APELL - Volume 16 Issue 1

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 16, No. 1   August 2007

A word from your president

By David Adcock

This year has not only brought considerable development at the lake but it has also brought considerable development throughout the entire Gatineau Valley.

SADC (the Society for the Assistance and Development of local Communities in the Gatineau Valley) held a conference on February 21 & 22, 2007 at the Château Logue. The purpose of the conference was to discuss business development in the area as it relates to cottagers and local communities; the meeting was attended by Gilles Morneau representing APELL.

An additional invitation has been accepted to attend a Summit Meeting for the Protection of Lakes and Rivers to be held on September 14 & 15, 2007 at the Château Logue.  The purpose of the conference is to bring the greatest water consumers to the realization of the urgency and importance of protecting the environment of our lakes and rivers while realizing that outside pressures for development of the Valley will intensify.  The summit is organized by the SADC, all of the MRC's of the Gatineau Valley and the Federation of River and Lake Associations (VDLG). Participating municipalities include Aumond, Blue Sea, Bois-Franc, Bouchette, Cayamant, Déléage, Denholm, Egan-Sud, Ville de Gracefield, Grand-Remous, Kazabazua, Lac Ste-Marie, Low, Messines, Montcerf-Lytton and Ste-Thérèse-de-la-Gatineau.  You may contact SADC at sadc@ireseau.com.

CREDDO (the Regional Council on the Environment and Sustainable Development of the Outaouais) held a Healthy Lakes Workshop in Ste-Cécile de Masham on May 16, 2007.  The objective was to share knowledge and experience on lakes in general in an effort to create a synergy and to encourage the transfer of knowledge and to optimize action in the field.  This meeting also aimed to create a regional table on lakes should the invitees have felt it necessary.  Unfortunately the association was unable to send a representative.  You may contact CREDDO at info@creddo.ca.

A Mont Morissette Committee has been created to oversee the development of lands, create additional lookouts and oversee the creation of trails for walking, biking, ATVs and Skidoos.  A parking lot will also be constructed, to be located near the tower.  In future years fees will be charged for the use of the facilities.  You can avoid these fees by becoming members of the new association at a cost of $25.00 for an individual or $50.00 for a family.  Membership will entitle you to a vote and use of the facilities.  You can contact the municipality at blue-sea@ireseau.com.

Hi-Speed Internet is coming!  It's already in Blue Sea and could be coming to an area near you.  All it takes is for 30 subscribers and the company will install a repeater on Mont Morissette.  If you are interested in hi-speed please leave your name with the municipality in Blue Sea or telephone Picanoc.net at 1-877-770-0040.
 

Lake Cleanup

By David Adcock

The lake cleanup this year was somewhat of a disaster due to the lack of volunteers.  Only six people showed up to help; they are always the same people each year and one must wonder why they bother.  This raises the question as to whether or not the association should continue the cleanup in future years.  Assistance is required; its your lake and it needs to be cleaned of floating logs and deadheads each year in order to avoid broken boat propellers, etc.
 

Karaoke Night

This year's children's fishing derby, BBQ and Karaoke night was a huge success; even the weather was perfect.  It was a great day and the turnout was one of the best ever with the singing continuing until 3am.

There were 10 children present who had all managed to catch some fish.  Each child went home with a smile and at least one prize.  The children present were Nico and Serena Solda, Joel and Roxanne Whissell, Simon Garneau, Braden, Brevin and Brodie Mackay, Talik Bah and Chloé St-Cyr.  We also had a visit from Élise St-Cyr (3 mnths old) and Océanne Tremblay (12 days old).

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 all those visiting Parisians who spent the previous day transporting and installing tents, tables and equipment.  Gilles Tremblay, Serge Roberge and Jim Barresi did a great job of installing BBQs and cooking the meal.
 

Porcupine quills and the stupid dog spot

By Fran Baressi

Porcupine quills work their way deeper and deeper into the skin as time goes on and should be removed by your veterinarian if at all possible.  If no vet is available you can do it yourself and remove the quills as follows; muzzle the dog and start pulling.  If the dog's snout is too full of quills, a thin belt or leash can replace the muzzle.

• Don't cut off the end of the quill as this causes splintering.
• Deep quills may have to be pushed out the other side of a pinched-up skin flap.
• Quills in the cheeks and lips can be pushed through rather easily although someone wearing heavy gloves must keep the dog's mouth open.
• Any quills embedded around the nose are particularly painful to remove as they must be pulled, not pushed.

How do Porky's mate?

A male locates a female in a tree and stays nearby, sometimes for days, as he waits for her to become receptive.  He grunts and hums sweet nothing while she will squeal in reply.  If other suitors come around they fight for her by quilling each other.  In order to remove the imbedded quills they must bite away some of their own fur and quills.  Eventually the female comes down to mate, he hoses her with urine, she flips her tail over her back and they get down to business.  Two hundred and ten days late she produces one baby, usually born in May or June.  While nursing male porkys follow mum around for roughly 125 days following which they're on their own while female porkys stay close to home for six months.  Males generally seek new territories after a four-year period.
 

Municipal Corporation of Blue Sea Lake

Boats, motors and the lake.

By Tom Roach, 40 ch. Lafontaine

This year, two large inboard motorboats have arrived on the lake and spend lots of time towing inflatable "armchairs" with three or more people sitting in them.  They pass backwards and forwards through the narrows on their way to and from the southwest arm and the large open area in the centre of the lake.

The wash these boats create is quite tremendous.  It is more than enough to knock down a swimmer standing in the shallows at our point.  It rocks our sailboat about to the degree that its mast catches in the trees, though the boat is moored away from the trees.  The wash throws our dock about to the extent that I have had to strengthen it and, anyway it is impossible to safely stand upon it when these boats pass.

Further, the waves as they crash on to the shore are eroding the soil that supports the trees.  As a result several trees are about to fall into the lake, thus deteriorating the environment.

All these problems could be avoided if these boat owners restricted their activities to the large, open, centre of the lake where there is room for the waves they create to dissipate before they reach the shore.
 

An addendum

By David Adcock, President

It should be noted that there have been numerous complaints concerning large boats and the destruction that is being caused to property shorelines in several areas around the lake.  Also, given the increasingly large numbers of swimmers it is in the interest of all cottagers to exercise restraint when passing close to populated shorelines.
 

Cottage for Rent

By Patrick Whelan

Do you know someone wanting to rent a cottage for a week or so during the spring, summer and fall season 2007 or next year?  If so, why not suggest they check out my property located at 252 chemin du Lac Long.  My telephone number, in Ottawa, is (613) 565-7778, or at my cottage at (819) 463-2555.  Includes deck with barbecue, color television, hot and cold water, shower facilities, full modern kitchen with microwave and dishwasher, wood stove for those cool nights, and electric base heater.  Single large bedroom with queen size bed and double sofa bed in living room for additional sleeping requirements.
 

1,5 million $ pour les infrastructures en Haute-Gatineau

By Philippe Orfali
July 18, 2007

Four municipalities of the Upper Gatineau will divide close to a million and half dollars during the four next years, announced the Minister of Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities, Lawrence Cannon, and the deputy Stéphanie Vallée.

The municipalities of Aumond, Blue Sea, Kazabazua and Messines will divide this summer a first payment of $355,000 agreed to in the framework of the federal/provincial understanding relating to the transfer of the income of the federal excise tax on gasoline and contributions from the government of Québec.

During the coming years, each municipality will receive between $278,000 and $400,000 from the two levels of government.  In the Aumond municipality the sum of $70,000 will serve to modernize several sections of the road network, asserts the Aumond mayor John Giasson.  "This year we will repair the Chemin de la Traverse and we will renovate three other roadways during the next four years."

According to the mayor of Messines, Richard Cross, the $96,000 granted this year to the municipality of 1,500 inhabitants will go to repair Poulin and Jolivette roadways.

The deputy, Stéphanie Valley, declared that this provincial/federal understanding "will assure the modernization and the repair of the infrastructure within the Québec municipalities", a little less than 10 months after the collapse of the Concord bridge in Laval.

This understanding, concluded between Ottawa and Québec, will allow for the renewal of local and municipal infrastructures, notably for roads, potable water and public transit.  Over five years the government of Québec will receive $1,35 billion from Ottawa and will increase the above amount by $475 million before allocating the funds to municipalities.

Including the municipalities shares this will make $2,3 billion that will be invested in the renewal of local infrastructures in Québec during the next five years.
 

Water Test Results

July 2007

Water testing is carried out by the Association for information purposes only.  Due to many factors, results can be unreliable, depending on when and how the sample is taken, the weather conditions and numerous other factors.  The Association is in no way responsible for water quality or the accuracy of test results.  Nor is the Association liable for any use members or others may make of the information provided.

^* Note:  The analyses of the algae growing on rocks at the dam showed a reading of 3800 UFC/100ml. While it may not be the blue-green algae mentioned recently in newspapers in both Québec and Ontario we should be concerned that it not spread throughout the lake or in the creek as they provide water to many people.  There are precautions that can be taken in order to reduce and/or prevent the spread of algae.

The following was taken from Le Droit, Gatineau weekend edition July 21/22, 2007.

• avoid using manure, compost or fertilizer if your property is on the lakefront
• do not use soaps or detergents which contain phosphates
• replant shrubs and bushes at the lakefront in order to increase the filtration of runoff water into the lake as phosphates are the chief cause of algae.

Calendar of Events 2007

Sept. 01 (Sat) 10h30:
General meeting at La Salle de Loisirs with elections for a new executive committee.

Oct. 13 (Sat):
Meeting at the lake for the new executive committee.
 

Other Items

In order to raise funds the church in Blue Sea holds a Sunday breakfast on the 3rd Sunday of each month at a cost of $7.00 per adult.

Municipal meetings are the 1st Monday of each month, unless there is a statutory holiday in which case the meeting is held the 2nd Monday.
 

Annual General Meeting

Saturday 1st September 2007

The Association for the Protection of
the Environment of Latourelle Lake
Region of Lac Long, Québec

1. Summer agenda
2. Membership renewal and drive for new members
3. Lake clean-up
4. Water quality testing
5. Clothing
6. Financial statement
7. Other items/signs/website
8. Executive committee elections
9. Drawing of a door prize

www.apell.org   APELL s/c 24e chemin de la Ferme, Blue Sea Lake, QC  J0X 1C0   2005-2007 Executive Committee

Welcome to our new advertiser.  SG Printing has donated new APELL membership cards.