Environmental Victor

Just outside of Quebec City in Lac Saint-Charles, 
Sylvie LaRose fights to preserve precious wetlands

From her home, Sylvie LaRose can look out at Lac Saint-Charles—a sparkling expanse of water that flows into a tributary of the great St. Lawrence River, which in turn surges south through Quebec City. On the north side of the lake sits Marais du Nord, a nature site that is home to a myriad of wetland and forest species.

Since 1994, LaRose, now 42, has been working to keep those animals and the waters they call home safe by volunteering for APEL (Association pour la protection de l’environnement du lac Saint-Charles et des Marais du Nord). The organization monitors the blue-green algae that forms from urban runoff, raises awareness about dangers to the frog population, and executes annual cleanups of the lakeshore.

“I took environmental studies in school,” says LaRose. “In those days acid rain was the main environmental problem. I realized that something had to be done about it—I had to go for it.”

While she felt she had “a calling” for environmental protection, her regular job (with a software company) was not aligned with her larger, planetary purpose. APEL was the answer. “I really wanted to stay connected with my passion and to get involved in my community,” says LaRose. “I am concerned about the quality of the lake and the environment and I realized that I need to take care of the planet for my kids.”

For LaRose, that means tireless work with APEL—writing their newsletter and blogs, maintaining the website, organizing an annual toy drive, planting trees. But as the vice-president of APEL’s board of directors, she also plays a crucial role in steering the organization’s overall direction.

And the work is paying off. Recently, the mayor of Quebec City revealed a sustainability action plan for the region that adopts many of the initiatives suggested by APEL. “We’ve been trying to work with the municipalities to respect certain development ideas and now the Quebec City mayor has bought into our ideas,” says LaRose. “He’s going to convince the other mayors in our watershed to adopt his policies. Action is coming out of all this work.”

Indeed, “every action counts” is LaRose’s personal motto. No matter how small the effort may be. “Even if we just have people coming in for one afternoon to plant trees, that action is multiplied by the amount of people that give a hand.”

—Liza Finlay