Stories that inspire
The Fonds d'action Saint-Laurent
The Fonds d’action Saint-Laurent (FASL) is a nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of the St. Lawrence River. It was created in 2017 by Stratégies Saint-Laurent. The FASL works towards “the conservation of ecosystems and the continuing usability of the St. Lawrence River and its gulf”. To do so, it supports initiatives that preserve, showcase and rehabilitate the river, and others involving education and awareness raising. These projects are carried out in partnership with local organizations. Among those are the ZIP committees (zone d’intervention prioritaire/area of prime concern).
In particular, the FASL has funded the ZIP Committee “des Seigneuries” in its work monitoring riverbank erosion. Set up in Verchères, this project aims to assist the researchers in terms of logistics, acquisition and transfer of data. As well, it informs citizens and intervenors in the region about the information collected.
East of Montreal, the FASL supported a project for the enhancement of the copper redhorse’s habitat. That project sought to restore aquatic vegetation and add plant species in order to rehabilitate the St. Lawrence River shoreline. As well, on Île Bouchard, another shoreline area restoration project in an agricultural area aims to improve water quality. It will alsopreserve the habitats of several species.
Supporting education to improve protection
Raising awareness about the importance of conserving natural environments and their biodiversity is an essential part of the Fonds d’action Saint-Laurent’s mission. That is why it also supports several mobilization and education initiatives. Among them are the Rallye découverte des Îles de Contrecœur, which allows participants to discover the islands’ flora and fauna by kayak. In so doing, they also acquire knowledge in a fun way aided by QR codes placed along the circuit. This and other projects all serve to support the preservation of the St. Lawrence’s ecosystems.
The Fonds d’action Saint-Laurent is mainly supported by Avantage Saint-Laurent, the Government of Quebec’s new maritime strategy, as well as the marine industry. It has also received funding from the Fonds Fondation Pierre Chamberland at FGM in recent years.