We extend a warm welcome to all our members and wish you another long and enjoyable season on Latourelle Lake and Morissette Lake. When many of you revisit your cottages, you will no doubt find that all was well over the winter months. We are not aware of any acts of vandalism or theft in our area in the past season.
The spring run-off peaked early, and the water was already receding. The municipality had wisely started to put the boards in at the dam, in order to preserve the water supply for later this year. Due to the small snowfall this winter, the thaw period was quick. The land was dry and promised to give us much anxiety in the summer months.
This was followed in early May by a period of extended rainfall, over a timeframe of two weeks. Now the lakes are temporarily over-burdened with water, and the municipality has had to remove the boards it originally put in. We could still face extended periods of drought later this summer and a fire ban could still be the general rule.
The one redeeming grace is that the dry spring has meant a quicker and shorter black fly and mosquito season.
We urge all our members to proceed with caution when making open fires this season. Take note when the fire bans are in effect when they are posted on the association signs on Lake Long Road, at either (both) ends of our lakes.
We have much news to tell all our members about the long winter, which has just terminated.
The property of one of our neighbours (a non-member), located on Lake Morissette, near the public access, has been declared closed off by municipal authorities. The owner has been ordered to bring his septic system up to scratch before he can once again make use of his cottage. A word of wisdom to those who would abuse of the municipality's patience on environmental issues - they do have their limits of tolerance. He has already been seen visiting his property this spring - hopefully to make the necessary arrangements to bring it up to par.
We, on the association, welcome the municipality's actions. You will recall when we last tested the lake waters in the area of his cottage two years ago, the highest coliform count on the entire lake was recorded there. Hopefully, when the situation is rectified on his property, we should note a marked improvement on the water quality at that location.
Speaking of septic systems, our good friend Patrick Whelan has laid to rest his old system on both his adjoining cottages. He invested in a new system for both and we can now all continue to party at his place to our hearts' content knowing that, when the urge arises, his sanitary facilities will be up to muster.
By the way, for you dog owners out there, Patrick Whelan remains a warm, humorous, welcoming host, as always, but leave your damn dog at home. Although he is one of the few cottagers without a dog, his property nevertheless seems to be the gathering point for the local dog population. We guess they are taking their cues from their masters. We wonder why? In any case, the result is an on-going problem with dog droppings all over his property. Now it seems to us, since he went out of his way to invest in a new septic system for his human friends, what can we encourage him to invest in to solve the dog problem?...(A few kennel pens?)
Jim and Fran Barresi visited their site every weekend this past winter. As many of you are aware, this couple decided to start their cottage (dream home is what Fran calls it) in late fall. They poured the foundation and covered it for the winter. They decided to move their belongings into the basement area and maintain a reasonable heat throughout the winter.
Hindsight tells them it was a bad decision. Every weekend was a new disaster. Multi layers of plastic over the basement ceiling area never did stop the continuous shower of melting snow, ice and rain. The bagged insulation, which was supposed to keep the heat in, also captured the moisture in the ceiling area and contributed to the never-ending internal rain. The acute moisture, locked into the basement area, seeped into the inventory of heating wood and rendered it useless for heating purposes. High winds caught the tarpaulin and ripped it completely off.
Fran has dutifully recorded most of the events on her trusty Camcorder and we look forward to many sympathetic laughs later this year.
Well now that spring is here, construction of the remainder of the structure is proceeding. When it is complete, we look forward to them installing a beacon light at the uppermost point to warn airplanes of the high structure. All kidding aside, we wish them well in their new cottage.
The Tremblay clan have always prided themselves with being the locals and hardier than the rest of us. But lo and behold this winter, neither the mother hen (Rita) nor the cock rooster (Gaston) was to be seen at any time throughout the winter. It would seem that they have become wimps like the rest of us.
Thanks to a late April snowstorm on April 14, 15, and 16th, your President had a harrowing experience on the local cottage road system. Because the municipal contract for snow removal had expired at the beginning of April, and the officials were reluctant to spend extra money on the roads, the results were a highly slippery road surface smoothed like ice by high winds. On Saturday, April 15th, at approx. 8:15 p.m., Morris left his cottage to go to the village to have supper. When he attempted to climb Roger`s hill (Lake Long Road) near the Lake Morissette look-out, he lost control of his trusty Jeep, which proceeded to make a 180 degree turn and then flipped over onto his vehicle roof into the ditch area on the side of the roadway. Morris was not wearing his seatbelt, and was thrown around in the vehicle, finally landing on top of his trusty dog, Lady. He was able to extricate himself from the vehicle, and called the local service station owner at his home to enlist his assistance. Michel Fortin soon arrived, right-sided him, and pulled him out. The vehicle was started up and proceeded to the local service station to have it checked out. Final result: no damage to the vehicle, not even a burnt light bulb. Morris was a bit stiff for a few days, but otherwise okay. Even the dog did not suffer any lasting effects. Nevertheless a bad experience to have gone through.
On the subject of accidents, the following weekend Jim and Fran Barresi were transporting cottage construction materials with their trailer attached to their van. On the way, the trailer lost a wheel when the wheel hub broke out. No materials were lost and Jim replaced the wheel forthwith.
On the same weekend, and concerning the same couple, another accident. While Jim and Fran were travelling to Ottawa in their van, near Kazabazua, they were involved in an accident with a cow. It seems the cow wandered out onto the roadway and collided with Jim's vehicle, resulting in approx. $6,000.00 damage to the vehicle. Jim swears they did not hit the cow, but rather the cow hit them. Right!!!
Seriously, Fran was badly shaken up and suffered many aches and pains for several weeks now as a result of the incident. We wish her a speedy recovery. Hopefully, thoughts of her dream home under construction will take her mind off her pains and make them more bearable.
When Frank and Guay Capello returned from their winter sojourn in Florida, they had an unwelcome surprise. An ambitious beaver had cut down a large poplar on their shoreline, and, when it fell, it came down on their dock, which was severely damaged in the process. Their next door neighbour has a lot littered with matchstick poplars laying all over the lot. A good clean up will be required.
On the subject of clean-ups, we understand that Frank & Guay also came back to a property littered with dog feces. It seems that their neighbour, Morris, was unaware that his faithful dog Lady had been doing her business on the neighbour's lawn rather than on his own property. Morris extends his apologies to them for his dog's laxity. Words to the wise to all you pet owners out there - watch where your pets do their business. Your neighbour should not have to clean up behind your pets.
Turning now to recent changes in land ownership, it is our understanding that Bob Liddle's cottage property has been sold and a new owner is slated to start construction of his cottage in early spring. We welcome the new owner(s) and hope they join our association.
Gerry Lapensee and his wife Francine Charbonneau have sold their lot and trailer. The new owners are already sprucing things up. We wish them a warm welcome. Apparently Gerry has already suggested they join our group and we sincerely hope they do so as well.
Last fall, chemin de la Perdriole on Lake Morissette also saw new lot owners, and the grapevine tells us one of the new owners is none other than the executive secretary to John Manley, our minister of Trade & Commerce. Your president has already made contact with them, and they have promised to join us this season. So welcome to them as well.
And finally the island, which is formed by Croissant De l’Appel and Chemin Lacasse, has been sold. Morris Richardson has acquired the 15 acres of land situated there. No immediate plans for the site however. Morris would like to see it remain virgin land for as long as possible.
On the speculative side, it is our understanding that Laurier Lafontaine has put up all his land holdings in the area for sale, including his cottage and the adjoining 15 acres. I guess he wants to take life a little
easier from now on. We wish him success at divesting himself of his holdings and continued good health in his future undertakings.
On the weekend of April 29th, Morris Richardson attempted to be the first of the season to launch his boat into Lake Latourelle. While his attempt was successful, it was not without incident. After retrieving his boat from the local service station, where he had it checked out prior to launch, he proceeded to launch his boat from his adjoining cottage property, after being assured that the boat was well and ready.
The boat went into the water without incident, and Morris climbed in to bring the boat to his regular docking location. He soon had water up to his ankles and had to paddle furiously to make it to shore before the boat began to take on water seriously. With the assistance of a trusty battery and bilge pump, he was able to maintain the water level low enough not to capsize the boat. With the further assistance of good neighbours Jim and Fran, we were able to secure the boat from sinking. We found the source of the problem: someone had forgotten to put the plug back into the boat. With wet clothes and boots and an arm turning blue from the cold water, Morris was able to screw the plug back into position.
From there on, the bilge pump removed the water from the boat interior, and the boat was refloated without further incident. No damage was done; the boat motor started up with no incident, and Morris was off on his inaugural trip around the lake, blaring his horn for all to hear his welcome spring run.
On the brighter side, your President has another feather in his cap. He has accepted to sit on the umbrella provincial environmental organization, which regroups all of the lake associations covering the entire Outaouais region, as the singular representative for the MRC of the Upper Gatineau on the 6 person regional council of C.R.E.D.D.O. (Comité Regional en Environnement et du Developpement Durable de l'Outaouais). The importance and influence this association has garnered over the past several years keeps on growing.
We sadly lament the recent closures and pending closures of a number of local establishments.
The hardware, come groceteria, located near the beach area closed its doors as a result of bankruptcy.
So did his next door neighbour, the video rental establishment.
On Lake Long Road, the depanneur ceased to operate late last fall, citing long hours and poor return on investment. The building is apparently up for sale.
The restaurant in Blue Sea has undergone a number of changes. For a while this winter, they were closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and the daily opening time during the rest of the workweek was set at 11:00 a.m. They were apparently having problems with their septic system. They have now rectified the septic problem and they will soon be re-opening seven days a week. They continue to serve good food at moderate prices and we encourage our members to try them out. Bring your own wine for an excellent evening meal.
The casse-croute (fast food outlet) located next to the service station is up for sale and could remain closed this year. No takers in sight.
We are apparently soon to loose our service station, on July 1st. It seems that Michel Fortin could not successfully renegotiate or renew his lease with the building owner, Raymond Lacroix. Discussions on alternative solutions are buzzing all round us, but so far nothing concrete. Stay tuned.
On Christmas eve, an unfortunate fire in Blue Sea village resulted in a number of families left homeless, and the building located between the service station and the bridge was completed gutted by fire. It was subsequently bulldozed to the ground. From the ashes could rise a six-unit residential building. The owner of the land, Mario Tremblay, has requested a zoning change to permit a higher density housing on that site and has been granted permission to do so.
In Kazabazua, a spectacular early morning blaze at Equipment Blais in February totally destroyed the boat dealership. Apparently none of the warehoused boats on the rear lot were damaged. The dealership has re-established itself a few doors down and its business as usual at that location, pending possible construction of a new building on the old site.
On the first weekend of May, a fire ravaged the hunter's cottage on Rogers Hill (chemin du Lac Long) located mid-way between Lac Denomme, and the base of the hill. The structure was totally destroyed.
This association deplores the unsightly mess left along chemin du Lac Long, between chemin Belcourt and Place Belle Plage. It seems that a prominent property owner decided to do a major wood cutting operation on his lots fronting this street in the area. While we obviously must respect that a man can do with his property as he wishes, and earn income in the process, we hope he will clean up the visual dilapidation as soon as possible.
We were always with the impression that the municipality had setback requirements for woodcutting operations. We wonder if they have been applied or inforced in this instance?
After an extended period of inactivity, the committee finally got going and has not stopped since.
It has been a veritable beehive of activity since. They requested the MRC, through the council of Blue Sea, to declare the site an official regional park, which has been done. They then requested the Quebec government to cede them all the crown lands in the area encompassing Lake Morissette and Lake Laurier. This is now under active consideration and is expected to be accepted. The park will have gone from approx. 450 acres to now approx. 1500 acres in size.
The committee entered into a working partnership with the Parks Commission of the Upper Gatineau to develop the site. Grants have been requested to cover the major portion of a three-year development plan. We acquired the section of land owned by the Mont Morrissette Corporation. We have entered into discussions with Mario Tremblay and his brother Norman for the small parcel of land on which the tower is located for ownership and/or usage, but these discussions have not however yet come to fruition.
As part of the development process, an architectural engineer and a site manager have been retained to lay out the various trails, lookouts, roads, etc. within the complex. Discussions are actively under way to acquire rights of passage on lands between the Mont Morissette and the Black Rollway, as well as lands between the Mont Morissette and the Blue Sea Village area. We have been promised assistance, financial and physical, by the local Snowmobile organization, the ATV organization, and the Eagle Forest management authority. Work is currently under way to lay out the various trail grids for snowmobiles, ATV's, horseback riding, and walking trails so they do not interfere with each other. Early this summer, work is expected to begin on the construction of a solid surface road access to the tower, beginning from the new parking area which was constructed last fall on Roger's Hill. If negotiations are successful, the existing tower will be renovated and strengthened - if not, a new tower could be constructed a short distance away from the existing tower.
After many years of inactivity on that beautiful site, it is gratifying to see it finally blossom as an tourist attraction. Anyone who has taken the time and effort to reach to summit, and climb the existing tower will tell you the effort was worth it. The view is spectacular. The walk up the mountain in late fall, with multi-colored leaves crackling under your feet is exhilarating. The ride up the hill in winter, on skidoo, and the view of the white pancake lakes everywhere, is incredible. The view of Mont Ste.Marie ski slopes in the distant background is beautiful. The walk down, in early spring, examining the many instant waterfalls jutting out from under the surface at every turn, is mystifying.
The development of this large landmass will hopefully result in vitalizing of the local tourist industry, which has suffered badly over the past several years. It should create a number of local employment opportunities. It should also result in local adjoining areas increasing their property values.
There is however an unfortunate negative side to all of this. It has taken so many years to get this project going that the local economy has suffered dramatically. A case in point is the earlier within article on business closings over the past winter. We hope that the trend can be stopped and reversed. It seems patently pointless for the committee to develop ways and means to bring tourists into the village to spend their dollars only to have the requisite businesses non-existent.
Tourists need accommodations to sleep and rest, restaurants to eat in, hardware stores to sell them their fishing equipment, and gasoline service stations to sell them their gas for their cars, their boats, their skidoos, and their ATV's. Without these essential services, we are all butting our heads against a stone wall.
I sincerely hope our municipal fathers realize this and keep this in mind on a daily basis. We hope they take the necessary steps to encourage existing businesses to continue conducting their daily routines. Business closures have a very negative effect on a community, and any closure in a small community the size of Blue Sea can have a devastating negative impact on both the economy of the municipality and the morale of its citizens.
Early this spring, we will once again be taking water samples on both our lakes, for analysis of phosphate levels, water purity and bacteria content. We will report on the results of these tests as soon as they are known.
Not only does your President attend our own association executive and general meetings, but he also continues to attend all municipal council meetings (not one single public meeting missed in five years). As a member of the Mont Morissette Development Committee, he has attended every meeting (one Friday every second week all winter) held to discuss that project. As a Director of the Federation of Gatineau Valley Lake and River Associations, he continues to be active in that sector and is present at all of their executive and general meetings. And finally, as a member of C.R.E.D.D.O. (Regional Environmental Committee for Durable Development in the Outaouais), not only does he attend their general meetings, but has been requested to sit on a committee of that organization responsible for website development. Talk about a busy schedule.
General meetings will be held on Saturdays, June 17th and Sep. 9th, 2000. As usual, the meeting is held at the Salle des Loisirs on Chemin du Lac Long, and starts at 10:30 a.m. We invite everyone to attend.
Clean-up day on both lakes is scheduled for July 15th, 2000. Please participate and help keep our lakes safe from debris.
Childrens' and adult picnics have been tentatively scheduled for the same date, July 22nd, 2000. The site has not yet been determined and more details will be provided as soon as available.
Most of you will recall last fall's association elections for the executive. One of the sad results of that election was the non-election of a vice-president. Keeping in mind your president's comments in the last newsletter, we would ask you to seriously consider running for office as a member of the Executive. If you are bilingual, and you have the time, you might also seriously consider running for the vice-presidency of the association. The job is really what you make of it. Steve Slaby and Fran Baressi both made marvelous successes of their respective tenures. Please do not wait for the sky to fall and the association to be in a perilous state before you act to do your part to keep our two lakes clean and safe for our children to enjoy for years to come. This association has come a long way from its original modest beginnings. It would be a pity to have it flounder into obscurity for lack of active participation by its members.
If you have news or amusing anecdotes, or good natured gossip to share with other members, why not forward it along to either Morris Richardson or Steve Slaby. Make a written contribution to your newsletter. Give it interest and personality.
Morris is extremely busy carrying out all his duties and he would appreciate it if he did not have to call personally at your cottage to collect. He would like some quality time at his own cottage this summer and you can facilitate this greatly.
Copyright © 1996 APELL
All Rights Reserved
Droits d'auteur et copie © 1996 APELL
