The mayor mentioned Council’s desire to establish a local green fund for sustainable development and environmental protection in his presentation of the 2019 budget highlights. Council then passed By-law 19-781 to establish the green fund at the regular council meeting on January 7. La Pêche will use the fund to support innovative projects from the community and actions in areas such as fighting climate change, managing waste, protecting water, and caring for the soil. Green fund support for those efforts is a natural outgrowth of La Pêche’s 2019–2023 strategic plan, in which climate change is one of eight identified priority issues.
An implementation policy, an application guide and form have been produced to facilitate the project submission process.
If you wish to submit projects, here are the dates to remember:
The Green Fund was set up with two calls for projects, one with a deadline of March 1 and the other September 1. A total of 18 eligible La Pêche organizations applied for the March 1 deadline. This first running of the Green Fund will award $92,042 to the 12 projects in the table below, assuming they produce the required documentation. The Green Fund’s leveraging effect can be observed in the third column, showing the percentage of total funding provided by the Municipality.
Projects and applicants
Amount Granted
Project Percentage
Implementation of organic
waste collection, Municipality of La Pêche The
Municipality’s project will coordinate the new compostable organic waste
collection service within the Municipality, implement and track the
collection service, and assess ways to optimize it.
$20,679
34%
Eurasian water-milfoil:
Beating an Invasive Species, Gauvreau Lake Environmental Protection
Association The
Gauvreau Lake Environmental Protection Association initiative will include an
information and awareness session on the water-milfoil problem and will
discuss control methods and behaviours to adopt.
$1,023
75%
Educational series, La
Pêche Coalition for a Green New Deal (LPCGND) The
Coalition aims to educate and empower community members and help them develop
and create local solutions to the global environmental crisis.
$1,500
75%
A manual for
neighbourhood resilience in La Pêche,
Gary Martin This
pilot project aims to develop a resilient neighbourhood response plan for
future emergencies caused by natural disasters or catastrophic events.
*$6,500
24%
Waste
management and sustainability improvements to Clinique médicale des Collines,
Clinique médicale des Collines Inc. Clinique
médicale des Collines aims to reduce waste production, consumption at the
source, and compost production and get the clinic and its employees involved
in the community.
$14,662
50%
Effects of boats on the
proliferation of invasive species, Municipality of La Pêche The
Municipality would like to study the impact of boats on watermilfoil
populations. The study, conducted by ABV des 7, will describe the process for
restricting the use of motorized watercraft and provide an overview of
alternative approaches used elsewhere in Québec.
$2,656
100%
Recycling
stations in CISSS de l’Outaouais facilities, Centre intégré de santé et des
services sociaux de l’Outaouais The project will install ten recycling stations
in the facilities at Hôpital mémorial de Wakefield, the local community
services centre (CLSC), and CHSLD de La Pêche. The standardized system
will allow for better residual materials management.
$15,000
49%
Solar La Pêche, Ron
Verbeek This
educational project aims to help La Pêche become energy selfsufficient by
installing photovoltaic systems. The project will inspire La Pêche residents
by taking them through the process of installing a residential solar power
station, step by step.
$1,400
28%
Study for Lac Gauvreau
recovery, Lac GauvrEAU Secours In
response to the alarming invasion of water-milfoil in the lake, Lac GauvrEAU
Secours and government authorities will evaluate measures to restrict the use
of motorized watercraft. Organizers will work with various lake users to
educate the public and raise awareness of environmental issues.
$8,470
47%
Farmhop, Roots and Shoots
Farm This
event brings together three agricultural businesses to provide a day-long
immersive farm experience for the local and urban community. It’s a unique
opportunity to connect with the land and learn more about where our food
comes from and the farmers who feed us.**
$3,652
75%
Shoreline protection
awareness project, Friends of the Gatineau River Friends
of the Gatineau River produces events and educational materials to raise
public awareness about how to protect our lakes and rivers. The main goals will
be to protect the riparian strip, revegetate it, and encourage people to be
respectful and comply with the regulations in place.
$6,500
50%
The EZHarvester and
carbon-neutral honey goal, Apiverte Inc. Apiverte
offers beekeepers in the region a mobile honey and beeswax harvesting system.
The concept includes a trailer-mounted honey harvesting station that can be
operated with or without electricity. Apiverte will also educate the public
on bees and the key role they play in the global ecosystem.
$10,000
33%
*Special conditions based on approval of funding from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM)
**Funding approved but deferred to 2021 due to the pandemic.
The review committee received and analyzed nine applications submitted during the second call for proposals for the Green Fund, which ended on September 1, 2020. Municipal Council granted the maximum financial contributions to the following projects for a total of $51,227:
Projects and
Applicants
Amount Granted
Project percentage
Preliminary study for an Ecocentre – Municipalité de La Pêche
This municipal
project is to produce a needs assessment report and a concept plan for an
Ecocentre.
$13,390,
100%
Eurasian water milfoil control plan –
Association des propriétaires et résidants du Lac Bernard
The Lac Bernard
Homeowners and Residents Association wishes to hire a consultant to assess
Lac Bernard’s current Eurasian water milfoil infestation and explain the
available control options.
$4 692
50%
Study
on sustainable housing in Wakefield – Andrew Ryan
This
is to produce a collaborative study by various experts on a possible new
residential development in Municipalité de La Pêche featuring high-quality,
environmentally friendly, energy-efficient, affordable housing in the town of
Wakefield
This
to deliver the predevelopment phase of a construction project for 32
sustainable, affordable housing units (a business plan, architectural
schematic, and study of energy and environmental design options) for
vulnerable populations. The project as a whole is for an ecodistrict with
buildings that generate more energy than they use and enhance food security
by producing fresh food all year round.
*$15,000
31%
Flood
mitigation through the creation of new wetlands – Fairbairn House Heritage
Centre
Fairbairn House
Heritage Centre wishes to hire a consultant to produce an assessment report
on the current possibilities for the mitigation of flooding in Fairbairn
House by creating wetlands. The project is divided into three distinct
phases. This application is exclusively for Phase 1: research, mapping, and
analysis as well the report and its recommendations.
$3,870
100%
Sentier Louis Rompré Trail – Wakefield Trails
This
is to conduct a study to determine which measures to take to correct
environmental crimes along the potential route of the trail that will connect
the Wakefield–La Pêche Community Centre and Louis Rompré Park, the trails,
and River Walk. The study is to restore the natural environment around the
trail, including a creek and wetland. The objective is to restore the
ecosystem’s water retention capacity and solve flooding problems in the area.
$4,000
33%
Diagnosis of
municipal agrifood regulations and services – Municipalité de La Pêche
This is a
proposal by Table agroalimentaire de l’Outaouais to consult local farm and
agrifood stakeholders and assess current municipal agrifood bylaws and
services with a view to making recommendations on how to serve stakeholders
better.
$6,525
100%
*Special conditions for receiving funding from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM)
The Municipality of La Pêche is pleased to announce that seven out of the nine projects submitted for the third edition of the Green Fund Program will receive funding totalling $100,538.
The goal is to
educate the public and encourage people to get involved in developing and
creating solutions to the climate crisis. The group hosts events and a series
of educational programs that explore issues like a just transition to a green
economy and better approaches to rebuilding in a post-COVID world.
$1,850
74%
Urgent action
for the environmental health of Lac Gauvreau, Phase 1 - Gavreau Lake
Environmental Protection Association
This initiative
is a pilot project for other lakes in La Pêche. Activities include education
and awareness campaigns, shoreline characterization and restoration to reduce
the influx of nutrients, marking and flagging Eurasian water-milfoil areas to
reduce proliferation, participation in the water testing program, and seeking
out scientific expertise and guidance to ensure projects to improve the
environmental health of Lac Gauvreau are viable and effective.
$15,000
41%
Drinking
water in Wakefield - H2O Wakefield
The purpose of
this project is to establish well-water baselines for the construction and
occupancy of new homes to determine whether development is affecting existing
wells. It aims to improve Wakefied residents’ understanding of their wells
and the importance of regular water testing. It also seeks to encourage
developers to recognize groundwater as a valuable resource for the entire
community.
$5,467
59%
Entre Ciel et Terre - Fondation Ciel
et Terre
This dark sky park project aims to create a
place for amateur astronomers to observe the sky by using control measures to
minimize light pollution in the largest possible area.
It is seeking
to develop a legislative framework, establish a coalition to advocate for the
certification of the designated area, and develop a campaign to raise
awareness and promote the park among residents and certain groups.
$15,000
63%
Forêt des
Cent Acres - Action Chelsea for Respect of the Environment (ACRE)
The
objective of this project is to permanently protectthe Forêt des Cent
Acres forest and wetland ecosystems, which are located near the village of
Wakefield, by establishing a 100-acre community-managed protected area in one
of the ecological corridors linking Gatineau Park to Rivière Gatineau. These
ecosystems have significant ecological value and include mature mixed
northern forests and a population of western chorus frogs, which are
designated as threatened under the Species at Risk Act.
$16,080
1%
Reforestation around Lac Fairbairn - Mr. McClatchy
This project consists
of replanting multiple rows of trees around Lac Fairbairn. Numerous rows of
Eastern white cedar and other appropriate native tree species will be planted
to create a wildlife habitat and a natural buffer between the farmland and
the wetland.
$3,750*
75%
Feasibility study for a decentralized sewer system in the
Sainte-Cécile-de-Masham sector – Municipality of La Pêche
Two sectors in
Sainte-Cécile-de-Masham have been selected for a feasibility study on
implementation of a decentralized sewer system. The system provides
wastewater collection and treatment infrastructure and eliminates the need
for residents to have their own septic systems (septic tank and field).
$43,391
83%
* Project must obtain necessary permits to access the first instalment.
