Regarding the CCBB

The Centre for Conservation of Boreal Biodiversity (CCBB) is the result of the efforts and vision of those who built up the Wild Zoo of Saint-Félicien. Every change that has taken place over the years, both with respect to the animal collection and the physical environment, was carried out in conformity with the various mandates that the Zoo undertook. Today, our niche is that of the Borealie and our mandate is conservation and sustainable development.

To provide our visitors with a Zoo unlike any other, a Zoo that blends harmoniously into a yet untamed Nature, that offers a dramatic meeting place where Nature and Boreal wildlife come together, and that makes an exceptional contribution to the protection and maintenance of Boreal biodiversity through its educational, scientific and recreational activities.

1. To be recognized for the originality and exceptional quality of its wilderness location and its coordinated land planning;

2. To be seen as a benchmark for the protection and maintenance of Boreal biodiversity thanks to its research arm and to its nature-friendly development.

3. To be the trustee of a business plan that promotes a balance between respect for the environment, the wellbeing of the public at large, and the sustainability of the organisation;

4. To staff the Zoo with skilled personnel that are appreciated both for their welcoming attitude and their educational approach;

5. To be differentiated by its activities, at once educational and recreational and consistent with the values and issues inherent to sustainable development;

6. To become a true leader in the fields of tourism, ecotourism, and safe adventures.

Our slogan

Learn in order to know, know in order to love, love in order to protect.

The Borealie

What is the Borealie?

The Borealie corresponds to the northern part of the boreal hemisphere. It is that region where the climate is cold, where the ground is subject to the impact of frost and ice and where the woodlands are dominated by conifers. More specifically, the Borealie includes those lands where the mercury remains below freezing point more than three months per year.

It covers, therefore, a large part of the planet’s land surface, including the greatest woodland biome in the world; the Boreal forest. It also provides for the subsistence of a huge part of humanity and shelters a variety of plant life and wildlife that is quite extraordinary, given the rigorous climatic conditions that prevail there.

Inhospitable in appearance, the Boreal world is in fact huge and generous for those who learn to discover it. The CCBB wishes to promote both its most spectacular and its most secret features.

When you live out the Boreal experience, you will discover that the forest is much more than just trees and that winter is far from being a dead season.

You will understand that all nature’s elements have their strong and their fragile aspects and, realizing this, you will have one desire; to protect it.

A unique niche

By changing its mandate and defining the Borealie, moving towards an ecological approach and acquiring tools such as the Borealium (the new reception building) and the Web portal, the CCBB finds itself with a world-class exclusive niche that allows it to fully exploit its role in education, publication, research and conservation. The “Wild” Zoo has thus become the wildlife domain of the CCBB and is potentiated by the Borealium. This latter will prepare visitors not just to visit a site, but to enjoy a Boreal experience, while being initiated into the pleasure of discovery…

The future

Faithful to its tradition, our institution is already considering and preparing various projects for the future. Currently, the CCBB owns 1200 hectares of unused land. This huge territory will allow a multitude of activities where visitors may both live out and experience the Borealie. Here are some examples of possible projects:

• To sleep and cohabit with the wolves and the caribous in their natural habitat
• Boreal park : activities of interpretation on the boreal biodiversity, lodging - rustic round wood camps and inn, course ventures adapted to various customers
• Habitats of exotic species of Boréalie (i.e.:  Japanese macaque, tiger of Siberia, leopard of snows, etc.)

The CCBB already makes available activities, discoveries and experiences that will be found nowhere else. However, the unused land offers us possibilities that are limited only by our imagination. Our task now is to continue the adventure, to live out our mandate day by day and to maintain our innovative development.

What experts think of the Centre for the Conservation of Boreal Biodiversity

“Your project is extraordinary good. I would even say it is sensational. I hope that it will become a reality. This would be a great opportunity for Saint-Félicien.”

Francesco di Castri (1930-2005)
Director of the Laboratoire d'écologie évolutive et fonctionnelle CNRS, Montpellier, France
President of the International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS), a member of ICSU (International Council of Scientific Unions)
President of the Committee for the follow up to the UN Conference on environment and development
Former director of UNESCO’s Division of Ecological sciences

“The plan sounds great; it is very ambitious, and I sincerely hope that over the years, it will bring about the influence on both the public, the young people, and the changes in behaviour that come from better awareness of ecology and biodiversity to justify the effort…”

Dr. E. Fred Roots
Science advisor emeritus
Environment Canada
National Research Council of Canada
President of the International Arctic Science Committee

“The project is ambitious, but very realistic. It can be carried out and it is very exciting!”

Jacques Prescott
Biologist
Head of Sustainable Development, Division du Patrimoine Écologique et du développement durable, Ministère de l’Environnement du Québec
President of FOSEM (foundation for the protection of endangered species)

“Reading through your document I get the impression that your project in many ways is unique and will revolutionize the concept of education and bioparks.”

Willie Labuschagne
President of Pan African Association of Zoological Gardens Aquaria and Botanical Gardens

“The project sounds very interesting. Off the top of my head I cannot think of anything in Australia that would be like this.”

J.S. Perry Hobson,
Editor-In-Chief, Journal of Vacation Marketing
Senior Lecturer, School of Tourism & Hospitality Management, Southern Cross University

“Your Borealium concept sounds excellent to me, and highly appropriate for your locale.”

Don E. Wilson
Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC

“A development based on the northern boreal region I believe would be a unique attraction…  However, a number of private developments in Australia are increasingly only representing local plants and animals although not in advanced a manner as the Quebec proposal.”

Michael Hall
Director/Professor
Centre for Tourism, Division of Commerce, University of Otago

“Zoos in general are trying to establish more "habitat like" enclosures. However, they are still  enclosures… people are now beginning to question the value of eco-tourism to nature parks, as the increase in human and transport traffic disturbs the wildlife. I therefore believe your concept benefits from a combination of "escaping into nature" and modern technology. This is a much better way of turning information into knowledge!”

Monica Brett
World Conservation Monitoring Centre

“You are indeed describing something distinctive and ambitious.”

Prof. Philip L. Pearce
James Cook University of North Queensland - Department of Tourism

“In short, I feel that what you have described for the CCBB Project seems to be philosophically consistent with AZA conservation and science programs.”

Ed Diebold
Director of Animal Collections
Riverbanks Zoological Park and Botanical Garden