Every summer, I excitedly awaited the famous Tadoussac, Quebec trip. Sure, I was excited to see all my cousins, but the real prize was getting to gaze out into the St. Lawrence River and watch the whales go by. The river was so deep, that the frigid water appeared to be black. It puzzled me that water so cold and hostile could be teaming with life. Krill and razor clams joined me for my walks at low tide, while harbour seals and mike whales could be seen playing in the inky water. This was my little slice of untouched paradise.

As the years went by, razor clams were soon outnumbered by bottle caps. Krill seemed to favour hiding in chip bags rather than under thickets of seaweed. The reports of beached beluga whales only increased, while their population numbers seemed to decrease. I felt personally offended by the lack of care for these new changes. How could anyone sit by and watch as this beautiful place was lost to pollution and overtourism?

I then decided what I was going to "be" when I grew up. This dream job of mine didn't have a title exactly, I just knew I wanted to be someone who fought for our water to stay clean so that generations to come could also enjoy what I had.