FITZPATRICK ISLAND

FITZPATRICK ISLAND is a small but ecologically significant island on the Ottawa River and is home to species at risk, like northern map turtle, butternut tree and giant pinedrop. It’s a special place where fish seem to spontaneously appear in ponds due to the island’s location atop Canada’s longest underwater cave network. And thanks in part to a contribution from Kruger Products, and a collaboration between the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) and the Kebaowek First Nation, Fitzpatrick Island will be protected and conserved forever. Fitzpatrick is one in a series of three islands in the Ottawa River, where the river wraps around the Westmeath Peninsula between Quebec and Ontario. The area is home to more than 10 kilometres of subterranean tunnels, sinkholes and caves — the longest karst system in Canada. “It’s very exceptional,” says Caroline Gagné, NCC program director for western Quebec. “Just for this system to exist is a rare occurrence.” NCC has had its eye on the privately-owned island since 2012, when it began discussions with the owner and consulting with Kebaowek First Nation on a plan to protect the property from future development. A private, non-profit organization, NCC secures properties through donation, purchase and conservation agreements and provides long-term management of the properties — with conservation at the forefront. Altogether, NCC has helped protect more than 15 million hectares across Canada. A sizable donation from Kruger Products helped finalize the purchase of Fitzpatrick Island this year. NCC is now working with the Kebaowek First Nation toward an official Anishinaabe Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA) status for the island, the first of its kind on private land in the province. IPCAS are Indigenous-led conservation projects, with Indigenous laws, governance and knowledge systems at their core. “We’re currently working to establish a joint conservation plan with the Algonquin Anishinabeg First Nation, our main goal being to ensure the island is protected for the long term,” says Gagné. “We’ll also be sharing knowledge and learning from one another along the way, which will help inform future projects of this kind.”