Volunteer Profile – Sylvie Tremblay

This month we’re featuring Sylvie Tremblay, a member of our Quebec Advisory Committee. We’ll let her tell you about herself:

Photo Credit: Louis-Philippe Poirier

I went salmon fishing for the first time in my life in 1989. It was on Matane River. At that time, I fished only one weekend per summer. It took a long time to acquire experience, but I waited impatiently for each occasion which was bringing hope every time. It is however on Jacques Cartier River that I struck my first salmon. It was on September 30th, the last day of the season, but it was a real inspiration for the next season. Since then, I visit a few rivers every season, including rivers in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.

All my working years were spent in practising a teaching career, as a classroom teacher, a teaching consultant, a school principal and a remedial teacher. I get a lot of happiness from learning and sharing knowledge. I considered becoming a member of the Quebec Advisory Committee to learn more on salmon and specifically on its protection.

In its mission, the Foundation promotes partnership and in its objectives, it focusses on cooperation, local innovation as well as on scientific expertise. These values combined with salmon protection and restauration of its habitat were attractive to me. Being an enthusiastic angler myself and having no scientific knowledge about salmon, I accepted to join de committee in 2014.

I have been representing anglers of Québec-Saguenay regions on the board of the Fédération québécoise pour le saumon atlantique (FQSA) since 2010. Of course, I support the values of resource conservation, education and promotion of salmon fishing. I inherited those values from my father who is still to this day honored by the Prize Salar Pierre Tremblay.

By taking part in the FQSA and the Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation’s activities, I also wish to represent women, those women who are more and more active on rivers, but not so present in associations, federations or foundations. In order to walk the talk (« les babines suivent les bottines », I authored a few articles in the journal « Saumons », featuring women who work in the field, I am an attendant for the « Journée  des  femmes » (Women’s day) of L’Anse-St-Jean and I work with several committees throughout the year.

As a new member of the Quebec Advisory Committee of the Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation, I have already learned a lot, I am broadening my horizons, and I sincerely hope to participate in its mission and its objectives for the persistence of wild Atlantic salmon and its habitat.

Sylvie Tremblay