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For the past 6 years, Dominique Monchamp, our General Manager has managed our family foundation, the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation, with tremendous energy and passion. The success we have seen with the last two AquaHacking Summits is a tribute to this passion for freshwater conservation, which she shares with the rest of our family. We are very pleased and proud of her outstanding contribution over the years. We will continue to count on Dominique’s expertise as consultant to our AquaHacking 2017 project as well as pursuing her mandate of estate manager.

Effective immediately, Mr. Claude Perras will be managing the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation as Executive Director. Claude has over 25 years’ experience within global corporations, international development organisations and several not for profit. Until recently he was working as a Consultant in the Environment, Social and Governance Department at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group. He is the former Vice President of Sustainability and a member of the Executive Committee of London Mining PLC, listed on London Stock Exchange. Claude’s extensive career includes notable roles at Rio Tinto, Alcan, UNITERRA, and CECI. He holds a Master of Management from McGill University; a Diploma in Social Development from the Coady International Institute at St. Francis Xavier University; Bachelor of Arts in Social Science with a double Major in Economics and Political Science from the University of Ottawa.

We invite you to join us in warmly welcoming Claude to our team and to offer Dominique all our best in her new role.

Cordially,
Nan-b de Gaspé Beaubien
Co-chair of the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation

Starting this week, Quebec’s technology and digital community will focus on the most pressing issues facing the St. Lawrence River as part of the AquaHacking CHALLENGE: United for the St. Lawrence. This hacking CHALLENGE, organized by the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation, aims to develop innovative solutions.

“The participating teams, made up of developers, designers, programmers, coders, IT professionals, water experts and creative minds, will have five months to develop functional technological solutions (mobile, web, or other),” explains Ms. Dominique Monchamp, executive director of the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation.

Here are some examples of the challenges:

Swimming and summer go hand in hand! What if we knew the water quality index before diving in?
There are several access points to the St. Lawrence. Can we geolocate them and learn about them?
Invasive species harm biodiversity. Develop an app to identify them and report their presence to the proper authorities!
The St. Lawrence River is part of our daily lives! Build a tour guide app showcasing its rich history and evolution.
Climate change impacts water levels. Can we monitor changes and forecast their impact?

Why participate?

A total of $50,000 in cash prizes will be awarded to the six finalist teams. In addition, these teams will land their first client contracts and will have access to a bank of hours to consult professionals in the fields of finance, law, and marketing.

All of the CHALLENGE participants will be in close contact with IT solution companies and project partners. They will also receive support from mentors, technology experts, or water specialists from organizations such as IBM, the École de technologie supérieure, Polytechnique, and the City of Montréal.

The finalists will have the opportunity to present their solutions to a jury of high-profile entrepreneurs, capital venture investors, IT executives, and environmental experts.
To ensure that the winning solutions will be developed to their full potential, they will also receive support from renowned incubators, namely, IBM, Centech (École de technologie supérieure) and District 3 (Concordia University).

The grand final for the CHALLENGE will take place on October 7, 2016, the second day of the AquaHacking 2016 Summit: United for the St. Lawrence. The Summit will take place at the Palais des congrès de Montréal.

The CHALLENGE participants will also have access to data sets provided by Environment Canada, the Quebec Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment, and the Fight against Climate Change, and the City of Montréal.

In addition to funding provided by the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation, AquaHacking 2016 receives financial support from IBM as major partner, as well as Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, the City of Montréal, the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation, RBC, the Government of Quebec, Stingray Digital, and Cascades. Furthermore, Stratégies Saint-Laurent and the St. Lawrence Global Observatory will contribute to the project by sharing their valuable expertise on the St. Lawrence River. The Quartier de l’innovation de Montréal, Concordia University’s District 3, Notman House, FounderFuel, and LE CAMP (City of Québec), all of which contribute to the development of the Quebec technology ecosystem, also support AquaHacking.

To find out more about the AquaHacking 2016 CHALLENGE, the general public is invited to the next 6@8 info sessions, which will be held in the cities of Montréal and Québec.

To register for the CHALLENGE, participate in an information session, or to know more: 2016.aquahacking.com< br>

Twitter: @AquaHacking

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AquaHacking

The de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation announced an one million dollars donation over five years to the École de technologie supérieur (ÉTS). This donation will allow the creation of a new research chair and the launch of an entrepreneurship grant program.
“With its 9,000 students, of which nearly 500 are at the doctoral level, ÉTS is truly a hotbed of ideas. This donation aims to support research and innovation at ÉTS and stimulate the creation of young technology companies. Quebec has an abundancy of exceptional talent and a helping hand is often enough for these talents to blossom,” explains Mr. Philippe III de Gaspé Beaubien, president of the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation, at the launch of ÉTS’s major campaign.
Philippe III de Gaspé Beaubien first came into contact with ÉTS as cofounder of EERS, a company that specializes in the field of hearing. “The researchers and students at ÉTS work towards finding solutions to concrete problems. I really like their approach and wanted to support research in two areas that are close to my heart; namely, intraauricular research and water preservation,” he added.
An amount of $500,000 will thus be dedicated to the creation of the CRITIAS (Chaire de recherche industrielle en technologies intra-auriculaires Sonomax/EERS) laboratory.
An amount of $225,000 will also be provided to the research chairs of DRAME (Développement et recherche appliquée en modélisation de l’eau) and STEPPE (Station expérimentale des procédés pilotes en environnement).
In addition to health and water, the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation is actively involved in supporting entrepreneurship. That is why the Foundation will offer 25 grants of $10,000 to young entrepreneurs for the start-up of technology companies.
In conclusion, the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation and ÉTS will collaborate on the AquaHacking 2016 Summit, an event dedicated to water preservation through innovation. This event will take place in Montreal on October 6 and 7, 2016 at Palais de congrès.

Are you concerned about the health of the St. Lawrence River? We’re all ears!
Through the end of March, you can submit the issues you are concerned about through our online public consultation platform. Residents, shoreline residents, the private sector, managers of municipal water sources, field-based organizations, engineers, universities, and others are encouraged to post issues they would like to see the hackathon teams address.
After issues are selected, our water experts and hackers will develop technological solutions addressing the main issues!
Your contribution as a concerned citizen is essential. Submit an issue!

The de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation is proud to have IBM as a major partner. IBM’s involvement, for a second year in row, will provide high-quality, professional mentoring to the teams in the hackathon as well as cutting-edge expertise and technologies such as Cloud, Watson and Bluemix.
“IBM is pioneering the infusion of cognitive computing to build a new class of solutions to address the needs in various areas such as the one to improve water management on a global scale,” said Jean-François Barsoum, IBM’s senior managing consultant for Smarter Cities, Water and Transportation.
IBM’s involvement will help develop and support the best technological approaches for protecting the St. Lawrence River.

Accompanied by David Heurtel, the Minster of Sustainable Development, the Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change, Philippe III de Gaspé Beaubien, President and CEO of the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation, officially announced AquaHacking 2016 Summit: United for the St. Lawrence.
The summit will take place on October 6 and 7, 2016, at Palais des congrès de Montréal, and will focus on three major themes: adaptation to climate change, spills and overflows, as well as access to the river’s banks.
There’s strength in numbers!
As part of AquaHacking, the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation works with solid, committed financial partners, such as IBM, the City of Montreal, École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS), RBC, the Quebec Government and Cascades.
In addition, Stratégies Saint-Laurent, the St. Lawrence Global Observatory, Table de concertation régionale Haut-Saint-Laurent – Grand Montréal, and Regroupement des organismes de bassins versants du Québec will contribute to the project by using their invaluable knowledge of the St. Lawrence River.
AquaHacking will also include a number of academic and scientific research units, such as STEPPE, DRAME, GRIL, CREDEAU, and OURANOS.
For more information: http://aquahacking.com/en

From November 19^th to 22^nd, 2015, Business Families Foundation, founded by the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation, will hold a Forum in Miami, Florida, dedicated to families in business. You’re invited to join us at this exciting event, which will allow family-owned businesses to share their knowledge, expertise, and vision.

The Forum is the perfect opportunity to take a step back from your family business, reflect, and benefit from the sound advice of experts in the field. Take advantage of this time to focus on yourself, reinvigorate your business, exchange with peers, and expand your network. The benefits for your business will be remarkable.

The forum features three unique events. Whether you participate in The Reflect and Refocus Women’s Workshop, The Vision 2040 Think Tank, or the Celebration of the 25^th anniversary of the Foundation, you will certainly find what you are looking for in Miami!

Be sure to add the Forum to your calendar, and give your family business the chance to evolve and work toward a bright future!

The Reflect & Refocus Workshop

Presented by the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation, in partnership with Business Families Foundation, the Reflect & Refocus Workshop is dedicated to the women at the heart of family business. This workshop is a great opportunity for women to connect with their peers, exchange, reflect and refocus. During the workshop, each participant will be paired with another woman who shares a similar vision and position within their family’s business. The pairs will spend two days working together (November 21^st and 22^nd). This set-up allows the participants to take a step back, gain a better perspective, and explore the most important issues faced by women in enterprising families.

Vision 2040 Think Tank

The Vision 2040 Think Tank will bring together a group of passionate family owned businesses that have proven themselves successful over the years. Composed of insightful thought-leaders from the field, this workshop’s objective will be to look 25 years into the future, and identify new opportunities and challenges. The aim of this meeting is to prompt reflection, begin conversations, and inspire new ideas to help family owned businesses look forward to an exciting future. This workshop will be held on November 19^th and 20^th, 2015.

Celebration of the 25^th Anniversary of the Foundation

2015 marks Business Families Foundation’s 25 year celebration of supporting families in business, and during the evening of November 19^th, the Foundation will have the opportunity to honor its founders. This includes the de Gaspé Beaubien family, the collaborators, and the many experts and family leaders who have supported the business family community with wisdom and passion.

Will you be in Miami between November 19^th and 22^nd? Register to our forum, we would love to see you!

Need extra information about the Forum? Click here: https://businessfamilies.org/forum/