LAURENTIANS WILDLIFE CORRIDOR

Wildlife corridors are land or water passages that connect territories

together. Like a path through a forest, corridors allow animals to move and
plants to disperse to habitats where they can reproduce, feed and find
shelter — in short, meet their vital needs. Safeguarding a connection between
these habitats is essential for wildlife to remain healthy.

By protecting wildlife corridors, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC)

and our partners are ensuring that species can migrate from one habitat to
another.

Please join us in helping to protect vulnerable species and their

precious habitats by strengthening a strategic wildlife corridor in the
Lac Brûlé area. Fisher

AN NCC PROJECT TO STRENGTHEN THE SOUTHERN LAURENTIANS WILDLIFE SEE MAP

ON P.4
CORRIDOR IN THE LAC BRÛLÉ AREA
Oriented east-west and crossing Highway 117, this corridor connects several strategic public lands of
Saint Lucie-des-Laurentides - the eastern Ouareau Regional Forest Park, Doncaster First Nations
Reserve to those of the Jackrabbit Ecological Reserve to the West. The corridor also extends North
towards Mont-Tremblant National Park. In addition to properties already protected, large private land
masses with interesting prospects for conservation are located between these considerable forested
areas.
NCC is pursuing a multifaceted conservation approach aimed at strengthening the Southern Laurentian Corridor,
involving land acquisition, development of wildlife crossings under Highway 117 and capacity building.

LAND ACQUISITION IN THE LAC BRÛLÉ AREA SEE MAP

ON P.3

• The newly identified property which NCC endeavours to acquire and protect,
is adjacent to the east side of the Lac-Brûlé Nature Reserve in the Lac Brûlé
Water Basin.

• The protection of this additional property will add 30 hectares to the 300
hectares of land already protected in the area. Once the acquisition is
complete, the property will be annexed to the nature reserve.

• Diverse forest and wetland habitats, and by extension many ecological niches
likely to facilitate species’ migration can be found here. This land mass
presents the possibility of conserving large portions of forest, maintaining
north-south migration corridors as well as passage towards higher elevation ‘Nature Days’ activity © NCC
zones for moose, minks, martens and other wildlife.

• This property is a vital component of the corridor’s development, and is essential for the flora and fauna that inhabit the
area – some of which are in a precarious situation.
 DEVELOPMENT OF WILDLIFE CROSSINGS UNDER HIGHWAY 117

• The Southern Laurentian Wildlife Corridor is split by highway 117,

effectively dividing two important natural areas. This offers great
potential for the development of wildlife crossings, one of which is located
within a property that NCC is in the process of acquiring.

• The project aims to reduce wildlife mortality from vehicle collision and
ensure that animals can travel along the length of the corridor.

• Three strategic points with existing infrastructure provide the building Moose
blocks for the development of wildlife crossings:

• The P'tit-Train-du-Nord is a multi-use recreational trail that runs

through the Rivière du Nord valley. Originally a railway track, it
intersects with the highway and the existing tunnel provides the foundation for the development of a
wildlife passage. The project presents the opportunity to monitor wildlife activity using cameras, share
findings and raise awareness about the importance of ecological connectivity.

• Two rivers flow under highway 117, and these tunnels provide the necessary infrastructure to create
safe passage for wildlife.

CAPACITY BUILDING

To further consolidate the Southern Laurentians Corridor and

ultimately strengthen the corridor’s capacity to host migrating species
while ensuring the health of the region’s flora and fauna, NCC and
partners seek to:

• Connect with landowners and assist those who are interested in

NCC's mission and objectives.

• Develop outreach materials and tools to sensitize the public to the

importance of wildlife corridors.
Wood Duck
• Raise funds to support corridor initiatives.

The Lac Brûlé community has been an invaluable support to NCC’s conservation efforts
and we sincerely hope that this corridor project, which is of great regional importance,
inspires your participation.
This multifaceted project requires $15,000 in funding, up to 15% of which will be
allocated for general expenses.

About NCC: The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is Canada’s leading not-for-profit, private land conservation organiza-
tion, working to protect our most important natural areas and the species they sustain. Since 1962, NCC has helped to protect 2.8
million acres (more than 1.1 million hectares) coast to coast, including 111,197 acres (45,000 hectares) in Quebec. To learn more,
visit natureconservancy.ca.

For more information:

Annie Ferland Project Manager Joël Bonin  Associate Vice-president Development and Communications, Quebec
 514 876-1606, ext. 6250  514 876-1606, ext. 6224
 annie.ferland@conservationdelanature.ca  joel.bonin@conservationdelanature.ca
 LOCATION MAP
30 HA PROPERTY TARGETED FOR CONSERVATION,
EAST OF LAC NOIR AND LAC BRÛLÉ

Help protect land to strengthen the wildlife

corridor in the Lac Brûlé area

PROPERTY IDENTIFIED FOR ACQUISITION

LAND PROTECTED BY NCC

WETLANDS

We are grateful to the landowner who is making a

significant donation of the land value through the eco-gift
program.
As a result, the land purchase price is close to half the fair
market value. NCC is raising funds to complete the project.