thematic wall for what I’ve been doing this summer. This is the Rupert River. I didn’t have the chance to paddle on it, but some of my friends have.
The Eastmain 1-A/Rupert mega-project plans to divert the Rupert river, one of the last great virgin rivers, over a distance of 350 km. The 5 billion dollar project includes the construction of 4 dams, 75 dikes, and a 3 kilometer tunnel, all of which will allow Hydro-Quebec to reroute 90% of the river’s flow toward the Eastmain-La Grande hydro-electric complex.

The Rupert River is the last virgin river of the James Bay to be accessible by road. Sacrificing it in this manner amounts to disfiguring one of the true jewels of the heritage of mankind under the eyes of the rest of the world. This ill-considered decision from an environmental, cultural, anthropological and economic standpoint will carry heavy consequences for the long-term development of the James Bay as well as for Quebec and Canada’s standing abroad.

Today, hydroelectricity is already what coal was yesterday: an energy source from the past, which served its purpose in the past but which must now be wisely replaced. Do not let promises of short-term economic gain obscure your vision of a greater, stronger nation resolutely aiming at development policies that are enlightened and a future that is noble.

Times are changing. Thankfully, certain marvels still exist and it is our collective duty to protect them in the name of future generations. The Rupert River and the unique sanctuary that it represents constitute one of these marvels.