I'll give you an example that has just been made public, including in the media. In the Mille‑Îles river area, the Conseil des bassins versants des Mille‑Îles is working on a stream in the Oka area. The stream is used extensively by apple growers for their water supply. Since people are drawing water from the same stream, the resource must be shared and there have been conflicts over its use. The waterway, the Rousse stream, flows into Oka national park, where it also serves as a habitat for protected species.
The watershed organization set up a discussion platform, funded in part by the provincial government, to work with farmers on their real concerns, find common ground and reach a consensus on the water resource. These discussions give rise to all types of solutions, primarily proposed by farmers, for how to share water in the area. Farmers are joined by other experts who come to discuss biodiversity, climate change or the impact of water shortages or the spring freshet.
This social innovation process plays a key role in our search for ways to resolve water‑related concerns.