Mr. Gabriel Meunier
Dear friends,
I would like to revive in memory the craftsmen of the first hour, those who contributed to the birth of COBAVER-VS during the four gestational years before its creation on December 10th, 2009.
2005
The Centre local de développement de Vaudreuil-Soulanges (CLD-VS) managed by Mr. Mario Besner had created poles of interest under the responsibility of Mr. Pierre Montesano: water and environment conservation was one of them, which facilitated the promotion of a prospective watershed organization (Organisme de bassin versant – OBV).
2006
Procedures for implementing COBAVER-VS started at the Réseau Environnement and ROBVQ conferences held at the same time in Quebec City. This is where I met Mr. Jean-Paul Raîche, who was very active within the Regroupement des organismes de bassins versants du Québec (ROBVQ).
Enthralled by my implication, Mr. Raîche suggested it would be relevant to create a watershed organization that would comprise all the watersheds on the RCM of Vaudreuil-Soulanges grounds in order to gain recognition with the MDDEP. He insisted on the benefits of having a well-defined territory – the Saint-Lawrence River, the Outaouais River, and the Province of Ontario border – and the fact that it would be managed by only one Regional Municipality County. In March and April, a map of all watersheds of the Vaudreuil-Soulanges county was established, as well as a list of all municipalities involved, their population, and the acreage according to their specific watershed.
2008
As part of the project’s framework for restructuring the zones for the integrated watershed management plan, the provisional committee, with the help of Mr. Raîche, approached the MDDEP and the ROBVQ in the springtime so that the RCM territory would be recognized as a specific zone.
December 10th, 2009
I would like to thank Mr. Jean-Paul Raîche for his collaboration all these years and for presiding the foundation assembly for the Conseil du Bassin Versant de la région de Vaudreuil-Soulanges held in St-Clet.
First Board of Directors and Executive Committee:
Board of Directors
Municipal Sector
Mr. Réal Brazeau, Administrator
Mr. André Beaudin, Administrator
Mr. Jean Lalonde, Administrator
Mrs. Gaétane Legault, Treasurer
Mr. Robert Sauvé, Administrator
Economic Sector
Mr. Daniel Castonguay, Administrator
Mr. Hans Gruendwald Jr., Advisor
Mr. Louis Marie Leduc, Vice-president
Mr. Luc Leroux, Administrator
Mr. Gabriel Meunier, President
Mrs. Nathalie Vézina, Administrator
Social and Community Sectors
Mr. Jean-Luc Brazeau, Administrator
Mrs. Claire Lachance, Administrator
Mr. Jamie Nicholls, Administrator
Mrs. Marthe Théôret, Secretary
Mrs. Céline Delhaes, Administrator
Executive Committee
Mr. Gabriel Meunier, President, Economic Sector.
Mr. Louis-Marie Leduc, Vice-president, Economic Sector.
Mrs. Gaétane Legault, Treasurer, Municipal Sector.
Mrs. Marthe C. Théôret, Secretary, Community Sector.
Mr. Hans Gruenwald Jr., Advisor, Economic Sector.
Guests
Mr. Jean-Paul Raîche, Presiding Officer
Mrs. Caroline Pépin, Secretary
Many thanks to all the people who believed in the necessity of preserving our treasured water supply and who have spent time and energy to create the COBAVER-VS.
I am proud to have participated in the COBAVER-VS’ birth and to bequeath a legacy of an organization which has already accomplished so much for the conservation of water.
With its extensively involved administrative and executive committees, the COBAVER-VS is set for a buoyant future.
Gabriel Meunier