APELA

What APELA does

APELA (Association pour la Protection de l'Environnement du Lac Archambault) is a Quebec-registered non-profit environmental association founded in 1961, making it the first lake association in the province. The organization is dedicated to preserving the environmental health of Lake Archambault (13.77 km², max depth 39.7 m, watershed 284.5 km²) and its surrounding watershed in Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm, in the Lanaudière region. It is governed by a 7-member volunteer board (President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and four directors/honorary members) and operates with no paid staff, recruiting only its first part-time administrative assistant (approximately 120 hours/year) in 2026.

APELA's core offerings are environmental programs rather than commercial products. These include: voluntary lake water quality monitoring through the provincial RSVL network (continuous data since 2004 covering phosphorus, turbidity, and trophic state); bathymetric surveys co-conducted with CRE Laurentides biologists (2019); a youth ambassador network for residents aged 25 and under; riparian restoration and tree planting initiatives; advocacy campaigns against open-pit nickel mining (Ni-Co Énergie project near Saint-Donat) and excessive dock development (supported by an independent FAHEY urban planning study delivered in 2020); and an active campaign for Saint-Donat to obtain 'Communauté bleue' certification from Eau Secours.

The organization's business model is a community-subscription nonprofit. Revenue comes from regular memberships at $50 CAD per year, optional donations ($25/$50/$100 tiers), and historical grant funding. Membership acquisition and renewal are self-serve through the yapla.com platform; outreach runs through the apela.ca website, email newsletters, Facebook, Instagram, the annual general meeting, and public consultations. Distribution is digital and community-based with no physical office — operations run from a PO Box in Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm. APELA leads or co-leads regional coalitions including 'Matawinie, nos lacs sans mines' alongside ARLO, ZEC Lavigne, and the municipality of Saint-Donat, and has contributed to a temporary moratorium on new mining claims in the MRC de Matawinie (autumn 2023).

Name

APELA

Legal name

Association pour la Protection de l'Environnement du Lac Archambault

Website

https://apela.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

APELA is a Quebec non-profit founded in 1961 that protects Lake Archambault in Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm through volunteer-run water quality monitoring, environmental advocacy (anti-mining, dock regulation), and community mobilization of lake residents, cottagers, and youth ambassadors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAGAK

Water Resources & Watershed Protection

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Environmental & Conservation Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGAGAE

Marine & Freshwater Conservation

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Environmental & Conservation Organizations

SECONDARYBPAGAGAA

Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Environmental & Conservation Organizations

Keywords

• Lake environment protection
• Water quality monitoring
• Watershed conservation
• Environmental advocacy
• Community stewardship

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-Donat-de-Montcalm

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: Annual membership fees of $50 per regular member provide a recurring revenue stream. Membership renewals are managed through an online platform. This is the primary direct revenue source for the nonprofit.
2. Donations: Members and supporters can make optional donations ($25, $50, $100) during the membership enrollment process. Donations supplement membership revenue.
3. Grant funding: APELA has historically received grant funding from government programs. The organization also benefits from volunteer labor, which represents an in-kind contribution to operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

APELA is a non-profit environmental association that protects Lake Archambault through water quality monitoring (RSVL program since 2004), watershed and riparian band conservation, advocacy against open-pit mining and inappropriate dock development, and community mobilization of lake residents and cottagers. It also runs a youth ambassador network and publishes environmental documentation and reports.

Product overview

APELA (Association pour la Protection de l'Environnement du Lac Archambault) is a non-profit environmental organization founded in 1961, not a technology product company. Its offerings consist of environmental protection programs and advocacy services for Lake Archambault, including water quality monitoring through the RSVL program, a youth ambassador network promoting responsible nautical practices, mining activity opposition campaigns, dock regulation advocacy, and documentation/reporting services. These programs work together to preserve the lake's environmental health through community mobilization, regulatory engagement, and public education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lake Water Quality Monitoring (RSVL Program) Voluntary lake monitoring program tracking water quality indicators such as phosphorus levels, turbidity, and trophic state since 2004, conducted in collaboration with the Quebec Ministère de l'Environnement. Intended for lake residents, cottagers, and provincial environmental authorities.
• Mining Activity Opposition Campaign

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CRE Laurentides (Conseil de l'environnement des Laurentides)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPELA partners with CRE Laurentides for scientific environmental monitoring, including bathymetric surveys of Lake Archambault conducted in 2019. CRE Laurentides is a key source of environmental data, bathymetric maps, and expertise on aquatic plants, watersheds, and lake ecology.
• RSVL (Réseau de surveillance volontaire des lacs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLake Archambault has been registered with the RSVL since 2004, compiling water quality data (trophic state, phosphorus levels, turbidity) through standardized monitoring protocols. APELA participates in this provincial volunteer lake monitoring network.
• Eau SecoursminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPELA advocates for Saint-Donat to become a 'Communauté bleue' (Blue Community), a certification program administered by Eau Secours that recognizes municipalities committed to water as a human right, public water services, and banning bottled water. APELA mobilizes citizens to contact municipal officials to pursue this certification.
• MFFP (Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPELA works jointly with the MFFP on fish stock census projects for Lake Archambault, recruiting citizen angler scouts to record fish species caught and contributing to provincial fisheries management data.
• Municipalité de Saint-Donat-de-MontcalmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPELA collaborates closely with the municipality on environmental initiatives including tree distribution programs, water source management, environmental bylaw enforcement, and public consultations. The municipality's environmental department handles invasive species reports and waterway compliance.
• FAHEY (urban planning firm)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAPELA and ARLO jointly commissioned the urban planning firm FAHEY to conduct an independent study on dock regulations, analyzing best practices in comparable Quebec municipalities and providing recommendations to the municipality of Saint-Donat. The final report was delivered in November 2020 and shared with the municipality in March 2022.
• ARLO (Association des résidents du lac Ouareau)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPELA and ARLO form a joint front on environmental advocacy, notably on dock regulation reform, municipal public consultations, and environmental protection. They share research (e.g., the FAHEY dock study), present joint representations to the municipality, and coordinate on public consultations regarding waterfront development.
• Coalition 'Matawinie, nos lacs sans mines'coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPELA leads a coalition of lake associations opposing the open-pit nickel mining project by Ni-Co Énergie in the ZEC Lavigne. Under APELA's leadership and pressure from lake associations, the MRC de Matawinie obtained a temporary moratorium on new mining claims in autumn 2023. The coalition prepares a campaign for Territories Incompatible with Mining Activity (TIAM) designation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Eau Secours: A Quebec-wide nonprofit advocating for water as a public good that administers the Blue Community certification program APELA is campaigning to bring to Saint-Donat. Comparable nonprofit advocacy mission with broader provincial scope and longer policy track record.
• Regroupement des organismes de bassins versants du Québec (ROBVQ): Quebec's umbrella organization for watershed basin groups; represents the broader category of nonprofit watershed protection organizations that APELA belongs to, providing networking, training, and policy coordination across the province.
• Nature Québec: Quebec's largest conservation nonprofit, with parallel missions in habitat protection, biodiversity conservation, and environmental policy advocacy. Operates at a provincial scale rather than single-lake focus but shares advocacy tactics and constituency.
• Fondation Rivières: A Quebec nonprofit focused on protecting rivers and water bodies from threats including mining and inappropriate development. Shares APELA's opposition to extractive projects near waterways and similar community mobilization tactics.

Direct peers

• Association des résidents du lac Ouareau (ARLO): A direct peer lake association in the same Saint-Donat region covering adjacent Lac Ouareau. ARLO shares APELA's mission on dock regulation reform, mining opposition, and municipal consultations, and jointly commissioned the FAHEY urban planning study with APELA.
• CRE Laurentides (Conseil régional de l'environnement des Laurentides): A regional environmental council serving the Laurentians; APELA partners with CRE Laurentides biologists for bathymetric surveys and aquatic ecology work. Functions as a peer nonprofit delivering environmental monitoring and policy expertise in the same watershed region.
• Association pour la protection du lac Tremblant (APLT): A peer lake protection association protecting Lake Tremblant in Quebec's Laurentians, with directly comparable concerns around shoreline development, water quality monitoring, and cottager-driven environmental advocacy.

Emerging players

• Coalition Pour que le Québec ait meilleure mine: A Quebec-wide coalition opposing irresponsible mining; APELA's Coalition 'Matawinie, nos lacs sans mines' shares membership and aligns with this broader provincial coalition on mining opposition advocacy and policy engagement.
• Fondation David Suzuki: A national environmental nonprofit with related freshwater protection, climate, and biodiversity programs; comparable in community mobilization and advocacy tactics but operating at national scale rather than hyperlocal.

Others

• Réseau de surveillance volontaire des lacs (RSVL): A Quebec government program APELA participates in for voluntary lake water quality monitoring. Functions as an enabling scientific platform rather than a competitor, providing standardized citizen lake monitoring infrastructure used by APELA and dozens of similar associations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ApelaStDonat
• Instagraminstagram.com/apelastdonat
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apelastdonat

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about APELA