How did the Rivière Concept logo come about? A river story

Alex Dubreuil
Mar 12
3 min read

Since the beginning of Rivière Concept, I have had a mentor

Erick Duchesneau , owner (founder) of Centre d'Aventure Mattawin (now Coop Aventures Matawin) for over 20 years, a pioneer of adventure tourism in Mauricie.

With his experience and keen eye, he strongly recommended that I consider the Mékinac River for my activities. And rightly so; the Mékinac River has different sections, including a beautiful accessible spring section (class 1-2) that starts directly at the mouth of the majestic Lake Mékinac and ends in the picturesque village of St-Joseph-de-Mekinac, with magnificent scenery and even a small waterfall (Chute du Fou).

From a commercial point of view, it has public access, a campsite directly at the launch, runs down for 10km (perfect for half a day, the same length as the lower Mattawin or Pont-Rouge) and we have access to precise flow data.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/d22e96_dd756d3b3a5b453d922b9a6b9a42fb5c/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Combining rafting on the Matawin and packrafting on the Mékinac

My idea was to offer rafting, packrafting and paddle boarding, but mainly rafting. That's why I listened to Erick 50%.

I was still going to offer rafting on the Mattawin, despite the obstacles, but I was going to combine that with days on the Mékinac so that I could offer packraft and paddle board trips when the Mattawin river was too high.

I also had ideas for paddle boarding in calm water on Lake Mékinac (this idea would later fall through).

Lake Mékinac, a fjord in a lake

The potential is there. This lake, nicknamed the " "Petit Fjord, " nestled between high mountains (180 m+), gives it the appearance of a fjord. It boasts exceptional geology in southern Quebec (23 km long and 2 km wide).

While researching the river and Lake Mékinac, I discovered that the toponym Mékinac comes from the Algonquian word " Mikinak ," meaning turtle . Two hypotheses have been put forward regarding its origin:

The first refers to a turtle-shaped mountain located on a peninsula in the middle of Lake Mékinac.
The second refers to the abundance of turtles in the region. Indeed, the Mauricie region is home to one of the largest known populations of wood turtles in Canada.

A wood turtle found during a first aid training session at La Mauricie National Park in June 2023

Signpost found on the path leading to the boat launch on the Matawin River

Also, the turtle symbol is very present in shops in the region:

The logo of my friend Jean-René Carpentier's company: Exit Nature

Mékinac Solidarity Cooperative

Tortue-Des-Bois Alternative School in Saint-Mathieu-Du-Parc

The turtle was therefore an emblem that would work equally well with my activities on the Matawin and Mékinac rivers (both located very close together in the Mékinac RCM) and that would represent a unique characteristic of the region.

The symbolism of the turtle

But that wasn't all. I also liked the symbolism of the turtle.

For example, Jean de La Fontaine's allegory of the hare and the tortoise illustrates the idea of perseverance, patience, and courage.

Or consider the profound and symbolic meaning of the turtle in First Nations culture. For several Nations, the earth was born on the back of a turtle ( the legend of Turtle Island ).

Finally, the tortoise is a symbol of the transmission of knowledge (due to its longevity).

The birth of the Rivière Concept logo

Now that I knew I wanted a turtle (the easy part), I had to draw it.

First attempt with Canva: NO!

Next, a free logo on Canva.

Too generic, but I liked the idea of a minimalist and clean design.

A stylized turtle
Simple and symmetrical design, which gives a clean and modern aesthetic
Elegant
Versatile: easily adaptable (website, print, embroidery, etc.)
Neutral and timeless colors
Easy to identify and remember
Good visibility, even in small sizes.

A friend then drew me a turtle along the same lines of thought, but more personalized.

Very cool, but it wasn't quite there yet... I asked another friend who was good at drawing if he could come up with something based on my instructions.