REGENERE Research Chair

The REGENERE UQAT - Horne Smelter Institutional Research Chair was created as part of the smelter’s 90^th anniversary celebrations in 2018. The Chair’s work focuses on renaturalizing mine tailings sites and aims to pool the expertise of UQAT’s two institutes, the Institut de recherche en mines et en environnement (IRME) and the Institut de recherche sur les forêts (IRF).

The researchers’ work falls into three components. The hydrogeology component, carried out by the IRME Groundwater Research Group (GRÈS), led to development of the area’s hydrogeological model and established the hydrogeochemical balance.

The purpose of the second component is to evaluate restoration scenarios through a sampling and fieldwork campaign conducted by the IRME. Finally, the third component deals with renaturalizing the land. For this component, IRF researchers will compare the potential of plant species on various substrates and assess the biodiversity of planted islands, among other tasks.

All research will be conducted on the Quémont-2 tailings site due to its proximity to the urban environment, but also because it will reach its maximum capacity between 2022 and 2024 and will have to be restored at that time.

The project's ultimate goal is to advance knowledge and innovation in the renaturalization of industrial sites and restore the sites’ use for the benefit of communities.