Article content

A 6,000-hectare swath of forest and wetland with historical significance in western Quebec will be conserved forever thanks to the Nature Conservancy of Canada and federal and private funding.

The non-profit Nature Conservancy of Canada made the announcement of the protection of the Kenauk property, near Montebello, at a news conference on Monday. The day is designated World Environment Day.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or World Environment Day: Huge swath of Quebec forest, wetland to be protected forever Back to video

The land, which once belonged to Patriote leader Louis-Joseph Papineau, who led the 1837-38 rebellions against British rule in Lower Canada, is about halfway between Montreal and Ottawa.

The protected land is along a 20-kilometre corridor that’s three kilometres wide and is home to more than 170 species. The area contains rivers and lakes, so the land isn’t contiguous.

The land contains the largest known population of black maple trees in Quebec. Black maple forests are considered to be at risk under the province’s Threatened or Vulnerable Species Act.