Communiqué – 25 April 2014

To Members of Amis du Lac/Friends of the Lake:

As most of you know, on Tuesday, April 15^th at about 11:30 in the morning a landslide tore down the mountain on the east side of the Lake near the village. This landslide, approximately 300 meters wide by 500 meters long destroyed a cottage and a boathouse as it sent debris of rocks, gravel, dirt, trees and cottage rushing into the lake. This caused a wave of ice and water estimated to be 3.5 meters high to surge across the lake and destroy one cottage and some boat houses and seriously damaged three other cottages. This wave of ice also destroyed a boat house and damaged the cottage on Rodger Island (Drinkell’s) and destroyed or severely damaged numerous boat houses along the east side towards the village. Fortunately nobody was hurt. However, property damage is extensive and the environmental cleanup will be a major challenge.

Mayor Baillargeon told me that emergency response was excellent. Police and firefighters responded very quickly and secured the area. Provincial geologists and landslide specialists from the Quebec government have visited the site and declared two more cottages immediately south of the slide area in jeopardy and evacuated the residents. Hopefully, they will determine the cause of the landslide and the risk to other properties around the lake.

I offered Mayor Baillargeon the help of our association in any way we could be of assistance. He informed me that the specialists who worked the Lac Megantic disaster cleanup have visited the site. With the municipality, a plan for cleanup is being formulated. In the meantime nobody is to use the lake water for drinking purposes. The mayor issued a call for volunteers this Saturday April 19^th, and so far over 140 have indicated that they will attend. The mayor has been in touch with numerous levels of government from the Premier of Quebec to our MNA who will visit Sixteen Island Lake tomorrow, and our Federal representative, Mylene Freeman, who has already visited the site.  I would guess that the environmental cleanup will be an expensive proposition.

Mayor Baillargeon will be issuing a statement to the residents in the near future. Bill Clelland, representing Friends/Amis, is working with Council members Corina Lupu and Dave Estall and will assist in getting the mayor’s message to all residents.

Many of you will have seen the photos of the destruction.  Access to the cottages and boat houses is limited and it is expected that within a week or so the ice will not be passable. Friends/Amis will remain available to assist our neighbours and friends as we learn how best to be of help.

Chris Campbell