause significant damage to the environment in return for negligible energy gains. The operation is bearing fruit: 33 of the 36 falls, still in their natural state, are saved and ecotourism projects are emerging.
Help us protect Quebec Falls
Still many rivers to protect
Since its creation, the Foundation has been able to count on several volunteers, without whom it would not be where it is today. This spirit of solidarity has allowed it to come to the defense of numerous rivers targeted by dam projects: the Rupert, the Magpie, the Roman, the Ouiatchouan, Little Mecatina.
Despite the defeats, Alain always remained involved in these battles and was always able to count on Roy Dupuis and his partner and actress Christine Beaulieu. In his documentary play I like Hydro, Christine questions Alain about the use of Hydro-Québec by the Quebec government.
Alain is still very active, whether on the energy issue, on the sources of pollution that affect Quebec's waterways or on technological innovations that improve knowledge and water management. . With Fondation Rivières, he continues to research, analyze, alert journalists and challenge government authorities when they fail in their duty.
Faced with the government's lack of vision in several sectors, particularly in terms of energy, Alain will be very busy with us this fall in order to promote more intelligent alternatives to dams for the wallets of Quebecers and our territory, and thus continue to save the rivers.
