FrançaisSpring Newsletter 2014
Comments from the President – A Landslide
On Tuesday, April 15th at about 11:30 in the morning, the mountain on the east side of the Lake near the village gave away in a landslide. This landslide, approximately 300 meters wide by 500 meters long destroyed a cottage and a boathouse in its path and sent debris of rocks, gravel, dirt, trees and cottage rushing into the lake. This sent a wave of ice and water estimated to be 3.5 meters high surging across the lake where it destroyed a cottage and some boat houses and seriously damaged three more cottages. This wave of ice also destroyed boat houses, damaged the cottage on Rodger Island (Drinkell’s) and destroyed or severely damaged numerous boat houses along the east side towards the village. Mayor Baillargeon reported that the volunteer emergency response teams and police arrived promptly and determined that fortunately nobody was hurt. Property damage was determined to be major. Some residents were evacuated and the MTQ has determined that their homes remain off limits and fencing has been placed around the houses at 94 and 100 east side.
Members of the community and the press kept the seasonal residents and the public well informed about the magnitude of the damage. Photos from the air and the ground showed the extent of the damage. Mayor Baillargeon has done a great job at managing the crisis. Once it was determined that there were no casualties and the situation was stable, he informed Premier Couillard’s office, and our Federal Deputy, Mylene Freeman, promptly visited the site and was shown the damage by the Mayor. The following Saturday, our provincial Deputy Mr. Yves St-Denis toured the site with the Mayor.
Mayor Baillargeon asked Friends/Amis for assistance in communications, initially to help get volunteers to help with the cleanup. The success is best described in the following excerpt from Bill Clelland’s email to the mayor:
“Congratulations to you and your team on putting together an extremely well organized day on Saturday. Given the short timeframe that you had to organize the day, I did not expect that level of efficiency – in fact, I was expecting chaos with 150-200 volunteers. It was anything but!! Together we were able to clean up and dispose of most of 6 boathouses on the east side of the lake – all taken away in containers. I saw people on the west side doing work as well. Everyone I spoke with was proud of how our municipality responded to this disaster. You, your council and your staff responded very well – as did our entire municipality. There will of course be much to do over the days, months and years to come.” Bill Clelland.
Congratulations to all the volunteers who worked so hard to help friends and neighbours. Both Saturdays were an excellent start to the environmental cleanup. As Bill mentions the effect of all the debris sliding into the lake will be felt throughout the summer. The stability of the soil on the hills around the lake will be a topic of vital interest as we move forward.
Municipal happenings
In 2013, the efforts by Amis du Lac/Friends of the Lake were directed towards the continuing difficulties within the municipal administration. There were personnel problems, compounded by an aggressive agenda, and a municipal election scheduled for November. It was the culmination of four difficult years. Fortunately, a number of residents offered to run for mayor or council or volunteered to work on the election.
Election
Congratulations to Yves Baillargeon who was elected Mayor; Rene Pelletier, sector 1, village east side; Dave Estall, sector 2, east side of the Lake; Lucie Robillard Barbeau, sector 3, south end Laurel; France Robillard, sector 4, south end; Corina Lupu, sector 5, the west side of the Lake; and Francoise Tasse, sector 6, village west side.
- A lot of effort by volunteers went into making this election a success. A special thanks to: Bill Clelland, Marie Eve Bonneville, Olivier Hamel, Jean Calder, and Robert Sarrazzin.
- The need for many residents to reregister to vote by mail made it especially challenging. Ultimately the turnout was very high for a municipal election, especially in the Lake sectors.
- The effect of the new electoral sectors for councilors may have played a role, especially in the sectors with the smallest number of registered voters.
A special thanks to all of you who spent the time and effort to reregister to vote by mail, who returned the election ballot promptly, sometimes at considerable expense. Only few ballots were too late to be counted in spite of a very tight schedule.
George Calder and Richard Lessard , municipal councilors and residents of the lake, announced that they did not wish to seek re-election. Both George and Richard served the citizens of the community well over the previous two terms (8 years) under somewhat difficult conditions. We appreciate their hard work and thank them for their dedication on behalf of the residents.
Municipal News
A new navette or ferry appeared on the lake late in the fall. There was concern by the residents about safety issues of the navette. At the April, 2014 council meeting, the council voted not to give the navette docking rights in the village.
The next council meeting will be Saturday, May 17, 10:00 AM at the south end in the Club l’Etoile du Nord. The June 21st council meeting is at the municipal hall at 10:00 AM. It is important for all who are able, to attend, to participate in the issues and to support our elected council members.
Land Use: Urban Plan
Last August the municipality held a special public meeting to present the “Strategic Development Plan”, commissioned by the municipality. This “Plan” was a precursor to the revisions to the Urban Plan. The “plan” had been made available to Friends/Amis and the Sixteen Island Lake Fishing Club a short a couple of weeks prior to the meeting. The meeting was well attended by over 100 residents. Friends/Amis, the Fishing Club and a number of residents requested that the review of the “Plan” be delayed to July 2014 in order to make a studied response. Friends/Amis is looking forward to working with our members, the public and the new administration on revisions to the Urban Plan.
Environment
Milfoil aquatic infestation
In the disturbed lake bottom in the area of the new unloading docks in the village, and where the stream from Sixteen Island Lake enters Lake Laurel, the invasive aquatic weed milfoil has established itself and begun to spread. Milfoil is a nonnative plant that occurs elsewhere in the lake but until the installation of the new wharf and relocation of the boat ramp it did not occur in the main wharf area. This is of particular concern as milfoil can be spread by boat propellers cutting the weed that then migrates elsewhere in the lake to establish more milfoil. Friends/Amis and the municipality would like to work together to develop a coordinated plan of action to deal with the threat of spreading milfoil.
Night Lights
In recent years, it has become increasingly difficult to view the beautiful night skies over Sixteen Island Lake. All of us have been awestruck as we come down the lake at night to see a million stars in the Milky Way, or the meteors streak across the sky, or the fall sky filled with the Northern Lights. There has been a slow but persistent increase of light pollution on Sixteen Island Lake. It is difficult to see past the blinking lights of the cell towers, marker buoys and increased cottage shore lights. Friends/Amis proposes to do a study and start a public dialog in hopes of reducing the light pollution of the night sky and yet keep the lake safe for night navigation. This summer the Presides Meteor Shower reaches its maximum on Tuesday night, August 12th and we encourage residents to view the meteor shower from their boats. For this bright sky event residents are encouraged to turn off all outdoor cottage lights.
Sightings
Last spring’s newsletter talked about a loon rescued from fishing line entanglement. This summer’s sightings include a baby loon born on the lake, a bald eagle spotted at the south end, some very large owls (yet to be identified) and a couple of cormorants visited for a week or so. A couple of years ago some of us had the opportunity to see a black bear up close behind the cottage. Many of you have had interesting sightings / encounters such as the recent arrival of wild turkeys and the increase in turtles of various types and sizes in the lake. Chris Campbell is interested in hearing about your observations or any interesting encounters with nature within the lake watershed which would give us an informal listing of nature within the watershed. Of course photos would be wonderful if you are so lucky.
Chris Campbell at: [email protected]. 450-226-6727.
Calendars
Once again the 2014 calendar offered a great selection of photographs of the lake and watershed arranged professionally by Tim Boswell. Each year approximately 50 excellent photos are included in the calendar, all taken by residents of the community. A special thanks to all who have contributed your beautiful photos. Some have submitted dozens of beautiful photos over the years. If you have photos taken within the lake watershed, be it flora, fauna, seasonal scenes, or beautiful cottages, please share them by sending them to Tim Boswell at [email protected].
Membership
Membership in Friends/Amis remains strong. The response of all our members, as we made certain that all eligible voters were signed up to vote in the fall election, was amazing. We value your past support and your willingness to come forward when needed. We look forward to a very active 2014 and appreciate your membership and participation.
Centennial Celebrations
In honor of 100 years since incorporation, the municipality is planning numerous events this summer.
July 5&6: Helicopter rides & Boat floats.
July 12:* Wine & Cheese; Plaque honoring mayors; old movies (videos) of logging, the old saw mill, the steam train, the fish hatchery, early 1920 regatta, numerous early photos of the municipality and lake.
July 13: Brunch in the Village.
July 19: Classic boat show and parade as well as a Classic car show.
July 27: Soft Ball Game for all. Special request to former players to attend. Participation not necessary.
August 1: Open Golf Tournament.
August: 8,9,&10: Artists and artisans show. Video and display of artifacts retrieved by scuba divers from the lake
August 15:* Concert featuring L’Harmonie des Vents du Nord with Denise Parent and Louise Lemire.
August 16:* BBQ /Mechoui. Horseshoe tournament, large fireworks, Time Capsule.
October 4: Roast beef dinner in the village
*Passports are available for purchase from the municipality at 450-226-3117. ($50 /after May 24 $60).
Email George Calder if you desire updates at [email protected]
Classic Boat Show
A Classic Boat Show will be held this summer on the afternoon of July 19, 2014. This event is jointly organized by Amis du Lac/Friends of the Lake, the Sixteen Island Lake Fishing Club, and the Municipality of Lac-des-seize-Iles. This one-time, one-day event will bring together classic boat owners and enthusiasts alike, in a series of venues that will allow the lake community to take a moment to appreciate many of the wonderful boats that were common in days gone by in honour of the municipality’s 100th anniversary.
The plan is to start the event at the Sixteen Island Lake Fishing Club’s waterfront in the very early afternoon where visitors can view participating boats up close, meet the owner to discover the history of their boat, and view a pictorial display of boats that used to ride the waves of our lake long ago. This will be followed by a parade of these wonderful boats out on the lake where they will arrive at the village marina where a venue similar to the one at the Club will be set up. Classic Boats for this event are defined as being constructed of wood, aluminum, or fiberglass, yet is classic in nature. If you are interested in participating please contact the event organizers Ken Morehouse or Geoff Cresswell at [email protected]. Everybody is invited to view these classic boats, many of which are rarely seen out on the lake.
Station and Resto DCseize Iles
Both the Station and Resto DCseize Iles have been open this winter. It has been a difficult winter for business for both of them as snowmobile trails from St. Adolphe and St. Agathe have been closed for several years now, as well as the Aerobic Corridor. Snow mobile riders are the chief source of income for both businesses during the winter other than the small local community.
Jesse who runs the restaurant, Resto DCseize Iles, is back home in the Philippines for a month but will be back in May and will be open for the summer, as usual.
Stephanie and Roland from the Station will also be open as usual. This summer the plan is to open the restaurant 5 days/week (Resto DCseize Iles and the Station will cooperate so at least one of them will be open all the time). Roland will also be available (when the restaurant isn’t open) to do in home catering. For those of you who have engaged him as a caterer, you know what a treat it is.
Please patronize these last two commercial establishments in our village. We would be less of a community without them!!
Annual General Meeting 2014
Amis du Lac/Friends of the Lake Annual General Meeting:
Friday July 11th at 7:00 pm at the municipal building
2015 Calenders will be available for sale at the meeting
Web site: www.amisdulacdes16isles.org
Email: [email protected]
