APELL - Volume 14 Issue 2

The Association for the Protection of the Environment of Latourelle Lake "Working together for our Members" l'Association pour la protection de l'environnement du Lac Latourelle "Travaillant ensemble pour nos membres" www.apell.org    Volume 14, No. 2   August 2005

A word from your president

By David Adcock

This September marks the end of elected term for the Association's Executive Committee; new elections will take place at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) to be held at La Salle des Loisirs on September 03, 2005 at 10:30 a.m.

I would encourage all association members to attend and newcomers are more than welcome to join.  Following the election of a new executive, a subsequent meeting has tentatively been scheduled for 08 October 2005 to coordinate the handover from the old to new committee.

Water quality tests will have been carried out by the time this newsletter goes to press; results should be available at the AGM.  Additionally, this year, I have been asked to take a few samples from Lake Morrisette and have undertaken to do so.

Earlier in the year some cottagers were upset to find the bridge over the dam closed one day for roadwork.  While announcements were made on the local radio station, not all cottagers were advised and/or language may have been a barrier.  In order to avoid a repeat of this type of disruption the Municipality has agreed to post temporary signs in future prior to commencement of works.

In addition to the very hot weather, this year brings expansion to the lake as new cottages are built and the lake population increases.  The increase in the number of swimmers crossing the lake, the number of canoes and small boats as well as the loons must all be taken into account when boating.  Please drive responsibly as safety is a concern for everyone.  When boating after dark please carry a flashlight to identify yourselves to others who also may be out and about.

This year has seen an increase in the number of slugs being found in the lake; please note that the use of slugs for fishing purposes is prohibited and signs have been posted in years past.

In closing I would like to say that we all have a very nice lake; comments have been made by outsiders as to the water quality, and also, the assistance and advice provided by cottagers in general to their neighbors.  Have a nice summer and hope to see you at the September meeting.
 

Minutes of the May 28, 2005 meeting

Call to order:  President David Adcock called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone in attendance, especially those new to the association.  Twenty-five people were at the meeting.

Calendar of events:  Dave reviewed the calendar of events for 2005, and made special mention of two new events: the Barn Party on July 30 at the Adcocks' and the Garage Party on September 3 at Michel Rheaume's place.  Neither event is officially sponsored by APELL but everyone is invited to come along and bring their friends.C Bring your own... guitars, other instruments, lawn chairs and refreshments.

Mayor's Report:  The new Mayor of Blue Sea, Laurent Fortin, was invited to address the meeting.  Mr. Fortin was appointed acting mayor following the retirement of Yvon Bélanger and will be running for election this fall.  The Mayor introduced himself, reviewed some of the municipality's current activities and future plans, and answered questions.  Highlights are as follows:

• Road repairs will begin on June 7.  Holes will be filled and other repairs made, starting with the worst spots.  More extensive repairs and paving will be done once a grant from the provincial government comes through.
• Continued development of Mont Morissette is proposed in partnership with the federal and provincial governments.  The municipality has to pay 10% of the cost.  This money will be raised by selling the wood taken in a selective cut on four lots given to the municipality by the provincial government.
• Two public meetings to discuss the Mont Morissette development project will be held on dates to be determined.  The Mayor will inform Dave to ensure that word is passed around.  Friday evenings will be chosen to allow cottagers to attend.
• New provincial laws require that volunteer firefighters take a training course that runs for 275 hours.  The costs of the training ($7,000 to 8,000 for each person) must be paid by the municipality although the provincial government covers related costs for travel, etc.  Blue Sea will send 3 of its firefighters this year.
• A new dump for septic tank waste has been established in Kazabazua.  The costs are lower than expected so a rebate will be given on next year's tax bills.
• A new recreation centre and covered skating rink are proposed for Blue Sea.  Federal, provincial and local government, together with private interests, will share total cost of $1.2 million.  The cost to Blue Sea will be $20,000.  Assurances are being sought that the municipality won't incur future costs.
• A new dumpsite is being sought.  Public meetings will be held.
• A retirement party (a méchoui) for retired mayor Yvon Bélanger will be held on July 9th.  Tickets are $12.50 each and can be purchased at the town office before June 17th.

In response to questions, Mayor Fortin provided the following further information:

• The mayor is aware of the beaver problem will raise it at the next meeting on June 6th.
• There are used clothing drop-off points in Gracefield and Messines.  The Mayor will provide the phone number to Dave.
• The Blue Sea in Mind newsletter will be revived this year.  A brochure about the area is also planned.

Fran Baressi suggested that someone from APELL should attend town council meetings whenever possible and report back to the Association.  Meetings are held on the first Monday of each month.  The Mayor will find out if an electronic version of the meeting minutes are available so they can be posted on the APELL web site.

Membership renewal:  Everyone is reminded to renew their membership and to encourage their neighbours to join.  A form is included in the latest newsletter and is also available on the website.

Lake Clean-up:  Everyone is encouraged to help with this year's lake clean-up, scheduled for June 4, to remove floating logs and pull them to the public landing.  A BBQ will follow at Dave and Gisèle's place.  Help will be required again at the landing on June 18th, when the logs will be cut-up.  Bring your chain saw and ATV or four-wheeler.  Hot dogs will be served at the public landing.  More information available from Marc Girard.

Water quality testing:  Tests will be carried out again this year.  Results for the past three years are included in the newsletter and on the web site.  A reminder that the tests are intended only to indicate whether or not the water is safe for swimming.  Lake water should be thoroughly boiled before drinking.  Water test results can be influenced by many factors and are for information purposes only.

Clothing:  APELL clothing is available for sale again this year.  Sales last year were very good, totalling over $400.  For more information or to see samples, please contact Joanne Girard.  Fran Baressi suggested that APELL clothing items be raffled off to raise money.

Financial Statement:  Bank balance is currently over $500.

Signs:  New signs will be posted around the lake.  They will remind boaters to watch for children swimming and ask fishermen not to use leaches as bait.  Thanks to Marc Girard for having these printed at no cost to the association.

Web site:  The web site is up to date and can be found at www.apell.org.  A discussion forum is available to share news and information, post notices about articles for sale, etc.  Please contact Ferdinand Trauttmansdorff for information or to post new content.

Annual APELL DAY

By Gisèle Tremblay

This year's children's fishing derby and BBQ were a success and even the weather was perfect.  It all started with the fishing derby with Matt Girard taking first prize with a 24 inch pike followed by his sister Véronique, Kim, Tristan and last but not least, Simon who brought in a 5 inch sunfish.

There were 11 children present and eager to participate at games in order to win some of the very nice prizes offered by different people.  We played games with water balloons, sponges, and also played musical chairs among other things.  Each child went home with a smile and at least one prize.  The children present were Matt, Véronique, Kim, Tristan, Simon, Paulina Trauttmansdorff along with her friends Lina and Laleah and two lovely little girls named Amilie and Marylou.  Most of them brought their parents so we ended up with 10 adults with nothing else to do other than entertain them and feed them lunch which consisted of hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob and potato chips and lets not forget the chocolate cakes and cookies.

It was but a couple hours later that people started arriving for the adult BBQ.  23 adults as well as 8 children attended and thoroughly enjoyed the evening feast, which consisted of roast pork, a variety of salads and of course Patrick and David's famous baked beans.

A very special thank you goes to all those who so generously donated funds, food and gifts for the children's prizes.  Also, thanks go to Rita and Gaston, Patrick, Eric and Jean-Paul who spent the previous Wednesday transporting and installing tents, tables and equipment.
 

New Web Site Feature

By Chris Trauttmansdorff

Have you got some great lake photos you'd like to share with other APELL members?  Check out the new Photo Gallery on our web site.

If you have some artistic shots of your own available in digital format, send them to Ferdinand Trauttmansdorff by email.  He'll post them asap and let you know when they're ready for viewing.

Barn Party

By David Adcock

A barn party held July 30 at Dave and Gisele's turned out to be a huge success with approximately 50 people attending.

A great thank you goes to Fran and Jim Barresi and family for providing the evening's entertainment with their karaoke equipment.  Following their lead a host of talent stood in line to take their turn at belting out their favorite songs and demonstrate their vocal skills while numerous couples took to the dance floor.

Thanks also go to Serge Roberge who spent the afternoon preparing a culinary feast which included a lovely roast pork for those in attendance.  Great fun was had by all and the event will hopefully be repeated next year.
 

September 3 Meeting Agenda

1. Review of minutes from May 28, 2005 General Meeting
2. A word from the acting mayor, Laurent Fortin
3. Lake cleanup
4. Water quality testing
5. Clothing
6. Financial statement
7. Other items/signs/website
8. Executive committee elections
9. Drawing of a door prize

And the Survey says...

Over the past few months, APELL members were asked to complete a survey about the Association's priorities and events.  Responses have trickled in rather slowly but the results are interesting nonetheless.  The Survey Form is still available on the APELL website.  If you haven't filled it out and would still like to do so, please send it in.  It's never to late to share your ideas!

Here's a summary of what you've told us so far:

Lake Clean-Up

By Joanne Girard

The lake clean up took place on June 4, 2005.  The turnout was better than last year, thanks to mentioning it in the last newsletter and at the general meeting on May 21, 2005.  Again, we managed to pull out numerous logs floating in our lake.  Following the clean up, everyone was invited for a BBQ at Dave and Gisèle Adcock's place.  Yummy!  After working so hard we had big appetites!

After a two-week wait to allow the logs to dry out, we returned to the public access to cut up all the wood.

A big THANK-YOU to Serge, François, Jean-Pierre, Jean-Robert, Vivianne, Dave, Jim, Angie, Scott, Bob, Patrick, Gilles and his gang, and also to my son, Mathieu.

Thanks to everyone for participating.  Hope to see you again next year, ready to go!
 

APELL Meeting & Elections     Salle des loisirs September 3,  10:30 a.m.

Saturday Night Fever     chez Michel Rheaume and Jennifer Izzard September 3,  7:00 p.m.

www.apell.org   APELL s/c 24e chemin de la Ferme, Blue Sea Lake, QC  J0X 1C0   2004-2005 Executive Committee

David Adcock,  APELL President

2004-2005 Executive Committee