About Us

Our nonprofit EcoMaris is a social economy enterprise that was founded in 2006 to operate Quebec's first sail training vessel with an environmental focus.

Since then, we have been creating and offering sea expeditions that are educational, multifaceted and life-changing.

After acquiring extensive experience as far as the Amazon River, we now focus our programs around the St. Lawrence River and its connection to the global ocean. Our initiatives are celebrated by participants and governments alike. They improve physical, mental, social, professional and environmental health while contributing to ocean science.

EcoMaris promotes education by:

• Providing the general public, and youth especially, with a sail training program on a dedicated vessel to teach about navigation, the environment and community involvement;
• Organizing expeditions that survey the flora and fauna of the St. Lawrence, in order to contribute to scientific research;
• Offer, to the general public, workshops and conferences on topics such as sailing and the environment.

EcoMaris connects humans to the global ocean - to which the St. Lawrence is a gateway. Our programs use the sea as a learning tool to reveal participants’ motivations, strengths and support networks, as well as the importance of conservation. EcoMaris helps create an active, committed and united generation who understands that everything is connected to the great climate regulator that is the ocean: health, the economy and our very survival.

Participants in our inclusive programs learn about self-awareness, creativity, autonomy, responsibility, teamwork, basic navigation skills, career options in the maritime field, marine ecosystems and the importance of ocean conservation. These skills are often linked to professional and personal success, and it is through direct action that they are best acquired.

Our pedagogical approach broadens horizons as it reveals the strength in each participant. It calls upon the physical, intellectual, emotional and social dimensions of the being. Participants learn to adapt, innovate, make decisions and overcome challenges. Our initiatives often lead participants back to school or the job market. They also encourage community involvement.

All of our programs and projects are carried out in a spirit of collaboration with the communities, organizations, businesses, foundations and entities that support us.

Health

• Support youth aged 18 to 30 who struggle with various challenges (mental health issues, isolation, precariousness, addiction, lack of education, etc.)

Society

• Fight against precariousness through a humane reintegration approach
• Contribute to school motivation and alternative learning
• Promote education
• Encourage community involvement
• Support women in ‘non-traditional’ fields
• Connect with Indigenous peoples

Environment

• Improve universal access to the global ocean
• Highlight the link between health, rivers, ocean and climate
• Encourage climate action
• Promote science
• Organize wildlife survey expeditions
• Foster partnerships in the environmental field
• Contribute to the UN Decade of Ocean Science