As part of the Semaine du Saint-Laurent and Défi Saint-Laurent, citizens are invited to participate in the shoreline and the bottom of the river clean-up operations aimed at restoring the river’s ecosystem.
The month of September is the ideal period in our sector in southern Quebec to carry out cleanings. Fisheries and Oceans Canada regulates the periods for doing work in waterways, since fish spawning is fragile for many species in our area. There is also the possibility of harming the spawning of certain threatened and endangered species. For our region, it is forbidden to work in the bottom of the water before August 1st and this includes, in our case, for cleaning work.
The Comité ZIP du Haut Saint-Laurent received funding from the Fonds d’action Saint-Laurent (FASL), by the Ecosystems and biodiversity program in collaboration with the Government of Quebec, in order to carry out the two cleaning activities. The Comité ZIP du Haut Saint-Laurent and the municipalities concerned will act in collaboration with the divers from the Eco Dive base and the Deco Stop Outdoor Center for these two cleaning chores.
An activity will take place at Les Coteaux on Friday September 11th , 2020 between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., at the mouth of the Soulanges canal, at the municipal campsite. This activity is possible thanks to the financial participation of several actors of the region which can be found below.
A second cleaning of the banks and river bottom will be held on a section of the Saint-Charles River in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield on Saturday, September 19th , 2020 between 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. near the dog park at the corner of Victoria and Hébert streets near the roundabout. This project is also possible thanks to the financial participation of the industry W. R. Grace Canada Corp, CEZinc and several participants in the region which can be found below.
Litter poses a risk to wildlife, but also poses a risk of contamination that can harm fish habitat. Local people are invited to participate in large numbers in this operation, which aims to restore the ecosystem of the St. Lawrence River. Distancing measures will be put in place during the event in order to comply with public health instructions in the current context.
Those interested in registering can contact the organization via email (projects@ziphsl.org) or by phone by dialing 450 371-2492.
