Christine Métayer takes over as Executive Director of Éco-Nature | Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles

Laval, March 2, 2021 - It is with great pride that Éco-Nature and Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles announce the appointment of Christine Métayer to the position of Executive Director. She will succeed Isabelle Labarre, effective March 8.

From 2011 to the present day, Christine Métayer has used her ability to mobilize teams and steer changes in strategic positioning and organizational structure during pivotal periods, with the aim of contributing to the deployment of the Institut national de santé publique du Québec's mandate. From advisor to the scientific directorates to director of scientific development, her background in project and personnel management has prepared her perfectly to take on the management of Éco-Nature at a time when the latter is pursuing the development of major structuring projects, such as the expansion of the wildlife refuge and the implementation of the recreational and utilitarian transportation project.

"With her excellent collaborative leadership skills and incredible experience as a manager, Christine is the ideal candidate to take on this new challenge. Éco-Nature's mission is particularly close to her heart, as she lives on the banks of the Rivière des Mille Îles," (Translation) said David Maréchal, Chairman of the Board.

Christine Métayer's vast expertise in the scientific world also promises to be an asset to Éco-Nature's missions of conservation, protection and enhancement of natural environments. Her dynamism, political acumen forged through years of public service, and remarkable communication skills will certainly help the organization navigate through the various financial, tourism and environmental challenges that lie ahead.

Isabelle Labarre, who has held the position since April 2020, has wholeheartedly committed herself to the mission of Éco-Nature and Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, in a mandate that will have been marked by the logistical and health challenges generated by the pandemic. "I'm leaving this exceptional organization with a heavy heart. Nevertheless, I'm proud of the past year's results, which are very positive, despite the many challenges of managing a park in COVID times. Together, we successfully revised all our service delivery processes. We were also able to launch a project that was particularly close to my heart, namely the implementation of an HR project. This project enabled us to initiate a major review of our human resources management policies, and culminate in the formation of an exceptional management team, made up of highly talented young managers," (Translation) says Isabelle. She has held management positions in tourism with Huttopia Canada and Sépaq, before moving on to work in higher education and innovation. Éco-Nature thanks her for her excellent support of the organization and the Park during this year of transition, and wishes her all the best, after a well-deserved family break.

About Éco-Nature | Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles

Éco-Nature works to protect, conserve and enhance the Rivière des Mille-Îles and its tributaries, with the support and for the benefit of the community. Founded in 1987 and managed from the outset by Éco-Nature, Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles offers a high-quality ecotourism experience that respects the natural environment and benefits over 150,000 visitors annually. The park has won several awards for its recent achievements, including Excellence tourisme (2019) and Dunamis (2020). In 2018, the park's co-founder, Jean Lauzon, received the medal of the Quebec National Assembly for his involvement in the Laval community.