Petite-Nation - Protect the River Flotilla - Protégeons la rivière

(site Aquaventure) 450 chemin Saint-Joseph Ouest St-André-Avellin Québec

For more info: https://www.facebook.com/events/509354323976647?active_tab=about

Organized by JF Venne, Roch Parent, Stéphanie Beauregard and Pierre-Olivier Bouchard Canoeists, residents, media, mayors and environmental organizations are invited on Thursday, June 9, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. to a press conference which will be followed at 3:00 p.m. by a canoe trip down the Petite-Nation River from the Aquaventure site located at 450 chemin Saint-Joseph Ouest in St-André-Avellin.

The Petite-Nation River (PN) suffers the impact year after year of the irresponsible management of the Lac Barrière dam by the Municipality of Lac Simon. The municipality maintains a high water level in the lake to promote the passage of motor boats. In addition to affecting residents living near the PN, these poor practices raise important questions regarding the ecosystems in place. The impact on the Petite Nation River is visible: for long periods each year, the water level drops and the banks recede several meters. This state harms the ecosystem of the river, several riverside residents no longer have drinking water because of the drop in the water level in their wells, paddle sports enthusiasts can no longer use the river and its addition to the Route bleue du Québec tourism project is compromised. Through this event, the organizers wish to demonstrate on the ground all the beauty and importance of the Petite-Nation River for the community. In addition, three key messages are important for the communities involved in the event: Request to the Municipality of Lac Simon: the maintenance by its dam of the flow of the Petite Nation River at a minimum of 15 cubic meters per second between Lac Simon and the Ottawa River. Request to the Watershed Organization: carry out an analysis of the impact of the management of the Lac Simon dam on the ecological flow of the Petite-Nation River, the health of the ecosystem, access to drinking water residents and user access to the river. Request to the Minister of the Environment: to modernize the law on the management of dams by municipalities, in order to ensure that they consider the environmental impacts and that they consult and report to the communities of the rivers under their responsibility.