Reforestation in Quebec

Sainte-Marguerite River — Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean & Côte-Nord, Quebec, Canada — 48.32° N, 70.05° W

Quebec is one of Canada's most ecologically extraordinary provinces — home to vast boreal forests, pristine rivers, and some of the richest freshwater ecosystems in the world. Yet along the Sainte-Marguerite River and its tributaries, in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean and Côte-Nord regions, decades of logging, agricultural encroachment, and a changing climate have stripped the riverbanks of their natural tree cover — leaving them vulnerable to erosion, declining water quality, and the loss of the wildlife that depends on healthy riverside forests. The Reforestation in Quebec project, supported by Evertreen, helps bring these riverbanks back to life.

Adopt a tree in Quebec with Evertreen and help restore the banks of one of Canada's most iconic salmon rivers — protecting cold, clean water, rebuilding wildlife habitat, and strengthening the river valley against a changing climate.

 

Restoring the banks of a great salmon river

The Sainte-Marguerite is one of Quebec's most celebrated Atlantic salmon rivers, flowing through rugged boreal country before reaching the Saguenay. Trees are the natural guardians of its banks: they stabilise soil, shade and cool the water, filter runoff, and provide the habitat that sustains the full web of life connected to the river. Restoring riverside forest is among the most effective and lasting responses to the pressures bearing down on this landscape.

The deforestation crisis along the Sainte-Marguerite

The removal of native tree cover along the river's banks has left riverine soils exposed and unstable. Without deep-rooted trees to bind the ground, seasonal floods and heavy rainfall accelerate erosion, wash sediment into the water, and degrade the water quality that fish, wildlife, and communities depend on. The loss of streamside trees also removes the natural shade that keeps the river cool — a critical factor for the Sainte-Marguerite's renowned Atlantic salmon, which need cold, clean water to survive and reproduce.

Quebec's Côte-Nord and Saguenay regions are already experiencing shifting precipitation, more intense storms, and warmer seasonal temperatures. These changes place added stress on already-degraded riverbanks, accelerating erosion and threatening the balance of one of the province's most biologically significant river systems.

About the project

The Reforestation in Quebec project focuses on restoring native vegetation along the banks of the Sainte-Marguerite River and its tributaries. The goal reaches beyond simply planting trees: it is about rebuilding functioning riverside ecosystems that protect water quality, support Atlantic salmon habitat, stabilise eroded banks, and renew community connection to the river's natural and cultural heritage.

Species selection prioritises natives well suited to the region's boreal and mixed-forest conditions — balsam poplar, speckled alder, white spruce, balsam fir, yellow birch, and white birch — the trees and shrubs that once defined the river's natural banks. Through Evertreen, individuals and companies can fund this work directly, channelling resources to where restoration delivers the greatest environmental and community benefit.

Wildlife and water

A healthy riverside forest underpins the exceptional biodiversity of the Sainte-Marguerite. Shaded, cool, clean water sustains the river's wild Atlantic salmon and the many species that share their habitat, while stable, vegetated banks reduce sediment, filter runoff, and keep the whole river system in balance. As the forest returns, the river runs cooler and clearer, and habitat connectivity is restored along the valley — protecting the waters that local communities have relied on for generations.

Supporting Quebec's communities

The Sainte-Marguerite has been a source of sustenance, recreation, and cultural identity for Indigenous and local communities for millennia, and its salmon runs support both traditional harvesting and a thriving recreational fishing economy. Reforestation protects these foundations while creating direct local employment — in growing seedlings, preparing sites, planting trees, and the long-term monitoring and stewardship that follow — building a skilled workforce rooted in the health of the land and water.

A restoration measured in generations

Restoring a healthy riverside forest along a river of this scale is a process measured in decades, calling for sustained commitment, careful species selection, and genuine community engagement. As the restored forest matures, it stabilises banks, cools the water, expands habitat, and reinforces the river valley's natural resilience against a changing climate. Every tree planted along the Sainte-Marguerite is a contribution to a living landscape that will shelter wildlife and communities for generations to come.

Adopt a tree in Quebec

By supporting reforestation along the Sainte-Marguerite through Evertreen, you contribute to real, measurable impact on the ground: healthier rivers, stronger communities, and a landscape steadily reclaiming its natural balance. Plant a tree in Quebec today and help Quebec's forests and rivers grow stronger, one tree at a time.