Les Escoumins (Quebec), March 25, 2006 – The Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park’s coordination committee, in cooperation with its regional tourism association partners, is pleased to announce that the 2006 Rosaire-Corbin Prize has been awarded to the Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM). The awards ceremony was held today at the Escoumins multipurpose hall, in conjunction with the Grands Prix du tourisme de l’Association touristique régionale de Manicouagan.
Since 1985, GREMM has brought together marine enthusiasts devoted to public awareness and conservation of the marine environment and scientific research on marine mammals of the St. Lawrence River, particularly the North Shore. In addition to various other activities, GREMM founded the Centre d’interprétation des mammifères marins (CIMM) in Tadoussac, which serves as the hub for GREMM activities. GREMM is renowned locally and internationally for the quality of its research efforts and the variety of its interpretive activities.
The Rosaire-Corbin Prize rewards an individual or group for promoting the cultural and natural heritage of the St. Lawrence estuary and Saguenay fjord, thereby contributing to the conservation and presentation missions of the marine park. The award is given in cooperation with four regional tourism associations concerned with the marine park: Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Lower St. Lawrence, Manicouagan and Charlevoix.
Chaired by Mr. Jules Dufour, Professor Emeritus from the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park’s coordination committee consists of representatives from the regions bordering the park, Aboriginal communities and the federal and provincial governments responsible for management of the national marine conservation area.
The prize was established in memory of Reverend Rosaire Corbin, a biologist-naturalist who devoted his life to educating youth and promoting the natural sciences. He was the first chair of the coordination committee and played a major role in creating the marine park.