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The Massawippi Conservation Trust (MCT) is a conservation entity established in 2011 that protects, preserves and conserves properties in perpetuity in the Massawippi watershed. The MCT is the sister organization of the Foundation. It is a not-for-profit organization which has a charitable status and can issue tax receipts for donations. The Trust has 3 Trustees, two of whom are also on the board of the Foundation.

The MCT employs a seasonal staff of trail builders who build and maintain public walking trails. Alongside the Foundation, the MCT runs an education program and authorizes research activities on its lands.

The Fondation Massawippi Foundation (FMF or the Foundation) was established in 2011 and is the primary fundraising arm of the Massawippi Conservation Trust (MCT or the Trust). The FMF is incorporated under Part III of the Quebec Companies Act as a not for profit organization. It has 11 board members. The FMF’s funds are managed by the Ottawa Community Foundation.

The Ottawa Community Foundation (OCF) is a charity for charities. It has holdings of over 221 million dollars and was chosen by the founding board members of the FMF as its asset manager. The OCF handles investments, funds, donations and tax receipts, thereby reducing the paperwork and investment responsibilities for the FMF’s volunteer board.

Massawippi Foundation Board Members 2024-2025

MARGOT GRAHAM HEYERHOFF – PRESIDENT, JONATHAN ELKAS – CHAIR, NADIA MARTEL – VICE-CHAIR,

CLAUDE SÉGUIN – TREASURER, JANE MEAGHER – PAST CHAIR AND BOARD SECRETARY

NORMAND BRIÈRE, ERIC VAN BOCHOVEALAN CAPES, HAMNETT HILLCAROLINE JAMET

Margot Graham Heyerhoff

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President of the FMF and Trustee of MCT

Margot has been a volunteer Foundation board member since 2011 and a Trustee of MCT since 2022. 

Margot and her family moved to the Massawippi Valley permanently in 2002. However, she had attended university and worked in the area in the 1970s. She is one of the founders of the Massawippi Foundation. Even before its legal inception, Margot played a key role in its establishment. For much of the last decade, Margot served as Chair and volunteer acting Executive Director at the same time – otherwise known as a “servant leader”. 

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Jonathan (Joff) Elkas

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Chair of the FMF

Joff has been a volunteer Foundation board member since 2021 and is currently the Chair of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. He has a secondary residence in North Hatley.

Joff currently holds the position of Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships at the Montreal General Hospital Foundation. A business lawyer by training, he retired from Bell Canada in February 2024 where, over the course of a 33 year career, he practiced general commercial, IT, franchise, consumer protection, privacy and telecommunications regulatory law. Joff holds degrees from Université de Sherbrooke (Baccalaureat en droit (L.L.B.)) and McGill (B.A. – History).

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Nadia Martel

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Vice-Chair of the FMF

Nadia has been a volunteer Foundation Board Member since 2023

Nadia holds degrees from Bishop’s University (Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration (B.B.A.)  and from Université de Sherbrooke (Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Law and a Master’s degree in Taxation). She is the Co-Founder and Partner of i4 Capital Fund, a Corporate Director and Business Advisor, Strategy & Governance. Currently, she is a member of the Board of Directors of POLR Enterprises, Laserax Inc. and EVOL.

Claude Séguin

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Treasurer of the FMF

Claude has been a volunteer Foundation board member since 2022. 

Claude holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from HEC Montréal and a Master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Public Administration from Syracuse University in New York State. He began his career in the public sector in the 1980’s and ended as Deputy Minister of Finance for Quebec in 1987. He is currently Chairman of the Board of the Solidarity Fund QFL since 2018. He has been involved in several fundraising events including Centraide of Greater Montreal and the 24 Hours of Tremblant Foundation.

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Jane Meagher

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Past Chair of the FMF and Board Secretary

Jane has been a volunteer Foundation board member since 2013. 

Jane is a full-time resident of North Hatley since retiring from her law career with the Federal government. Her great grand-father’s family bought their first North Hatley summer home in 1920.  Jane became involved with the Massawippi Foundation in 2012, one year after the Board was formed. She was invited to join in 2013 and has served as its Chair from 2022-2024.

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Eric van Bochove

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Chair of the FMF Agricultural Committee

Eric has been a volunteer Foundation Board Member since 2021. 

Eric has a Bachelor’s degree in agronomy, a Master’s degree in plant ecology and a PhD in water sciences, as well as years of experience in agri-environmental research before becoming the executive in charge of the scientific direction of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Research and Development Centers of Sherbrooke, Quebec City and Normandin. Eric joined the FMF board to help us expand our conservation mission to include agricultural lands.

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Normand Brière

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Director

Normand Brière. Returned as a volunteer to the FMF Board and to the MCT as a Trustee in 2024. (Past Board Member and Trustee 2019-2022)

Normand holds degrees from UQAM (Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Real Estate Appraisal).  He is a commercial real estate consultant. Normand worked previously for RBC commercial mortgages and at Desjardins Asset Management. He is currently a member of the investment committee Funds II and IV Fiera Opportunity Fund. He is a member of the real estate advisory committee for the Hydro-Quebec Pension Plan.

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Alan Capes

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Chair of the FMF Planning, Communications and Engagement Committee

Alan has been a volunteer board member since 2022. 

Alan is a Civil Engineer (Concordia University) with an MBA (McGill University). Alan retired from a successful 35 year career at CN Rail where he led technology strategy and implemented multi-million dollar business transformation projects. In retirement, Alan co-founded and serves as a director of the Fondation Ruisseau Bouchard in Dorval and is a director of the Ayer’s Cliff Fair.

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Hamnett P. Hill

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Member of the FMF Agricultural & Advancement Committees

Hamnett has been a volunteer board member since 2020. He has a secondary residence in HatleyHamnett is an entrepreneur and investor who has built and scaled early-stage technology companies for decades. He co-founded TotalNet, Zero-Knowledge Systems, Radialpoint, Smooch Technologies, and has supported many others as a director and investor through his investment firm edo Capital and as a Fellow at Diagram Ventures.   Through edo Capital and the HPH Family Foundation, Hamnett has supported a variety of social and impact entrepreneurs building organizations that increase the awareness of, and contributing to the creation of more sustainable food systems.

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Caroline Jamet

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Member of the Planning, Communications and Engagement Committee

Caroline joined the board as a volunteer in 2024. Caroline has been a senior executive in media and cultural companies for over twenty-five years. After years in publishing, she joined Radio-Canada where she is currently head of Radio & Audio. She holds a degree from Concordia University (Bachelor of Arts with a specialization in Communication). Caroline is a member of Concordia University’s Board of Governors and the École nationale de la chanson.

FMF Committees

  • Governance – Joff Elkas – Chair
  • Planning Communications and Engagement – Alan Capes – Chair
  • Advancement –Claude Séguin – Chair and Capital Campaign, Annual Giving
  • Education – Jane Meagher – Chair
  • Agriculture – Éric Van Bochove – Chair
  • Grants – Margot Heyerhoff – Chair

Download the Annual Fund Brochure

Massawippi Conservation Trust

Trustees

Normand Brière

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Normand returned as a volunteer Trustee in 2024.

Normand holds degrees from UQAM (Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Real Estate Appraisal).  He is a commercial real estate consultant. Normand worked previously for RBC commercial mortgages and at Desjardins Asset Management. He is currently a member of the investment committee Funds II and IV Fiera Opportunity Fund. He is a member of the real estate advisory committee for the Hydro-Quebec Pension Plan.

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Margot Graham Heyerhoff

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Margot is a founding Board member and a volunteer Trustee of MCT since 2022.

Margot and her family moved to the Massawippi Valley permanently in 2002. However, she had attended university and worked in the area in the 1970s. She is one of the founders of the Massawippi Foundation. Even before its legal inception, Margot played a key role in its establishment. For much of the last decade, Margot served as Chair and volunteer acting Executive Director at the same time – otherwise known as a “servant leader”.

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Martin Primeau

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Martin was a Foundation board member from 2022-2024 and he is currently a volunteer MCT Trustee. 

Martin is currently the Chief of Operations of the Fire Protection Service, City of Sherbrooke where he has worked for close to 25 years. He also served with the North Hatley Fire department as Captain from 2002 -2005. Martin was involved in local politics from 2005-2021 and ended his term of office as the Mayor of Canton de Hatley. Martin holds a B.A. from Université de Sherbrooke and has a multitude of educational certificates in the field of fire prevention and safety.

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Honorary Council

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Fondation Massawippi Foundation – Honorary Council 2024 – Conseil d’honneur

Steve Allatt, Paul Bannerman, Normand Brière, Michel Bull, Paul Caron, Jean Charest & Michèle Dionne, Robert Charest, Jacques Courtois, Tim Doherty, Sam Elkas, Jonathan Fortier, Jennifer Garfat, John Hay, Patrick Houston, Norman Jones, Guy Lizotte, Jean Marquis, Paul McFarlane, Paule Obermeir, John Oldland, Paul & Kathleen (Henry) Parisi, Mary Pollock (Pollock Foundation), Whitty Ransome, David & Susan (Wells) Tunnell, Claudia Wardman, Patterson Webster, Philip & Judith Webster, Thomas Wilcox

In Memorium

Brian Merrett, David Ogilvie, David Rittenhouse, Philip and Eulah (Reed) Scowen, Mary Webster, Norman Webster, Jodi White

In Memorium

David Rittenhouse

Founding Member, Executive Director

Jake Eberts

Founding Member

Michael Ogilvie

FMF Board Member

Norman Webster

Founding Board Member, Trustee

Jodi White

FMF Board Member