“Michel Bélanger is one of Canada’s most outstanding environmentalists and well deserving of this recognition,” said Bob Peart the Chair of Nature Canada. “I have continually admired his commitment and dedication to protecting nature.”

An active board member of Nature Québec since 1989, co-founder of the Quebec Environmental Law Centre and the law firm of Lauzon Bélanger, Michel Bélanger has dedicated his career to protecting the environment from a legal point of view. He has been involved in numerous high-profile actions, including a historic Supreme Court of Canada case protecting the rights of citizens to launch class action lawsuits over environmental harm. He has a Masters in public law from Université de Montréal and a Diploma in specialized studies in environmental law and territorial management from Université Robert Schuman (Strasbourg, France).

“I’ve always felt the law was an essential tool to protect nature. I am most honoured to have my work recognized by Nature Canada,” said M. Bélanger.

“Michel’s work really shows the importance and strength citizens can have in improving nature protection,” said Nature Canada Executive Director Graham Saul. “He has served as prosecutor and legal advisor for a number of critical environmental cases that have led to real and lasting change in Canada.”

The Douglas H. Pimlott Award is Nature Canada’s pre-eminent award and is given to those individuals who have demonstrated a significant contribution throughout their lifetime to the conservation of Canada’s biodiversity, landscapes and wilderness.

Previous recipients include Robert Bateman, Anne Murray, Dr. George Archibald, Monte Hummel, Dr. David Schindler, Greg Mitchell, Mary and Stuart Houston, Harvey Mead, and Diane Griffin.

Douglas Pimlott was a renowned conservationist, wildlife biologist, ecologist and environmentalist. He was a founder of the modern environmental movement in Canada and previous President of the Canadian Nature Federation.

Nature Canada has been a voice for wildlife and nature lovers for more than 80 years. A charitable organization, we connect the dots between local action and systemic change to help stop the loss of species and restore nature’s resilience. We have helped protect vast areas of land and ocean through our conservation advocacy supported by more than 900 nature organizations and 100,000 individuals. Learn more at naturecanada.ca.

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Lara Falkiner
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