Author fdgb

What was the most precious moment of the day?
Probably the most precious moment for me was when my brother and I finally arrived at our hotel room after being stuck in the rain while on the boat. We just put on some dry clothes and we were comfortable for about 15 minutes before we had to go again. It was the most precious moment of the day for me.
What did you do today, what did you learn new about the river today?
Well, I learned that the river is very rainy and sometimes they have apparently very mixed weather. I also learned that there are different currents on it and there are actually several rapids. There are parts with rapids, parts that are normal and islands around the river with camps on it. The river is actually really vast, the river is 100 thousand kilometers all around and it forms the water shed mostly in Ottawa, Ontario and Quebec. There are about 2 million inhabitants inside the water shed.
What was the biggest obstacle of the day?
Definitely the rain.
What would you say to your generation after your first day?
Help the river, because we are not doing this for nothing.

MONTREAL, July 10, 2013 – The de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation, Ottawa Riverkeeper and Blue Legacy would like to invite you to discover the River Mission project and be part of the 2013 BIOBlitz.
When: 11 am, Friday July 12
On May 29, the young generation of the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation announced a commitment of $490 000 to a 3-year partnership with Ottawa Riverkeeper and Alexandra Cousteau’s Blue Legacy International.
On July 12, with the presence of Alexandra Cousteau and Meredith Brown, the Foundation will present its action plan; what they hope to accomplish, the key dates and activities planned, and why we should all be concerned with preserving the water in one of Canada’s most important rivers. Ms. Cousteau will also share her plans and vision for the Ottawa River expedition she will be leading this autumn as part of River Mission.
The press conference will be followed by the launch of the BIOBlitz organized by Ottawa Riverkeeper. this will be a great opportunity to meet and talk with environmental scientists on the situation of the river and its wildlife.

Montreal, June 26, 2013 – The de Gaspé Beaubien Family Foundation has just concluded an agreement with the CSSS des Sommets to carry out the final phase of an agreement that began in 2006. On the menu: coaching, business development between medical directors and clinical administrators, consolidation of the reception area and integration of CSSS doctors, incentive management and co-management model workshops, as well as themed workshops for physicians in leadership positions.
Spread over a 12-month period, the overall objective of this final phase is to mobilize caregiver teams by implementing various aspects of a totally new co-management model.

What changed for the CSSS des Sommets

In addition to the time and energy invested by members of the Gaspé Beaubien Foundation, a donation in the amount of $50,000 will be made to CSSS des Sommets to realize the final phase. In total, since the beginning of their collaboration in 2006, the Foundation has awarded well over $500,000 in donations to CSSS des Sommets, in addition to the multifaceted organizational support the organization has benefitted from.
The benefits? There were many. Various organizational problems, mainly related to human resources, have been improved. Staff turnover has been reduced, the work environment improved, and management style greatly transformed by providing a more participatory approach. “At the Foundation, we believe our health system faces very complex challenges. We also believe that doctors need to be involved in the decision making process in collaboration with the administrators of the system. It is an essential avenue in finding solutions. It is why we are passionately engaged in building a co-management approach between doctors and administrators. We strongly believe in medical leadership and the CSSS is working in that direction,” comments Dominique Monchamp, General Director of the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation.

Health for everyone

Through its “Health for everyone” outreach program, the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation chose to engage directly with a local institution, the CSSS des Sommets. With this commitment, the Foundation wanted to provide local support for the development of this highly complex environment, that is the local health system.
The Foundation members are also specifically involved with the CSSS des Sommets, offering their time, management expertise and financial resources in the context of what is commonly called “venture philanthropy” or “entrepreneurial philanthropy“. The first results of the project were unveiled to the public in September 2012. Meanwhile, project partner, HEC Montreal, held a conference last October about the “social guarantor” concept that was developed and applied to the project. Under this formula, the Foundation acts a partner to identify different groups of employees that have projects likely to improve the operation. It invests in these projects and is involved in their implementation so that staff is committed and able to measure progress. The social guarantor concept is based on a relationship involving the beneficiary (CSSS des Sommets), the donor (the Foundation) and an intermediary (HEC researchers) to legitimize and support the process.

The need for results

The goals of the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation concerning its involvement with the CSSS des Sommets include making the health centre an attractive destination for both patients and medical staff, helping it become a centre of excellence in its field, and contributing to the overall review of its caregiving approach, by upgrading its human resources and putting the patient at the heart of all activities. All interventions and investments of the Foundation have been made in accordance with the traditions and philosophy of the organization: create a direct link with recipients, contextualize the intervention, listen respectfully, and develop an ongoing relationship and open communication.

Gatineau, July 12^th 2013 – Today, the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation unveils its action plan, objectives and next steps concerning the important River Mission project, announced in May and aimed at better protecting the Ottawa River.
On May 29^th, the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation announced its participation in the River Mission project through a new partnership with Ottawa Riverkeeper (Sentinelle Outaouais) and Blue Legacy International. This project aims to mobilize politicians, influential leaders, local communities and the entire population of Quebec to protect the Ottawa River, one of the most important rivers in Canada. Today, the Foundation unveils its action plan, objectives and the project’s next steps.

Clearly defined goals for the De Gaspé Beaubien Foundation

A confirmed financial commitment of $490,000 by the Foundation will be used to implement a series of activities that aim to raise awareness among the population of Quebec about the health and preservation of this major river. In addition, the goal of the project is to educate citizens that water, one of our most important natural resources, must be protected here in Quebec, as well as in Canada. Ottawa Riverkeeper (Sentinelle Outaouais), already well established on the Ontario side of the river, has been working hard for several years to raise awareness among Anglophone communities about this issue. However, two-thirds of the watershed is in Quebec, and a concerted effort is needed to inform Quebeckers about the importance of the river and the need to provide governance to ensure its preservation.
“We often think that the problems related to water, including its scarcity, are associated with underdeveloped countries, but the reality is very different… Imagine if countries today that have abundant water were to suddenly lack water; a major social crisis could ensue. We must roll up our sleeves and get started here now, because nothing is assured for future generations,” explains Philippe de Gaspé Beaubien IV, one of the initiators of the project, and project spokesperson for the fourth generation of the family.
According to Riverkeeper, Meredith Brown, the help of the de Gaspé Beaubien family is critical to Ottawa Riverkeeper’s efforts to protect the Ottawa River watershed. “We’ve been able to work very effectively in Ontario, but to work respectfully and effectively in Quebec, we need someone on our team who is completely at home with the laws, culture and language, which are different than in Ontario. If we are truly going to protect this magnificent river, we need to bring together communities and stakeholders on both sides of the river to agree on a common vision.”

Step 1: New Position – Director of Operations in Quebec

In order to achieve our RIVER MISSION goals, the first step is to establish a permanent Director of Operations in Quebec for Ottawa Riverkeeper. The mandate of this successful candidate will be to represent Ottawa Riverkeeper in Quebec, and to bring together citizens, policy makers, governments and municipalities to create a shared vision of the river, a vision founded on a healthy, sustainable watershed for the benefit of all.

Step 2: Ottawa River Expedition by the 4th Generation of the de Gaspé Beaubien Family

The main goal of this expedition, to be held from August 4th-8th, will be to allow four young philanthropists from the fourth generation of the family to take ownership of their project and to understand how they can make a difference and become engaged spokespeople for RIVER MISSION. They will also test the water at different locations on the river to assess its quality.

Step 3: Ottawa River Expedition led by Blue Legacy’s Alexandra Cousteau

During their next expedition on the Ottawa River, from September 11th-21st, 2013, the Blue Legacy team, led by Alexandra Cousteau, will capture three short films exploring:

• The quality of the water in the river
• The impact of dams on biodiversity
• The impact of the lack of collaborative governance on the river

The films will illustrate these critical issues and tell the compelling story of the state of the river to help people realize its importance to Canada.
Media interested in attending either of these expeditions, either remotely, or on-site, may communicate directly with the Valérie Gonzalo, Publicist for the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation.

Step 4: The Decision-Makers Tour

A year-long tour will be organized in 2014 to meet people whose actions and decisions could directly influence the state of the river, including mayors, ministers of the Environment, First Nations representatives, industries like Hydro-Quebec, Ontario Power Generation, the Chalk River nuclear plant, and nine pulp and paper mills that operate along the river. The de Gaspé Beaubien youth, Alexandra Cousteau, and Riverkeeper representatives will be on this tour; their mission will be to listen to the issues and concerns of all stakeholders, and then hold an open dialogue to assess how each party can contribute to improving the state of the river.

Step 5: Ottawa River Summit 2015

This project will wrap up at the second Ottawa River Summit, which will bring together all decision makers and citizens whose activities may have a significant impact on the river, to determine together an appropriate means of collaborative governance, supported by a strategic plan adopted by the majority of stakeholders.

About the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation

The de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation, a private family foundation founded in 1990 by Nan-B and Philippe de Gaspé Beaubien, advocates an approach that favours entrepreneurial philanthropy. The Foundation prefers to actively invest in promising projects that are likely to experience growth and become profitable, rather than by offering only donations. With extensive experience in the field of business, as well as a network of established local and international contacts, the de Gaspé Beaubien family selects projects that help encourage individuals and organizations to support sustainable social development.
For more information about the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation’s participation in the RIVER MISSION project, please contact:

• Valérie Gonzalo
• Publicist
• de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation
• 514 626-6976