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The de Gaspe Beaubien Foundation enthusiastically applauds Prime Minister Francois Legault’s announcement at the COP15. He committed to introducing a bill comprising ways in which to evaluate water use costs for commercial users in Quebec and the implementation of royalties. By combining such Ecofiscal measures with the Blue Fund in Québec with a solid Canadian water Agency, as promised by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, we are on the right track to restore and preserve Quebec and Canada’s water sources. 

The Quebec Government’s Commitment 

The Quebec government recently revealed that it had only received 3 million dollars for the collection of 811 billion litres of water in 2021. The Prime Minister has deemed this amount to be unacceptable. A more equitable rate will therefore be established in order to avoid abuse. This increase will be paid to the Blue Fund in the form of royalties. 

Announced last August, the Blue Fund has a budget of 650 billion dollars for the next mandate and is partially funded by the royalties paid by the industries that use our water. It will be used to fund resources in various water preservation projects such as the cleaning of our riverbanks or the recovery of our shoreline strips. Quebec estimates that the Fund should reach 150 million dollars per year by the end of the CAQ’s mandate. 

“The Blue Fund is an indispensable and incredibly important initiative. We particularly applaud their royalty plan. We have all seen the impacts of maintaining the status quo and it is now time to act! I have hope that this project will bring positive changes and necessary improvements to the health and protection of our water.” – Nan-b de Gaspe Beaubien

“Provided with its royalty plan, the Blue Fund was a vital requirement and constitutes a positive sign from the Quebec government. We believe in the future of Quebec, which seems to be going in the right direction. However, we hope that innovation, new technologies, and entrepreneurship will be at the heart of the Fund’s projects.” – Dominique Monchamp 

A Long-Awaited and Vital Initiative 

In August 2022, the Prime Minister declared:” Over the years, we have taken this wealth a little bit too much for granted. We have to take better care of our water in Quebec. When we see the droughts in France, the U.S.A, Mexico, etc. we realize how strategic this water is for our future. For myself and the whole CAQ team, it has become a priority to protect our lakes, rivers, and sources of drinking water. We have to give more love to our lakes and rivers.” We are happy to see actions come from this declaration!

The de Gaspe Beaubien Foundation is of the same opinion. Water preservation is an extremely important issue and must be taken into consideration now. We were impatiently waiting to see our elected officials take the future of water seriously. 

The Experts’ Opinion

The Environmental Network has been recommending the adoption of Ecofiscal measures for the water industry since June of 2022. It even created a committee of experts made up of municipal representatives as well as municipal, academic, civil society, and private sector infrastructure managers to discuss the regulations in place for the water industry, and the recommendations to follow. 

This committee created a memoire comprising, among other things, six essential recommendations regarding the royalties, complete transparency, and accountability. 

Their recommendations:

• Increase the disclosure of data regarding the volume of water collected and the different uses of water in Quebec. 
• Improve and equip industries with the necessary management tools.
• Disclose projects that benefitted from the royalty funds. 
• Rethink the use of the royalty funds. 
• Update the rate of the royalties and the regulations more regularly. 
• Revise the amount of the royalty. 

The Environmental Network explains:” The observations and recommendations made in this memoire all come to the same conclusion; we need to increase the amount of the royalty. The user pays principle, largely used around the world, demands that the users contribute to the funding of the acquisition and knowledge transfer, as well as to the management system and protection measures.”

According to them, the best solution is to adopt a formula based on a new base rate that would be adjusted according to the three following factors:

• The volume of water collected by the user.
• The economic activity sector.
• The catchment area. 

The Use of Water Elsewhere in the World

Industries that use water in Canada or elsewhere in the world are required to pay a fee. The following chart gives a few examples **.

(In order to make the chart easier to understand, a fixed exchange rate was used to convert the euros into Canadian dollars: 1 € = 1,35 $).

**Source of the table : Mémoire produit par Réseau Environnement – Révision des redevances exigibles pour l’utilisation de l’eau – Novembre 2022

The Blue Fund and the revision of the royalty rate are encouraging steps toward the protection and maintenance of water sources. We applaud this decision and hope that actions will be implemented quickly. In order to ensure the well-being of future generations, more sustainable practices must be adopted. These practices start with Ecofiscal and governmental practices such as the ones mentioned in this article. 

The 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations takes place in Montreal from December 7 to 15, 2022. This international gathering of nations from around the world will focus on the preservation of nature and ways to stop the decline of biodiversity around the world. This is a noble and essential mission, but in order to achieve it, one major topic is missing from the event’s agenda: water.

Dominique Monchamps, executive director of the Fondation de Gaspé Beaubien and steering committee member of the Canadian Coalition for Healthy Waters explains: “Without quality water in sufficient quantity, there is no chance for biodiversity to survive. It is a vital resource for all species.”

The Fondation de Gaspé Beaubien and all members of the Canadian Coalition for Healthy Waters are therefore calling on the governments participating in the Conference.

Canada must not waste the opportunities at COP 15 in Montreal

The upcoming COP15 Conference in Montreal cannot be a missed opportunity for the Canadian government to keep its promise and establish the Canada Water Agency.

On Dec. 7, Canada begins hosting the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties on the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Montreal. This gathering has so far attracted little media attention compared to that of the recent COP27 in Egypt. However, lost in these discussions is that climate change and biological diversity are inextricably linked, or rather “two sides of the same coin.” Within this, water remains the consistent factor of both, and at the heart of all climate change and biodiversity discussions.

For example: climate change caused by global warming changes weather patterns and cause extreme weather events that impact human health, food, shelter, forests, agriculture, and aquatic habitats. By 2050, climate change will have cost Canada $139- billion due to flooding, drought, wildfire, and other disasters, alongside the costs of unheard biodiversity loss, including tens of thousands of dead salmon in British Columbia in 2022 alone. Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s minister of the environment, is right to
note the significance of COP15’s location in Montreal, home of the successful Montreal Protocol to Protect the Ozone Layer in the 1980s, noting that it gives Canada “a superb opportunity to demonstrate the value of protecting nature.” This value has never been more critical, with scientists estimate that one million plants and animal species are at risk of extinction in the coming decades.

The goals for the biodiversity convention are as ambitious as those for climate change. It aims to preserve natural diversity, sustainable use of nature’s bounty, and fair and equitable sharing
of resources amongst countries. In Montreal, states will aim to set targets to slow the destruction of nature through preserving a third of land and sea habitats for nature by 2030, a target also set by the Liberal government in the 2021 federal budget. Again, financing this will be a large issue: as seen in Egypt, developing nations are demanding a substantial transfer of resources to help them preserve their environments. Such negotiations are obviously difficult, but one should not give
up hope as there is at least one happy and significant precedent: in 1987, in Montreal, 198 parties ratified the Protocol on Substances Depleting the Ozone Layer and this agreement, despite opposition from the CFC industry, has largely worked.

As host of COP15, Canada will be in the international spotlight, presenting an opportunity to emerge as a leader in climate change, water, and biodiversity on the global stage.

With this opportunity, what will Guilbeault announce at the conference as a special sign of Canadian leadership? One good candidate is the creation of the long-awaited Canada Water Agency and significant funding for a strengthened Freshwater Action Plan. Water is the connector between biodiversity and climate change. Water is life, and has been declared a twin of biodiversity by the International Union for Conservation of Nature—the driving force behind COP15. A Canada Water Agency would work together with First Nations, provinces, and municipalities to preserve water bodies, promote flood mapping and prevention, preserve groundwater quality, assist with the management of river basins, share water data and improve our infrastructure to prevent water loss. It has the potential to focus national attention on the water priority and could make water a mainstay of our development support, aligning with United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and the International Feminist Agenda.

The greater water community has already shown support for an independent Canada Water Agency, now the Canadian government must show its commitment to protecting water, climate and biodiversity. Guilbeault will undoubtedly commit Canada to ambitious targets on preserving nature when he speaks to the thousands of delegates in Montreal, but announcing a Water Agency to give effect to federal promises would show that Canada is committed to reversing our Age of Extinction and would harness preserving biodiversity to helping ensure clean, sufficient supplies of water for all Canadians.

The world is watching, and Canada must rise to the occasion.

The de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation’s philanthropic efforts – and by the same token the efforts of its founders, Philippe et Nan-b – concentrate today on the future of water and the environmental and social issues related to it. However, their philanthropic efforts precede their involvement in this cause. Over the last 30 years, the de Gaspé Beaubien family has invested in a number of different causes. The first cause supported by the family has not been forgotten and will always have a special place in our hearts: families in business.

A Personal Interest from the Start

It’s no secret that the de Gaspé Beaubien family has been in business for a long time. Owning, managing, and ceding a family enterprise has an impact on each member of the family; the same goes for the de Gaspé Beaubien family.

In the 90s, Philippe and Nan-b’s children each held a role within the enterprise. Eventually, separating family life and work life became more challenging. They also realized that the challenges they were faced with as a family in business were very similar to the issues experienced by their peers. This is how the Foundation for Families in Business was born in 1999.

In 2020, following the merger with Family Enterprise Canada Foundation, the organization became known as the Family Enterprise Foundation. Philippe and Nan-b’s contribution will however always be recognized by the foundation: « As honorary board members of Family Enterprise Foundation (FEF) and co-chairs of the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation, Nan-B and Philippe devote their time and energy to the advancement of family enterprise. Pioneers in their field, they continue to break new ground supporting global enterprising families, women’s issues, public health and environmental causes. Imparting knowledge, wisdom and serving others, their special passion is devoted to helping the next generation […]. » – Family Enterprise Foundation

Still Relevant Today

More than 20 years after the creation of the Foundation for Families in Business, the de Gaspé Beaubien family is no longer at its’ head. However, the Foundation’s mission is still important to them. It remains a key subject for each member of the family.

At respectively 95 and 87 years of age, Philippe and Nan-b obviously care a great deal about their children and grandchildren’s happiness, both in their personal and professional lives. Leadership and the entrepreneurial spirit seem to be passed down from generation to generation in their family. The knowledge acquired by the Foundation and the tools they developed are therefore of use to thousands of families around the world, including the de Gaspé Beaubien family.

It Doesn’t Stop There

Even if Philippe and Nan-b are now less active in the cause of entrepreneurial families, they remain involved behind the scenes. Their professional and personal journey make this a requirement.

“We are very proud of what we have created in the past! Even if we are quieter now, the fact remains that we continue to be committed to the cause of families in business. I can’t talk about it too much, but know that we are working on a new project related to that. This project will come to light in 2023!” – Nan-b de Gaspé Beaubien

We will have to wait for the new year to find out more. Philippe, Nan-b, and the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation’s team are excited to be able to tell us more.

On October 18th and 19th, an important event will take place on parliament hill for the very first time: A Day on the Hill for Water. The Canadian Coalition for Healthy Waters is inviting its members and over 20 deciders from the Canadian government to join them on parliament hill in order to discuss our most important resource: water.

The Objective

In August, the Liberal party of Canada promised 1 billion dollars over 10 years to restore and protect our large lake and river ecosystems. Unfortunately, the money was not available in the last budget, and what’s more, a 1 billion $ investment isn’t enough.

“The water issue is of utmost importance. It cannot be pushed to the side, as it is a vital and irreplaceable resource. We have hope that we will be heard by our political deciders and that they will understand the urgency we are faced with. We are all affected by this issue.” – Dominique Monchamp, general director of the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation and member of the Canadian Coalition for Healthy Waters’ board of directors.

We Need to Act Now!

The water crisis is real and isn’t only an issue in other countries. In fact, 60% of the world’s fresh water and drinking water is contained in only 9 countries. Canada alone holds close to 20% of the world’s renewable fresh water reserves.

Fresh Water Sources

According to the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Collaborative and their 2020-2030 action plan, 2.2 billion $ over 10 years are required to protect the Great Lakes and the Saint-Lawrence River; and that’s only for Quebec. The country of Canada counts 563 lakes with a surface area of over 100 square kms and the largest hydrographic network in the world.

Infrastructures

It is important to specify that the health of our water isn’t solely dependent on the protection of our fresh water and inland water sources, but also on the upgrade and maintenance of our aqueduct and water treatment systems. According to the Centre for Expertise and Research for Infrastructures in Urban Areas’ 2019 annual report, our water infrastructures in Quebec have an active maintenance deficit of close to 17 billion $. The situation is no doubt similar in the other provinces.
The investment that has to be made in order to preserve the health of our fresh water and inland water on a national scale is therefore much greater!

Known Solutions

Reseau Environnement et Strategies Saint-Laurent have identified key issues with the goal of modernizing municipal wastewater treatment and water resource collection stations in Quebec. In their Sanitation 2.0 report, they propose solutions to 10 major issues:

1. Bio surveillance of the ecosystems
2. Better support
3. Non-normed harmful compounds
4. Reduction of the flow and contaminants at the source
5. Reduction of overflows
6. Non-connected systems
7. Pilot projects and new technologies
8. Governance
9. Stable and predictable funding
10. Beaches and nautical activities

“The recommendations proposed fit into the perspective of a green economy, which is an approach to implement sustainable development that will improve human wellbeing and social equity while significantly reducing environmental risks and resource shortage.”, explains the Reseau Environnement et Strategies Saint-Laurent.

Shared Responsibility

Managing and protecting our water isn’t solely the federal government’s responsibility. Every level of government is involved: countries, provinces, and municipalities alike. However, creating an open dialogue with our elected officials is the first step towards the implementation of efficient and durable solutions. Their support is necessary, as well as the obtention of the funding we need.

The Organizers

The Canadian Coalition for Healthy Waters is a nonpartisan coalition that brings together over 60 Canadian organizations from across the country. They have joined forces in order to defend the health of our fresh water and inland water in all its forms. The de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation is proud to be one of its instigating members.

The coalition’s actions are based on 3 key points:

• Establishing a solid Canadian Water Agency
• Renewing the law on Canada’s water sources that is over 50 years old
• Putting into place a Canadian water fund in order to invest 225 million $ a year in the health of Canada’s waters

If these points speak to you and you care about protecting Canada’s water, become a member of the coalition and join us on October 18th and 19th for A Day on the Hill for Water!

The year 2022 is already over halfway done, and AquaAction’s projects are going well! The last few months have been busy and filled with novelty for the Canadian organization founded by the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation. The social and environmental issues related to fresh water aren’t stopping anytime soon; AquaAction therefore continues to grow in order to help resolve them and continue their mission. As well as the national awareness campaign launched in March, AquaAction is preparing a number of other projects. Here are the details.

“We are proud of AquaAction’s impact! It is only the beginning, but we are on the right path and continue to advance. We obviously still have a ways to go, but we are ready!” – Dominique Monchamp. General director of the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation.

AquaEntrepreneur Montreal

The pilot project AquaEntrepreneur Montreal will come to an end in late July. The three enterprises of this cohort have just finished their first bank of hours (28 hours) with business coaches. They are now starting their second bank of hours (14 hours) with experts specialized according to their needs:

• O’land Stations have opted for contract and client relations management.
• ChemBrains chose legal support.
• Ecotime Solutions is working on the creation of an extended warrantee for their products.

O’land

O’land Fill & Wash Stations’ mission is to reduce single-use plastic pollution in order to help protect the environment. How are they hoping to reach this objective? By supplying reusable infrastructures that answer to the basic needs in water while protecting our health and the environment. According to them, this starts with water stations.

With the help of AquaEntrepreneur, O’land obtained a rental contract for their drinking water stations with the city of BoisBriand. This is the Montreal-based enterprise’s first municipal client. The stations have been such a success that the rental will soon become a purchase!

O’land has also had a promising meeting with the city of Montreal’s water services. Perhaps we will soon see these drinking water stations in the metropolis permanently?

ChemBrains

ChemBrains offer green technological solutions which collect the contaminants present in the effluents in order to recycle and reuse them. For example, treated water can be used in rinsing operations. These technologies find applications in surface treatment industries (plating, anodization, NDT workshops, wet scrubbers, etc.), water features in public parks, and more.

Thanks to AquaEntrepreneur’s support, ChemBrains obtained a service contract with Simexco to deploy 2 pilot projects this summer in St-Valerien-de-Milton and St-Jean-Baptiste-de-Rouville. ChemBrain’s technology will therefore be used for the very first time on the field; this is a major step for the enterprise!

ChemBrains has also had a promising meeting for a potential contract. The team had a conversation with the projects and development of citizens’ services office for Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve.

EcoTime

EcoTime, winner of the Emerging Talent Award EAU Andre-Perrault, takes advantage of unused water and energy sources in order to save energy without affecting users’ comfort. EcoTime’s different technological solutions have residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial applications.

In partnership with the head of the section énergie pour les bâtiments de la Ville de Montréal, EcoTime’s team elaborated a study on the collection and distribution of rain water for the construction of a new service courtyard in the Plateau.

AquaEntrepreneur Quebec

The AquaEntrepreneur Quebec program, which recently received funding from the Ministere de l’Economie et de l’innovation, is rapidly coming together. Everything is being put into place so that the AquaEntrepreneur Quebec cohort can continue the development and commercialization of their innovative water management solutions.

Among the 14 enterprises who applied, 10 will be selected for phase 1. The jury will announce their decision before the end of July. Further information will be shared soon.

AquaEntrepreneur has also had meeting with the towns of l’Assomption, Plessisville, and Lavaltrie to find out what their issues are in terms of water management. Four municipal projects will be selected in order to be resolved by the candidate enterprises.

Quebec AquaHacking Challenge 2022-23

A new edition of the AquaHacking Challenge is already in preparation! The Challenge will return to attack the most critical fresh-water issues faced by communities in Quebec.

The AquaAction team is looking for critical issues related to Quebec’s inland water that affect the population. The previous AquaHacking Challenges have already addressed issues such as microplastics, overflows, the quality of well water, flood risk management, invasive aquatic species, etc. The call to issues will end in July 2022. The selection of which issues to tackle will take place in August. There are six criteria that are taken into account during this selection:

• The issue is critical.
• The issue has a local impact and global perspective.
• The issue is representative of the province.
• The issue is appropriate for a technological solution (ex: software, engineering, etc.).
• Pertinent and representative data is available.
• A stakeholder is identified within the organization proposing the issue.

Atlantic AquaHacking Challenge

Atlantic Canada houses a spectacular system of dynamic fresh-water and salt-water environments. Being at the heart of the ecosystems and collectives, water and water management include many issues in the region. AquaHacking will therefore visit the Atlantic provinces for the second time.

Atlantic AquaHacking is presently selecting the issues that the candidates will tackle. The issues will be announced in August. In September, young and talented innovators from across Canada will be invited to apply and put their skills to the service of water.

The call for issues has therefore been launched. The selection criteria is similar to those used by the other AquaHacking Challenges:

• The issue is critical.
• The issue has a local impact and global perspective.
• The issue is representative of the province.
• The issue is appropriate for a technological solution (ex: software, engineering, etc.).
• Pertinent and representative data is available.
• A stakeholder is identified within the organization proposing the issue.

New Members of the Team

In order to support AquaAction’s growing number of projects, the organization’s team is expanding; we will be welcoming three new people into our team! This is irrefutable proof of AquaAction’s growth and their impact on the country. We would like to extend a warm welcome to: Sylvie Charbonneau (program director), Aiden Price Gallagher (intern in development and donor awareness), and Alejandro Martinez-Ramos (Startup community coordinator).

The de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation has the honour of presenting to you the recipient of the Emerging Talent Award EAU Andre-Perrault 2021 prize (Prix de la relève EAU André Perrault): Timothe Roy-Bouchard, cofounder of the enterprise Solutions Eco Time. This recognition was given to him for his innovative projects relating to rain water collection. On May 10th, 2022, during an official prize ceremony at the C.I.EAU, Dominique Monchamp had the pleasure of meeting Timothe and awarding him with a 1 500$ grant sponsored by the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation. 

What is the Emerging Talent Award EAU Andre-Perrault? 

The award is named in honour of Andre Perrault, founder of EAU and previous director of public works and environment for the city of Laval, a man who is passionate about the environment and involved in the water crisis. The objective of the award is to recognize the innovations and exceptional character of young people’s projects in the water sector, whether they concern the best practices to adopt or new technologies. By doing so, the C.I.EAU recognizes the essential work, dedication, and know-how of the new generation regarding the water crisis in Quebec.

The selection committee is composed of a member of the board of administration of C.I.EAU and Quebec experts in the water sector. Together, they evaluate the quality of the candidates’ presentations and the impact of their projects on the knowledge of the water sector, technologies, and water management. 

The de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation is a Partner for a Second year

The contest’s 2021 edition marks the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation’s second year of involvement in the contest. The importance that we give to the water crisis and the development of technologies and innovation in this sector is well-known. It is essential for the Foundation and AquaAction to recognize and encourage the younger generation across Quebec. This association with the C.I.EAU and the Emerging Talent Award EAU Andre-Perrault therefore seemed obvious. 

“The de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation is proud to partner with C.I.EAU and the Emerging Talent Award EAU Andre-Perrault. We are happy to be involved in this human initiative in Quebec. Timothe and Solutions Eco Time will certainly accomplish great things! Congratulations again to him and his team, but also to the other candidates for their involvement and achievements. They are the future of the water sector in Quebec.” – Dominique Monchamp, general director of the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation.

Why we Encourage Young Entrepreneurs 

In spite of the important business chain and expertise behind providing accessible drinking water to everyone, Quebec is presently experiencing a major shortage of professionals in jobs relating to the water sector. Water treatment operators, technicians, technologists, and engineers are severely lacking. However, water management and preservation are crucial issues. 

In 2020, EnviroCompetences denoted that 41% of organizations in the water sector had immediate labour needs, and 66% of organizations did not have measures to resolve the problem. Two years later, the situation hasn’t changed … Initiatives that stimulate the younger generations to develop their knowledge and expertise in the water sector are necessary today to ensure the perennity of the infrastructures, but also – and especially – the well-being of our society. If the labour shortage in the water sector continues, the consequences could be devastating. 

Initiatives such as C.I.EAU, the Emerging Talent Award EAU Andre-Perrault, and the achievements of young innovators who participate give us hope for the possibility of a better future. 

Find out more about the winner, Timothe Roy-Bouchard, and Solutions Eco Time.

Find out more about the Centre d’Interpretation de l’Eau. 

Since 1990, with the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation, Nan-b and Philippe ll de Gaspé Beaubien have been sharing their time and resources on a local, national, and international level. Their values of sharing, innovation, and sustainable development are the pillars of the Foundation. Thirty-two years later, these values remain at the heart of all their decisions. Get an overview of their humanitarian vision and its origin.

Before the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation: Télémédia

Following the success of their enterprise Télémédia, Philippe ll and Nan-b decided to create the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation. The success of the enterprise made their philanthropic aspirations possible.

Launched in 1968, Télémédia was a media company. It included magazines and several television and radio stations. In the 1980s, Télémédia owned the most important private radio network and was known as one of the largest magazine editors in Canada. Some of the brands founded and popularized by Télémédia are still part of Canada’s media landscape today: Coup de Pouce, Elle Québec, Elle Canada, TVHebdo, Canadian Living, etc.

Passion and Involvement from the Start

Proud of their success in the media world, Philippe ll and Nan-b threw themselves into the philanthropic field with the creation of the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation. Giving back to the community was more than a wish for them. They were motivated by the idea of helping other families in business to reach a balance between business and family and ensure a harmonious succession within the enterprises. They saw this as their duty. The Foundation’s approach is based on 3 principles: exchanging with the parties involved to understand their needs and determine the project’s key actions together, supplying the initial funds required for the development of the project, establishing the success criteria and evaluating the impact of the project, as well as ensuring the perennity of the project by researching sustainable funding.

Our Mission: listening, exchanging, and working with the community in order to collectively drive durable actions and change.

For our founders of the last 30 years, the Foundation’s various projects and programs are a full-time job. “The fact is that we have worked as hard to give back our money as we did to earn it in the first place. We want to be involved in projects and causes that we care about and believe in. We want to be involved efficiently and long term.” – Philippe ll and Nan-b de Gaspé Beaubien

From generation to generation, members of the de Gaspé Beaubien family have been personally and actively involved in the Foundation. Their contribution is of course financial, but also and mainly humanitarian. They donate their time and effort to each of the Foundation’s projects. They involve themselves personally and insist that their donations be dedicated to activities involving humans, not only infrastructures, equipment, or spaces.

Families in Business

In the 90s, as the line between the family and professional preoccupations of the de Gaspé Beaubien family was becoming blurred, Philippe and Nan-b realized that their enterprises may be unique, but their reality as a family in business was incredibly similar to their peers’. This is how the cause of families in business gradually became the Foundation’s primary project.

In 1999, the program created by the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation became a Non-Profit Organization and the Family Enterprise Foundation was born. Over 20 years later, the NPO is still in operation and continues to evolve.

Healthcare

From 2006 to 2014, the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation invested close to a million dollars into the healthcare system.

The Foundation was associated with the Centre de Santé et de Services Sociaux (CSSS) des Sommets (MRC des Laurentides) for the creation and implementation of several programs. Over the course of those 8 years, the team brought many projects to term. A new medical administration co-management system was set up; coaching and several co-development activities between medical directors and clinic administration were provided, the onboarding and integration of the doctors at the CSSS were consolidated, workshops to drive interest in management and the co-management model were created, etc.

The Cause of Water

For the last few years, the cause of water has been the Foundation’s priority. In 2015, the non-profit organization AquaAction was created. In only 6 years, the organization has participated in the creation of over 35 innovative start-ups across Canada through their AquaHacking challenges. This is certainly one of their biggest achievements!

Their most recent project? A new awareness campaign. This national campaign was launched in March. The objective is to make the public aware of the critical problems related to water and the cutting-edge solutions emerging to help solve them.

Find out how you can get involved!

Maison Phoenix

Having lived in the Laurentians for over 40 years, Philippe and Nan-b have a particular appreciation for the area. They have therefore been involved in several local projects over the years. In 2022, they announced their support for Maison Phoenix, a new NPO in the region.

Maison Phoenix’s mission is based on community and intergenerational relations. The organization will provide apartments for seniors 65 years and over. The building will be right next to Val-David’s new public school in order to make interactions between seniors and students easier. The de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation is contributing to the hiring of a resource to coordinate the organization’s intergenerational activities.

Nan-b and Philippe can be proud of the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation’s accomplishments. The humanitarian and philanthropic vision from 30 years ago has remained at the heart of their operations. It guides them every day and also motivates their children and grandchildren. The future of the Foundation and its projects is in good hands!

The Ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation has granted more than $2 million in funding to the AquaEntrepreneur Québec program. This program fills an important gap in the water technology development and commercialization cycle by helping water technology companies move their solutions from lab to market. The AquaEntrepreneur Quebec program will be launched across the province.

Find out more about this new funding.

On this World Water Day, AquaAction and the de Gaspe Beaubien Foundation kick off a multi-million dollar media campaign. The goal? Raising awareness about critical water issues and the cutting-edge solutions that are emerging to solve them. “Access to clean water is a human right and is essential to the health of our communities, ecosystems and economies. We need to urgently mitigate and adapt to the impact of a changing climate, and we believe in the ingenuity of young Canadians and their innovative solutions when it comes to restoring and preserving freshwater health as we do so,” said Francois de Gaspe Beaubien, Chair of the Board of AquaAction.

Learn more!

Get involved!

As well as being involved in the cause of water and supporting families in business around the world, the de Gaspe Beaubien family is firmly committed to helping their community. After having made a major contribution to our Sainte-Agathe des Monts hospital, we, once again called upon to help our community. Having lived in the Laurentians for over 40 years, Philippe and Nan-b, once again, have decided to give back to their community. The Foundation will therefore support a new organization in their region: Maison Phoenix in Val-David.

“We firmly believe in the strength of community. After being served so well by our Laurentian community. We have always considered that the elderly hold a privileged role within our families. They have the duty – and honour – of sharing their knowledge and wisdom stories, giving back, and contributing to the community.” – Nan-b de Gaspe Beaubien

What is Maison Phoenix?

Maison Phoenix is a non-profit organization which provides intergenerational co-operative housing for seniors with diminishing autonomy. The organization will supply apartments for seniors over 65 years of age who wish to live close to the heart of Val-David. The building will be near the village’s new public school in order to facilitate intergenerational exchanges between residents and young people. Maison Phoenix’s mission combines a collective approach, mutual assistance, and intergenerational exchanges.

The intergenerational side of things is already in motion! Last fall, first and second grade students from Sainte-Marie school read to seniors in the community. It was a source of pride and motivation for these young students who had the chance to use their recently acquired reading skills. For the seniors, it was both original and adorable entertainment as well as a chance to interact with the new generation.

Not Only for Primary School Students

Maison Phoenix would like to expand the intergenerational pairing beyond primary schools. They would like to provide the opportunity to adolescents and young people in difficult situations to exchange with the residents. People who are suffering with addiction, for example, will be able to seek out support from seniors who have been in similar situations. By sharing their experiences, the residents will provide visitors with support and understanding.

The Foundation’s Role

In 2022, the de Gaspe Beaubien Foundation will contribute in order to hire a resource for the coordination of the organization’s intergenerational activities. Maison Phoenix highlighted the importance of this funding: “This is a major contribution for our organization. We are looking to the future with a lot of hope and gratitude towards all the people and organizations who are financially supporting our mission.”

This resource will be the organization’s first contractual employee. Having trained as a teacher, Genevieve Beachamp accepted the mandate. She is motivated to tackle this challenge and develop the new intergenerational pairing programs.

Maison Phoenix may just be getting started, but they are starting off with a bang! It would not be surprising to see other similar initiatives emerge elsewhere in Quebec over the next couple of years.