Aerial view of the Thousand Islands River, weaving through lush landscapes and vibrant communities.

AquaHacking Challenge

MILLES ÎLES RIVER 2021

Between January and September 2021, young innovative minds

- from across the Province of Quebec -

were invited to create groundbreaking solutions to critical freshwater issues facing the Mille Îles River.

WATCH THE FINALE

HOSTED BY

ABOUT THE CHALLENGE

The Mille Îles River, located north of Montreal is 42-kilometers long, extends across 9 distinct urban and agricultural areas, and provides drinking water to over 450,000 citizens. It is home to fragile flora and fauna which are essential to healthy river ecosystems but also faces environmental challenges caused by wastewater and other pollution sources. The developed solutions will meet local needs while having the potential to scale and have global impact.

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THE WATER ISSUES TACKLED IN THIS CHALLENGE

SEWAGE OVERFLOWS

Develop a tool for the analysis, management and planning of activities for the protection and restoration of aquatic habitats in order to facilitate decision-making and to act faster than they are degraded

WATER ISSUE LEADER:

COBAMIL, City of Terrebonne

ICE COVER ON THE RIVER

Predict and control variations in the thickness and duration of ice cover to facilitate decision-making regarding permitted uses and activities on the ice, and to better understand the impact of climate change.

WATER ISSUE LEADER:
Arrimage.COM Inc.

AVIAN FAUNA AND WATER QUALITY

Mitigate and predict the impact of the growing avian fauna (geese, ducks and gulls) on the public banks of the Mille Îles River in order to improve water quality for recreational use.

WATER ISSUE LEADER:
City of Laval

AQUATIC HABITATS

WATER ISSUE LEADERS
Éco-Nature

In the link below you can find a summary document about the environmental freshwater issues, with additional information and resources (in French).

WATER ISSUES SUMMARY

MEET THE FINALISTS

OTECH

O-Plast is a greywater treatment system designed to eliminate microplastics in water, which come mainly from commercial laundry. The solution combines membrane filtration with electrooxidation which results in the complete degradation of microplastics.

Team:

Yassine Ouarda and Alae Benguit | INRS-ETE

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ECOTIME

Oasis is an all-in-one rainwater harvesting and distribution system, which allows for the innovative use of rainwater in buildings and reduces the need to consume drinking water resources for non-potable uses.

Team:

Timothé Roy-Bouchard and Eddy Dureuil | Entrepreneurs

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ILOS - Public Choice Award

They propose a multifunctional floating platform, allowing for both new forms of ecotourism and the ability to measure water quality in real time with the use of probes.

Team:

Jean-Christophe Gosselin, Samuel Cante, and Maël Lahmar | ÉTS Montreal

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OVER ONE THOUSAND

They propose a versatile, multi-functional tool that leverages artificial intelligence and advanced analytics to improve planning, water management and decision-making in the context of sustainable development, such as the implementation of aquatic habitat protection and restoration of aquatic habitats.

Team:

Philippe Scalabrini and Ysael Desage | McGill University, Université Laval

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ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Brigitte Bérubé, President of the Board of Directors, C.I.EAU

Chantale Chatelain, Responsible for Laval's drinking water conservation strategy, City of Laval

Denis Brouillette, Scientific Advisor, MELCCC - Quebec

François Bilodeau, General Manager, Laval Innov

Jean Lauzon, Director of Development, Eco-Nature

Louis Beaupré, Director of Expertise, Landscape Architecture, STANTEC

Louise Hodder, Executive Director, Pôle régional d'économie sociale de Laval

Mathieu Laneuville, Deputy Director, Technical Sector Manager, Réseau Environnement

Nicolas St-Gelais, Scientific Director and Co-Founder, CANN Forecast (Alumni AquaHacking 2016)

Pierre-Marc Sarrazin, Vice President, Corporate Finance and Treasury, OVIVO

Richard Painchaud,President and CEO, Kourant Technologies

Sébastien Sauvé, Vice-Dean, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Université de Montréal

Virginie Dufour, Responsible for environmental issues, City of Laval

MILLES ÎLES RIVER 2021

HOSTED BY

ABOUT THE CHALLENGE

THE WATER ISSUES TACKLED IN THIS CHALLENGE

SEWAGE OVERFLOWS

ICE COVER ON THE RIVER

AVIAN FAUNA AND WATER QUALITY

AQUATIC HABITATS

MEET THE FINALISTS

OTECH

ECOTIME

ILOS - Public Choice Award

OVER ONE THOUSAND

ADVISORY COMMITTEE

FINANCIAL PARTNERS

WATER ISSUE LEADERS

PROGRAMMING PARTNERS

ACADEMIC PARTNERS

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