Conseil d'administration

A well-known actor in Quebec and internationally, Roy Dupuis is also deeply curious and seeks to understand different phenomenons.

This is how he discovered, in 2002, the multiple issues surrounding rivers threatened by the construction of small hydroelectric power plants with the Adoptez une rivière operation. He then became a sponsor of the Gatineau River and joined forces with Alain Saladzius and Michel Gauthier to create the Fondation Rivières, in order to finally give a voice to the rivers that were then defenceless, and to offer the population the necessary tools to be informed and to invest in the protection of this collective wealth. He continued his research on the energy sector and became involved in the Avec énergie campaign to raise awareness of alternative energy production methods. He took an active part in the protection of the Rupert River when Hydro-Quebec announced its intention to divert 350 km of the river and was involved in the documentary Chercher le courant (Searching for the Current) on the issues surrounding the harnessing of the Romaine River. More recently, in the documentary L'empreinte, he examines our origins associated with those of the First Nations, whose values he shares with the Fondation Rivières.

Alain Saladzius graduated from École Polytechnique in 1982 with a degree in civil engineering and a specialization in environmental protection. He has worked in the field of water treatment for 35 years.

He was project coordinator at the Ministry of the Environment and team leader at the Montreal Infrastructure Branch of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Land Occupancy, where he supervised the implementation of hundreds of drinking water and wastewater treatment projects. He participated in the elaboration of the Quebec Strategy for Drinking Water Conservation, which resulted from the National Water Policy. He is now an independent consultant in water management and public administration.

As an individual, during the 1990s, he analyzed the environmental and economic consequences of awarding electricity production contracts to private producers. His research and actions, in collaboration with various specialists and groups, led the government to create a public inquiry commission on this industry in 1995. In 2002, just before the creation of the Fondation Rivières, he coordinated the "Adoptez une Rivière" operation, bringing together five national groups and a multitude of public figures to oppose the construction of 36 small hydroelectric power plants on 24 rivers in Quebec. This action was awarded the Phénix de l'environnement prize in the Education and Awareness category. He was also the winner of a Canadian Environmental Award, Community Action and Conservation category, and first Reader's Digest Hero of the Year in 2003. In 2004, the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers, which represents 160,000 Canadian engineers, awarded him its Meritorious Service Award, Community Service category. In 2017 he was named a Fellow of Engineers Canada in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the engineering profession in Canada.

Stéphane Gautier-Éthier is a chartered professional accountant at Brunet Roy Dubé, CPA and holds a Bachelor's degree in business administration from HEC Montreal.

He distinguishes himself in his professional life by responding to the needs of his clients and at the community level by his dedication. He wants our society to be proactive in protecting the environment and more consistent in its actions. "We know the harmful impacts of our development and we must work to stop them." In his opinion, environmental protection can be an economic lever and he considers that our water bodies are a wealth that we must value for future generations.

Dominique Girard studied business administration at HEC and psychology at UQTR. She has held the position of controller for a subsidiary of the Cascades Group and was a price and cost analyst for a wholesale manufacturer of hardwood products.

A young retiree from the business world, Dominique joined the team because she witnessed the fragility of rivers, having grown up on the banks of the Saint-François River. She brings accounting expertise, but above all a citizen's perspective. She encourages all those who care about rivers to join the Fondation Rivières.

Caroline Simard is an economist at Ouranos, a consortium specializing in climate change adaptation.

She holds a master's degree in economics from the École des sciences de la gestion de l'UQAM and is currently completing a doctorate in natural resource conservation at the Institut des Sciences de la forêt tempérée de l'UQO on water quality in agricultural environments. Previously, she carried out several consulting mandates in the municipal sector and at the Régie de l'énergie, and she participated in various university research projects on sustainable development and conservation of natural environments in Quebec and abroad.

"Passionate about the great outdoors and wilderness from a very young age, I am convinced that natural environments provide us with more than kilowatts or m3 output. The beauty of a waterfall and the pleasure of paddling a river, these are intangibles that must be properly considered by our decision makers when evaluating new projects."

A nature lover, Daniel Leblanc obtained his civil engineering degree in 1979, with a focus on environmental protection. He continued his training in this field at the master's and doctoral levels.

After working mainly for Bell Canada, the Société d'Énergie de la Baie James and the École Polytechnique, he crossed the ocean to work for the French Ministry of the Environment and the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, where he did his doctoral studies in the field of environmental impact assessment of various linear projects.

After having worked for a French multinational, still in environment, he came back to Quebec to share his expertise with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MELCC) of Quebec as a specialist in wastewater treatment for a few years.

He then spent the last 27 years of his career with the department as a manager in the five different regional divisions of Greater Montreal, ending as Regional Director for the Montérégie, agricultural, water, municipal and natural sectors. His teams of agronomists, biologists, engineers, geologists and other specialists have handled tens of thousands of projects. He has been a member of several committees mandated to develop legislation, regulations, policies, guidelines and guides. He has represented the Ministry on various international delegations. He initiated the conservation plans for natural environments in the Montreal and Montérégie regions. He supported several environmental groups in their actions. He has managed various environmental disasters such as lead contamination of drinking water, fires in waste management sites, ice storms, and several major floods.

He is currently completing his 4th term as a Canadian member of various study groups set up by the International Joint Commission to address water management issues in watersheds straddling Canada and the United States.

Recently retired, he decided to continue his involvement in the protection of the environment by participating in the mission of the Fondation Rivières.

Éric Gagnon is Director of Social Performance for international projects at Englobe. On industrial sites with complex social and environmental issues, he carries out interventions that support sustainable development and promote community resilience.

By positioning itself close to the promoters, it facilitates the prevention if not the mitigation and compensation of deficiencies in social acceptability.

Eric has been working on community, environmental and occupational health and safety issues since 2009. He supports corporate social responsibility and community development in the vicinity of major industrial projects, particularly through social impact studies and adapted management plans, especially in developing countries. From 1999 to 2003, he also publicly questioned the need for Hydro-Québec's Eastmain 1-A / Rupert Diversion project.

Proud Innu of Mani-utenam, the protection of the water and the territory is at the heart of Laura Fontaine's identity. As a student at Kiuna College in Arts, Letters and Communication, she is involved in defending the voice and honour of her ancestors by defending the territory.

A graduate in communications from UQAM, Véronique Lussier has spent a large part of her professional life as a manager in the media world.

She has worked in the private and public sectors, notably at Radio-Canada, TFO, TVA and Astral. For three years, she was an executive with the City of Montreal.

Today, she continues her work as a consultant and accompanies multidisciplinary teams in projects for companies, public organizations and associations. As a lover of activities in, on and around water, lakes and rivers have always been part of her life. The richness of our waterways is a distinctive asset of our territory and of Quebec culture. It must be preserved and is natural character must be enhanced.

A great lover of Quebec's rivers, Frédéric Ménagé has been exploring Quebec's territory for the past twenty years. In his spare time, Frédéric is a whitewater kayaking expert and a trainer on several mechanical engineering software programs. He enjoys sharing his passions with others.

Frédéric has been involved with the Montreal white water canoe & kayak club, since 2007, first as secretary, then vice-president and currently as a trainer. He often writes descriptions of river paddling routes and shares them with the community as a recognized and certified guide.

Travelling the territory by kayak, canoe or cross-country ski allows him to build a special bond with the natural elements. During expeditions lasting several days, the observation, the gathering, the challenges and the constant amazement provided by nature allow him to frequently recharge his batteries.

Frédéric Ménagé has chosen to join the efforts of the Fondation Rivières to ensure that our society is more concerned about preserving the charm and health of Quebec's rivers.

Julie Sabourin has always been passionate about protecting the environment. After completing her bachelor's degree in communications, she became involved and worked with a number of organizations with social and environmental values.

She was a candidate for the Green Party of Canada in 2006 and holds a certificate in environmental science and a graduate degree in environmental education from UQAM. She currently works as a business intelligence consultant for Employment and Social Development Canada. Having grown up near Fort Chambly and the Richelieu River, she wishes to actively participate in the popularization of the issues surrounding the protection of rivers and streams.

Gilles Lajoie is a partner and strategic advisor at Levio, one of the most dynamic business and information technology consulting firms in Quebec. He has extensive experience in the digital world where he has carried out a series of transformations for private and public companies. He began his career in the financial media sector where he was a journalist, director and founder of leaders in the field for major media groups in Quebec.

Gilles then moved into the consulting sector where he accompanied a variety of companies in various sectors in their digital shift. Until recently, he headed the Société québécoise d'information juridique (SOQUIJ) where he successfully completed a significant financial, operational and technological transformation.

Louise Millette has been a Ph.D. professor in the Department of Civil, Geological and Mining Engineering at Polytechnique Montreal since 2002 and was its director until June 2021. It was the deplorable state of the Rivière des Prairies and the hope of making a difference that led her to civil engineering and environmental protection.

Ms. Millette catalyzed Polytechnique's commitment to sustainable development (SD). In 2004, she wrote her first environmental policy and in 2019 created the SD Office. As a result of these actions, Polytechnique was awarded STARS Gold accreditation in 2019. It is working to integrate SD into the training of engineers.

Ms. Millette's involvement in several organizations has earned her several awards and honors, including the titles of Knight of the Order of Montreal and Fellow of Engineers Canada, as well as awards from the Minister of Education and Higher Education and the Quebec Business Women's Network.