Montreal, QC. – May 28, 2025 – AquaAction mourns the passing of Philippe II de Gaspé Beaubien, a visionary entrepreneur and philanthropist whose contributions to Canada’s water tech sector will endure.
With his funeral set for Saturday at Montreal’s Cathédrale Marie-Reine-du-Monde, Quebec and Canada bid farewell to one of their most influential champions.
AquaAction, a nonprofit dedicated to driving innovation in water solutions, has been profoundly shaped by M. de Gaspé Beaubien’s legacy.
His instincts for media and adventure led him to paddle by canoe from Montreal to New York City, earning widespread media coverage and gave him a taste for business. His successful career in the media industry gave him the means to support causes that mattered most to him.
Following his groundbreaking work in the 1970s on the national fitness campaign ParticipACTION, he challenged his children to champion a new mission.
His grandchildren chose water.
Across Canada, communities face mounting freshwater crises: microplastic pollution, algae outbreaks in the Great Lakes, droughts, and wildfires.
Through the eponymous de Gaspé Foundation, Philippe II and his family launched AquaAction, accelerating innovation and entrepreneurialism to combat freshwater challenges.
The impact has been enormous. AquaAction has helped launch or scale up over 100 water tech companies. Collectively, AquaAction entrepreneurs have saved the equivalent of over 38,500 Olympic pools of water, and over 85,000 trees worth of C02.
A lifelong student of history, he honoured his heritage as a 12th-generation North American descendant of seigneurial landowners and fur traders, tracing his family’s deep connection to the continent’s waterways.
Things came full circle in 2025. This year, AquaAction expanded into the United States, opening its headquarters in Detroit, a city founded in 1701 by Philippe’s ancestor along with a group of French settlers.
M de Gaspé Beaubien led a remarkable life, and his dedication to fostering innovation will reverberate for generations.
Quote:
"Philippe led by example. He showed us the power of a good idea and taught us that innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum. it takes a village to make it commercially viable. Even late in life, his engagement with AquaAction was inspiring. He was incredibly touched to see us become a binational organization this year, headquartered in a city deeply tied to his family’s story."
- Soula Chronopoulos, President, AquaAction
Quick Facts
- AquaAction empowers innovators and entrepreneurs to develop and deploy cutting-edge water technologies that drive sustainable solutions for water security. Through leadership development, coaching, and industry partnerships, we accelerate the growth of water-focused startups, foster collaboration, and champion water technology and innovation as pillars of economic resilience, environmental sustainability, and national security.
- AquaAction’s Impact since 2016:
- 100+ active water tech companies
- $200M+ in annual revenues
- $65M+ capital raised
- 400+ green jobs created
