Prospectus

 COBAMIL
Prospectus
Conseil des bassins versants des Mille-Îles
45 rue Saint-Joseph
Sainte-Thérèse (Québec)
J7E 4X5
450. 818. 8565
COBAMIL
Prospectus
www.cobamil.com
We would like to thank Francisation InterGlobe of Montréal
for its support in the production of this document.
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Table of Contents
1. Our Mission
4
2. About Us
5
3. Our Territory
6
4. The Territory’s Major Challenges
7
5. What We’ve Done So Far
8
6. The COBAMIL Team
10
7. COBAMIL’s Financial Status
11
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1. Our Mission
The Conseil des bassins versants des Mille-Îles (COBAMIL) is an organization recognized by the
Québec Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment, Wildlife and Parks (MSDEWP). Its
mission is to implement the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) on a watershed
scale. More specifically, COBAMIL ensures the protection and enhancement of water resources
by promoting participation and coordination among all stakeholders concerned by water issues.
Why such a mission? Because clean water is a
fundamental
human
right.
Obviously,
we
need it to live (drinking water supply), but
it
also
allows
for
biodiversity,
agricultural
irrigation, as well as recreational and tourism
activities (e.g. fishing, swimming). However, everything that
happens in the watershed affects the quantity and quality
of the water available in such a way that the different uses
may be compromised.
To ensure the sustainability of water uses, all stakeholders
of a watershed that may have an impact on this priceless
resource must participate in the conservation efforts.
Consequently, COBAMIL’s role is to ensure the protection and enhancement of water resources by promoting
participation and coordination among all stakeholders
which are concern by water issues.
Watershed
Seen from above, a
river system looks
very much like a
tree. Its many creeks,
ditches and streams
can be compared to
the branches of a
tree that eventually
converge to form a trunk (which could be compared
to the watershed’s central river). By drawing a line
around the “tree,” we can pretty much obtain the
outline of the watershed. This perimeter, called the
“drainage divide,” connects all of the most elevated
points in the watershed. Under the effect of gravity,
every drop of rain collected by the watershed flows
towards the same exit point, called the “outfall.”
In other words, a watershed is the entire geographical area drained by a water body
Drainage divide
Watershed
Outfall
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2. About us
The Conseil des bassins versants des Mille-Îles (COBAMIL) was created out of a government initiative. However, none of it would have been possible without the commitment of people living on
the North Shore of Montreal, who wished to preserve their water resources.
In 2002, the provincial government implemented the Québec Water Policy to improve the
efficiency of water management in the province. This led to the creation of a number of
organizations dedicated to the protection of Québec’s major rivers and their watersheds. To
the disappointment of some citizens and local elected officials, many rivers of Montreal’s North
Shore remained without such an organization. This was in spite of the fact that the quality of
the water coming from this river and its tributaries, which forms a fragile ecosystem and is an
important source of drinking water, is very poor.
Mrs. Denise Cloutier, a Mascouche citizen dedicated to the conservation of water resources, in
collaboration with local stakeholders, first campaigned for COBAMIL’s creation. Her dream came
true on March 24, 2010: COBAMIL became the 39th of the 40 official watershed organizations
in Québec. Since then, Mrs. Cloutier has been serving as president of the organization. Water
conservation being her passion, she also serves on the board of the Centre d’Interprétation
de l’eau (C.I. Eau) in Laval, and on the board of the Regroupement des organismes de bassins
versants du Québec (ROBVQ). Moreover, her involvement has earned her the Hommage
bénévolat-Québec 2013 Award for the Laurentian region, awarded by the Secrétariat à l’action
communautaire autonome et aux initiatives sociales.
Photo : Mrs. Denise Cloutier canoeing on the Mascouche River
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3. Our territory
COBAMIL’s territory is located on Montreal’s North Shore. It includes four main watersheds, those
of rivers du Chicot, aux Chiens, du Chêne and Mascouche . The north shores of the Mille Îles
river and the Deux Montagnes lake are also included. Counting 24 municipalities, as well as a
First Nation community, this territory is home to some 420,000 souls and covers a surface area of
1,052 km2.
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4. The Territory’s Major Challenges
The water bodies located in Montreal’s North Shore are under constant pressure. Agriculture accounts
for almost fifty percent of the territory and urbanization is rampant, causing more and more people,
businesses and shops to settle in these parts. This situation has created its fair share of issues, many of
which have impacted the population. Here are some examples:
Decrease in water
quality
Risks to public health (in case of contact or ingestion)
Restrictions of use (swimming, boating)
Loss of biodiversity
Decrease in aesthetic value of waterways
Erosion, sedimentation and
flooding
Overconsumption of
drinking water
Input of contaminants into water
Risks to public health
Conflicts over resource use
Increase in drinking water production costs
Proliferation of algae, including blue-green algae
Decrease in aesthetic value of waterways
Disturbance to the aquatic ecosystem
Degradation of aquatic,
riparian and wetland
ecosystems
Loss of biodiversity and ecological services
Decrease in citizens’ quality of life
Inondation
Given the magnitude and severity of the situation, COBAMIL has mobilized local stakeholders to
help find solutions to these problems. Four major courses of action have been identified and are
at the heart of our action plan, expected to be completed by March 2014:
Limit erosion
Reduce microbiological contamination
Preserve and restore wetlands and riparian environments
Secure the water supply and promote its responsible use
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5. What We’ve Done So Far
The Water Master Plan
To reach its goals, COBAMIL has been developing a Water Master Plan (WMP). This document, created
with the participation of citizens and stakeholders of COBAMIL’s watersheds, aimed at finding a collective
strategy for the conservation and enhancement of water resources.
Components of a WMP :
1- Socio-economic and environmental portrait of the territory;
2- Identification of the issues associated with water resources;
3- Identification of priority issues and formulation of goals to be reached;
4- An action plan for all watershed stakeholders;
5- Planning and monitoring actions in order to reach previously mentioned goals.
Since its creation, COBAMIL has completed the first three steps of the WMP. To certify the thoroughness of
this process and ensure it reflects the concerns of the population, COBAMIL has:
•
•
Set up a committee of experts:
Composed of 26 experts from a variety of disciplines and willing to support COBAMIL’s development of the WMP;
Held public consultations:
12 consultation activities attended by more than 200 people (citizens and representatives of the municipal, agricultural,
economic and community sectors).
River Water Quality Monitoring
From the moment COBAMIL was created, the territory’s stakeholders
deplored the lack of data available regarding water quality in the area.
With the financial backing of three regional county municipalities from the
North Shore of Montreal, and in partnership with Éco-Nature, a long-term
water quality monitoring program was put in place. Furthermore, COBAMIL
carries out monthly sampling of two rivers, as part of the MSDEWP’s River Network.
Finally, thanks to COBAMIL’s leadership, the project managers involved in different
sampling projects are now working together in order to establish the state of
the resource on a regional scale.
Tree Distribution
In 2011 and 2012, COBAMIL distributed 11,000 tree shoots in 12 municipalities of the area, free of
charge. These trees were planted by the city or citizens along riverbanks in order to revegetate them.
A vegetated riverbank is essential to the aquatic ecosystem since it filters runoffs, creates a bulwark
against erosion and stops water temperatures from rising to excessive levels.
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5. What We’ve Done So Far
Raising Awareness and Education
Raising awareness and educating the population in regards to water conservation is at the very centre of
COBAMIL’s activities. Here are our key achievements in this area:
• Establishing a door-to-door project aimed at raising local residents’
awareness regarding the territory’s main waterways (more than 550 homes
across 6 municipalities were visited);
• Running numerous information kiosks;
• Publishing and distributing a newsletter three times a year to nearly 500
people;
• Sharing the information concerning water issues, our activities and events
via our website;
• Holding presentations and conferences during various events.
Support for Local and Regional Stakeholders
As part of its mission, COBAMIL ensures that stakeholders have the knowledge and tools necessary to see
to the conservation and enhancement of water resources. We offer our expertise in the following ways:
Participation on numerous committees, including:
• Working group for the development of the Rally of the Rivers, organized by the Centre
d’Interprétation de l’eau (C.I. EAU);
• Editorial committee in charge of writing Réseau Environnement memorandums for the
Stratégie de protection et de conservation des sources destinées à l’alimentation en eau
potable, a legislative project of the Government of Québec;
• Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food’s Laurentian Watersheds Regional Committee;
• Ouranos committee regarding adaptation to climate change;
• Management committee for the du Chêne river Watershed Project
• WATER Committee at the Conférence régionale des élus (CRÉ) des Laurentides.
Development of popularization and information documents:
•
•
•
•
Mapping of the territory to document water issues and land uses;
Adapted data production and analyses for every watershed of COBAMIL’s territory
Summary sheets regarding the issues threatening water bodies;
Reviewing and promoting the positive initiatives regarding the conservation and improvement
of water in the municipal sector.
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6. The COBAMIL Team
The Conseil des bassins versants des Mille-Îles (COBAMIL) is governed by a Board of Directors in
accordance with Part III of the Companies Act (RSQ, chapter C-38) and the Québec’s government
Integrated Water Management Plan Framework (section 2.2). It is composed of 24 members, representing
three areas of activity:
1. Municipal;
2. Community and associative: Environment, Education/Health and Tourism/Outdoors;
3. Economical: Agriculture/Forestry and Business/Industry/Recreational.
In accordance with our bylaws, five directors elected annually also sit on COBAMIL’s Executive
Committee. This committee oversees the management of the organization and supports the general
direction in current affairs.
Siege
Sector
Municipal
Economical
Associative
Organisms
2012-2013
Administrators
2012-2013
Region 1
1
M
MRC Deux-Montagnes
M. Guillaume Bouvrette
2
M
3
M
Conseil de Bande de Kanesatake
Vacant
4
M
Mirabel
Vacant
M. Marc-Guy Tremblay
5
AF
Vignoble des Négondos
Mme Carole Desrochers
6
AF
UPA Deux-Montagnes
M. Michel Lauzon
7
CIR
Cycle Environnement
Mme Marlène Hutchinson
8
CIR
Horizon Multiressource
Mme Cathy Crago
9
ENV
Conseil régional de l'environnement Mme Mélissa Laniel
des Laurentides
10
TO
Éco-Nature
M. Jean Lauzon
11
EH
Commission Scolaire de la
­Seigneurie-des-Mille-Îles
M. Claude Girard
12
ENV
Parc national d’Oka
M. Mathieu Lemay
Region 2
13
M
14
M
15
M
16
M
MRC Thérèse-De Blainville
M. Guy Charbonneau
Mme Chantale Lehoux
MRC Les Moulins
Mme Nathalie Filion
M. Stéphane Berthe
17
AF
UPA Laurentien
M. Pierre Guilbault
18
AF
UPA Outaouais-Laurentides
M. Alain Desjardins
19
CIR
Écolosol inc.
M. Samuel Roger
20
CIR
Arrimage.Com inc.
Mme Denise Cloutier
21
ENV
Enviro Mille-Îles
M. Martin Drapeau
22
ENV
CAARUL
M. Eric Andriamanoelison
23
EH
Cégep Régional de Lanaudière
M. Dany Lavigne
TO
Groupe Plein-Air Terrebonne (GPAT) M. Mathieu Martineau
24
* Legend: M: Municipal; AF: Agriculture/Forestry; CIR: Commerce/Industry/Recrerational; ENV: Environment;
EH: Education/Health; TO: Tourism/Outdoors
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6. The COBAMIL team
COBAMIL administrators share the same vision and
follow a code of ethics that ensures the credibility
of the organization. They can count on permanent
members, all characterized by their dynamism
and stability. The three permanent employees
of the organization have remained in place since
COBAMIL’s creation in August 2010: an executive
director, a project manager for the Water Master
Plan and a coordinator for community relations.
They are supported by seasonally-employed
university students and an expert committee
composed of 26 specialists and representatives from provincial ministries concerned by
water resources. This amazing team possesses
the necessary means to carry out its mandates
(management, water science, territorial planning,
coordination and sustainable development, etc.).
COBAMIL administrators and
permanent members
7. COBAMIL’s Financial Status
COBAMIL receives annual financial support from the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment,
Wildlife and Parks of Québec (MSDEWP). This grant, totalling $127,500, covers activities related to the
preparation and monitoring of the WMP. However, there is still a great need to raise awareness, and build
dialogue and capability among local players. These issues must be addressed in order to achieve the “blue
shift,” the new social project that is slowly but surely taking form. COBAMIL is a charitable organization
duly registered with Canada Revenue Agency (85045 0008 RR0001). We are asking foundations and the
private sector to contribute financially to our mission. This support will enable the organization to develop
new projects and offer better support to stakeholders.
To ensure financial integrity, COBAMIL has mandated a professional chartered accountant to conduct an
external review of the organization’s financial statements on an annual basis. Reviews from previous years
are available on request. Furthermore, as of the 2012-2013 fiscal year, an audit of our financial statements
will be carried out every year. This audit is designed to meet requests received from foundations and other
private donors.
Conseil des bassins versants des Mille-Îles
400 chemin Grande-Côte #102
Rosemère (Québec)
J7A 1K7
mai 2013