Return to the Earth Gala 2024

On June 12, 2024, the voice of the belugas resonated beautifully in the Maison Symphonique de Montréal. It was a moment of pure communion. Natasha Kanapé Fontaine’s poetry, wrapped in Claudie Bertounesque’s symphonic narrative and carried by Nicolas Ellis, the musicians of the Orchestre de l’Agora, Élisabeth St-Gelais, and the Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal transported the belugas of the St. Lawrence River into the hearts of an audience that loves art and nature.

A small population of belugas has lived in the St. Lawrence River for over 10,000 years. Isolated from neighboring populations in the Far North, the St. Lawrence belugas are endangered. Weakened by decades of exposure to toxic substances dumped into their habitat, their population has never recovered from the intensive hunting of the last century. Belugas are now facing the upheavals caused by climate change. Our mission is to better understand belugas and their habitat through scientific study of their behavior and monitoring of their health. This knowledge is essential for defining and implementing concrete actions for the recovery of belugas and the conservation of the St. Lawrence ecosystem.

The support of the Orchestre de l’Agora and its audience enabled us to complete the financing of our new research vessel, Antares, named after the beluga adopted by Frédéric Back. Antares will replace Le Bleuvet, which has taken us to the belugas every summer since 1989.

Much more than a generous donation that will help us continue our mission to better understand and protect the belugas of the St. Lawrence, the Gala de la Terre has brought the history and fate of the belugas back into our hearts.

The belugas of the St. Lawrence need friends.

Thanks to the Gala de la Terre, they have found them.

Thank you

WWF-Canada is deeply grateful to Orchestre de l’Agora for its generosity and for choosing us as a recipient of the 2024 Gala de la Terre. Your support helps advance our mission to create a future where both nature and people can thrive.

The contribution from the Gala strengthens Regenerate Canada, WWF-Canada’s 10-year plan to create the conditions to restore one million hectares of degraded ecosystems, protect and steward 100 million more, and reduce carbon emissions by 30 million tonnes by 2030 through nature-based climate solutions.

With the help of supporters across the country, including the Gala community, WWF-Canada achieved meaningful conservation impact this year. More than two million native trees, shrubs and seeds were planted in priority areas, more than 32,000 people participated in conservation and fundraising activities, and our work supported more than 230 species at risk. Thousands more spoke out in support of strong environmental protection.

Your support also contributed to important restoration work in the Quebec City–Windsor corridor, one of Canada’s most ecologically significant — and most threatened — region. In collaboration with local municipalities, WWF-Canada is restoring habitat in hydro corridors by planting native vegetation, modifying mowing practices and removing invasive species. These green corridors often represent some of the last connected natural spaces in urban environments.

Early results are promising: restored areas have shown double the insect diversity, stronger pollinator activity and a dramatic increase in native plant species. More than 15 hectares have already been restored, with more to come as partnerships expand.

This work is supported by resources such as our newly published guide, Growing and Propagating Native Plants, which helps communities and growers produce native species for local restoration efforts.

We are honoured to partner with Orchestre de l’Agora — a reminder that just like music, protecting the natural world brings people together and strengthens our communities. Thank you for helping us restore nature and build a more resilient future for all.

Thank you to the Orchestre d’Agora’s Gala de la terre for your generous support of Sierra Club Canada’s work to inspire wonder, connection, and care for the natural world.

Your commitment has played a vital role in advancing our efforts to champion the Rights of Nature—through education, community engagement, and by nurturing deeper relationships between people and the lands and waters that sustain us all.

With your help, we have been able to grow River Voices, an initiative of the Tenàgàdino Alliance dedicated to honouring the rights of the Tenàgàdino Zibi / Gatineau River. The Tenàgàdino Zìbì/Gatineau River flows on the unceded, unsurrendered land of the Anishinabeg Algonquins, who have been the ancestral Guardians of the River for thousands of years.

Through ceremony, whitewater paddles, youth gatherings, and the guidance of Indigenous leaders and Elders, your support has helped bring people together to celebrate the beauty of the Tenàgàdino Zibi and to embrace our shared responsibility to ensure this river remains free-flowing and full of life for generations to come.

The Rights of Nature movement is growing around the world, recognizing the inherent rights of rivers, forests, and ecosystems to exist, flourish, and regenerate—and reminding us of our collective duty to protect them. Here in Canada, the Innu Council of Ekuanitshit has been a leader in this work through the recognition of the rights of the Muteshekau-shipu (Magpie River).

Thanks to your support, we have been able to strengthen connections between the leaders behind the Muteshekau-shipu declaration in Eastern Quebec and members of the Tenàgàdino Alliance, fostering shared learning and solidarity. Last summer a delegate from the Tenàgàdino Alliance travelled to Mingan to talk with the Innu leaders of Ekuanishit. The meetings were productive and the Alliance is looking at organizing a visit by an Innu delegation to Kitigan Zibi so that the Innu can share their experience asserting the rights of the Magpie River.

Your generosity has also helped us spread awareness of the Rights of Nature through Sierra Club Canada’s podcast, The Environment in Canada, and to champion these principles in the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework through education and advocacy.

Thank you for uplifting River Voices—and for helping build a future where the Rights of Nature are honoured, protected, and celebrated.