Our 2021 Season is Beginning!
INDEX: 1 Water level 2 Bowman 3 Newton Bay, Newton lake and Brochet lake 4 Committee revival 5 AGM and administration 6 I walk, you walk 7 Our Biggest Concerns for 2021 8 Membership 2021
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(google translate adapted from French)
Destination: The Beautiful Summer Season!
Everyone who visits our lake and its watershed tells us that they love to experience the immersion in nature showing its fragility and strength.
At this moment, the buds are quickly emerging from their hiding place, the smell of damp earth is tickling our nostrils. We are beginning to hear the lapping of the water in concert with the songs of the loons. Dreaming of future hikes, fishing trips or LIVING the present moment while relaxing. Let us open our eyes and ears wide so as not to miss anything of this grandiose spectacle of nature that you are privileged to see as a cottager or resident.
Knowing your lake allows you, like our visitors, to love it more, and to love more allows you to protect it more.
Our lakes can count on an extraordinary team within our Association. Each team uses its own voice to demonstrate the importance of conserving this precious resource for all users.
We are starting a new year and, as we repeat, your administrators have not been idle, as you will see by reading your newsletter.
Two announcements:
The first one…
Encourage your association in its activities!
Order your rain barrel now to help reduce runoff that is potentially harmful to the ecosystem. Support your association and grow an awesome garden while you’re at it.
WE NEED TO PLACE OVER 100 ORDERS TO ACHIEVE THIS
Our sale is until May 21, 2021. Get your barrel from $ 55.00, pay by INTERAC e-Transfer or by Visa or MasterCard.
You can also pay cash when you pick up your order, at Lac Poisson Blanc, on May 22, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Order your barrel and its accessories CLICK or copy THIS LINK: https://rainbarrel.ca/lacpoissonblanc/
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The second announcement …
We know it, we often forget.
Take the time to reread our CODE OF ETHICS!
That’s why you’re a member.
You have values … take the time: click here
1
Water level (Bowman and Newton Bay):
In 2019, you asked us at the AGM to negotiate with the government. You wanted to have a safe water level in September, but above all a long-term forecast for our reservoir. Jeff and his team (Larry, Angela, Margaret and JoAnne) made “Évolugen” and “Hydro-Québec” aware of our experiences. We were not 100% successful, but we are now able to understand the issues. We have new tools including a weekly forecast of the level at Lac du Poisson-Blanc, which is a plus. Want to see the water level forecast for this week? Go to # 3: click here
2
Bowman:
Phew, for LINDA, she deserves to be the Star of the Association in 2020!
This area has been very neglected for several years but TOGETHER (Municipality of Bowman, CA of the Base de plein-air Air-Eau-Bois and the Association) things are getting better. Linda recently sent a little reminder of our 2020 suggestions to the Interim Bowman CEO Mrs Nathalie Bouladier in order to have a timeline.
We had a response and the details were shared to our members by email.
This year, we have members who will be sharing on our Facebook page what they see on the islands.
They will make a point of making us aware of the ecological situation south of the Poisson Blanc.
Bowman will quickly find, hopefully as early as 2021, ways to avoid the excesses and inappropriate behaviour of last summer of those minority visitors.
Will awareness of good practices be enough to solve these problems?
Rest assured that your Association will continue to request updates on this file.
3
Newton Bay, Newton Lake and Brochet Lake:
We have to say that Jeff, David and Monique are bursting with energy.
The Association sent DG M Yvon Blanchard a little reminder of our suggestions from last year… including on the future of the two boat runs, one of which we would like to better control on Grand-Poisson-Poisson road and one that we would like to improve on Montée Jean-Marc. Improved signage on Montée Jean-Marc, the installation of a 50km / h sign at Lac du Brochet and at Newton Lake the relocation of a sign to be more visible.
We had a official response and the details were share to our members by email.
For those with a property on Montée Jean-Marc do not forget to call the municipality (819-467-5437) to receive your bins for the management of your waste.
THANK YOU LSM for maintaining the roads in our areas including the Trans-Outaouaise (Denholm also).
Within five years, the Gatineau Valley MRC will promote the development of a biodiversity reserve in the Mont-Sainte-Marie sector with the aim of protecting flora and fauna. It will have an area of 35,000 acres. The ABVPB will keep you posted as there may be the possibility of developing hiking trails. An old dream that we would like to realize since our mountain excursion in winter 2020. David will keep us posted.
The municipality of LSM will be soon installing turtle crossings.
The turtle season is well underway, and several have already been seen basking on the edge of their habitat and adjacent roads !
Turtles, most of which have been assigned a precarious status over the past two decades (threatened, vulnerable, susceptible), need our active involvement so that their protection / recovery is assured in Quebec.
We invite you to contribute to a very promising voluntary citizen science / conservation initiative, by reporting your turtle sightings on the following website: click here
4
Launching of our Committees:
The Administrative Council decided to join together our buoy committees.
Those responsible for buoys will be contacted by Margaret (orange safety buoys) or Jeff (yellow water milfoil buoys).
Due to the pandemic, the Association will not be organizing major community activities this summer (eg: CornRoast).
All Community Committee volunteers will participate in an email “brainstorming” early in the summer. The goal will be to find a new formula for community gathering in order to allow the new neighbors to know us. The Poisson Blanc community has been booming lately… several property sales.
We can count on Carla and David to keep our Facebook page up to date.
From our statistics, do you know that our Facebook page has over 830 members from here and elsewhere in Canada, USA, Belgium and even Algeria. Our active Facebook members and commentators come from: Gatineau, Ottawa, Val-des-Monts, Chelsea, Lapêche, Montreal and even St-Lin in the Laurentians.
Proof that the Poisson Blanc watershed is recognized by outdoor enthusiasts.
5
AGM and Administration:
Our Members’ Assembly will be held in September virtually or in person. Details to come.
Some of our members are aware of a legal action that our Association is currently experiencing. Monique, Jeff, Claude and our guardian angel David have greatly helped us to plead our case before this lawsuit that we consider to be frivolous and unfounded.
Do you want to help us revitalize our Association?
- Use our Facebook page to offer bike tours in our area.
- Organize a walking club for your area.
- If you own a rental chalet. Installing a poster near a exit door indicating some community respect guidelines would be appreciated. This would avoid neighbourhood conflicts.
- Join one of our committees.
- Take pictures and share them on our Facebook page.
- Actively participate in our fundraisers, including the one that started for the rain barrels.
6
I walk, you walk, we walk …
Text by: Manon Bourque
Walking is the most popular and inexpensive physical activity in Quebec. All reasons are good for walking: to think, keep fit, promote better digestion, observe nature and even meet friends. It can be practiced in a group which means; friendship, security, attendance, appreciation and motivation.
Health Benefits: • Reduced Risk Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke • Lowered Blood Pressure • Lower Blood Cholesterol • Increased Bone Density • Relief of Back Pain • Maintenance of physical condition • Improved quality of sleep.
It also improves mental health, especially when you are walking in good company and in a pleasant place. It reduces depression and anxiety!
Do you want to organize a walking club in an area? Contact us: click here
7
OUR TWO BIGGEST CHALLENGES AS AN ASSOCIATION THIS SUMMER …
photo by Parc régional du Poisson Blanc
The Management of the Southern Islands:
We must, as an association, work together to make the Municipality of Bowman aware of the urgency to act!
Lots of comments in 2020 were received, inappropriate behavior on Lac du Poisson-Blanc. We got a proposal from a local news reporter to make the headlines for a television network. According to him, the rampaging of the islands by a reckless minority needed to be exposed to the public. Their ignorance stems probably from their ignorance of their actions towards the flora and fauna and also, their lack of empathy for the people around or after them.
Last summer was disastrous for the vitality of the southern islands. It makes sense: more vacationers do more damage to the natural environment.
But beyond the overcrowding of sites, we have also witnessed almost unbelievable scenes of inappropriate incivility. Some have organized “parties” on the islands with their “guetto blaster” and big fires. To make matters worse, some of them parked unconsciously on private property or blocked some entrances. Others left behind their waste or empty beer cans, bottles or crates, their excrement and even that of their dogs, which is pathogenic to wildlife. Others put them in bags on the assumption that someone else was going to pick them up.
AS AN ASSOCIATION pending the establishment of a real management committee for the southern islands, we:
- We will regularly publish on Facebook topics from organizations such as “Sans Trace Canada” or “Rando Québec”.
- Will ask the «Base de plein-air Air-Eau-Bois» to prepare a pamphlet to give to their customers inviting them to commit to respecting the rules of good behavior in a natural environment. A sort of social contract that informs them in addition to empowering them.
- Ask you to take photos or videos of vandalized sites. To share them on our Facebook page and/or to contact the Municipality of Bowman at 819-454-2421.
- We will encourage the « Base de plein-air » to regularly patrol the sites they used for their customers.
- Continue, within our financial means and with possible funding from Bowman, the installation of awareness posters on the southern islands.
- We try to make the Municipality of Bowman responsible for providing more monitoring for these islands.
The idea is not to control access, which is public, but to apply certain preventive measures by various means.
Boat Access in Newton Bay:
A few years ago, the MRC Vallée de la Gatineau set up a boat ramp with parking on Montée Jean-Marc. Unfortunately this descent is little used mainly because of its steep slope.
But across the bay, on Grand-Poisson-Blanc road, there is an old path which is on private land, It is said, that it has been used by some residents of LSM for several years.
For the Association, this “boat launch” isn’t user friendly and cannot be used all summer long. It is located on a spawning ground, which is also a nesting site and where Eurasian water milfoil is spreading as noticed by the municipal environmental inspector at the time. However, this trail has been widened, each passing year, by users in order to give them more access to trailers and other vehicles. Three years ago, the municipality made this place official by installing a big sign to the dismay of the neighbors. Fortunately, this sign has been removed, after many complaints. But, this unofficial boat launch is still used and “maintained” yearly (addition of “river rocks” lately) by some users. Presently, the users are parking everywhere where there is space. Rumours now, about the development of a parking lot near the water edge, is also of concern to us because of possible oil and gasoline pollution.
The municipality knows our opinion about this unofficial boat launch on ch. GPB.
We find that it goes against the environmental principles of boat access management. In addition to the reasons mentioned before, this land is muddy, nearby cottages and as previously mention has no parking. The lot is located on private land. In 2020, the owner of a motorized caravan installed himself on the access trail for one week creating restlessness with other visitors or surrounding property owners.
Since a picture is worth a thousand words, we are sharing some photos so you can notice the consequences on the surrounding environment :
First two photos shows the « launch » on GPB in mid July and the other three in August and September when the water level goes down.
After consultations, we decided to continue raising awareness of the fragility of that area and the nuisance for the privacy for the surrounding owners.
As an interim measure, the Association is suggesting the installation of no-parking signs on Grand-Poisson-Blanc Road near the location so as not to block traffic or property entrances. Encourage the improvements to the boat launch of Montée Jean-Marc in order to encourage more people to use it and finally letting the lot on GPB road become green again.
8
Membership:
We will start our 2021 renewal campaign in May but …
Do you want to join now or renew your membership?
You can do it right now … click here
