Friends of Dumoine take next step with first AGM
Deborah Powell
Local Journalism Initiative
Published February 12, 2025
DUMOINE RIVER VALLEY – The Friends of Dumoine held their first annual general meeting online on January 29.
John McDonnell, executive director of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society’s (CPAWS) Ottawa Valley chapter, chaired the meeting, opening with a welcome and a land acknowledgment.
Wally Schaber, a founding member of Friends of Dumoine and a longtime advocate for the river’s protection, outlined the organization’s beginnings in 2016 and highlighted key accomplishments. Concerned about overused and neglected campsites along the river, the group placed 50 thunderboxes—wooden toilet boxes—within two years, repaired fireplaces, improved canoe landings and portages, and promoted responsible trail use.
In 2024, Friends of Dumoine opened a 26-km hiking trail following the Old Tote Road from the Ottawa River to Grand Chute. “We discovered so much history,” Schaber said, explaining that some artifacts remain along the trail, while others are displayed in the organization’s log cabin at Grand Chute. The Tote Road is part of a larger plan to establish a fully “self-propelled” hiking trail.
Most recently, the organization purchased the lease for land at the Ottawa River trailhead, the site of the original southern ranger base for the Ottawa River Fire Protective Association Ltd. The property includes a cabin built in 1919 to house the rangers and store firefighting equipment for the southern sector.
The meeting saw the approval of the group’s first board of directors, which includes: Wally Schaber, Marc Audet, Mark Stiles, Hugh Christie, Guillaume Rivest, Erin Pehar, John McDonnell, and David Sinclair.
Bylaws for the organization were also approved.
A discussion of the financial report included recognition of grants received, including one from the MRC Pontiac for emergency response equipment. Schaber noted that the group needs a minimum of $25,000 annually to cover basic costs, with additional funding required for special projects. Liability insurance will be an added expense, but formalizing the organization will improve its ability to secure grants.
McDonnell provided an update on CPAWS’ continued work to protect the Dumoine, Noire and Coulonge rivers. He noted that the group is also studying the Fildegrand, Kipawa and Poussière rivers and assessing a possible conservation corridor between Algonquin Park and the Dumoine Aquatic Reserve. The society also partners on construction projects and runs an annual Dumoine-themed artists’ retreat.
Friends of Dumoine works closely with ZEC Dumoine, a key partner in conservation and recreational development. The organization also acknowledges Wolf Lake First Nation, whose traditional territory includes the Dumoine River watershed and the Kipawa region, as an integral part of the area’s history and present.
The group has nearly 150 members, with 47 registered for the meeting. Volunteers are always needed, both for on-the-ground work and committee roles. The organization hopes to hold an in-person gathering in the spring. More information can be found on its Facebook page and website at sentierdumoine.ca.
Photo – Artist Maggie Glossop, along with Peter Edmison, Mike Lamothe and singer-songwriter Marc Audet, recently created a sitting bench at the Square Timber campsite—fourth on the Red Pine Portage—using a salvaged squared timber winched from the bay below Red Pine. The log may have been part of the timber slide built in 1871 and dismantled in the 1920s.
In addition to trail work, Glossop donates artwork for fundraising efforts. (Marc Audet)
