AGM 2022

Minutes – Amis Du Lac AGM – Saturday, September 3, 2022 – Google Meet format

*Note: The AGM was recorded – watch the individual videos for each item on the agenda below.

Introduction:

  • Michael Hyde – welcome and agenda

Minutes of last AGM (2021)

  • Nan Lorenzo – presented by Michael, approved by Bill Clelland and seconded by Annie Barbeau

COMMITTEE REPORTS

  • Financial: Annie Barbeau
    • Balance as of Dec 2020 : 19 772$
    • Income:
    • Membership: 4 414$
    • Calendars: 5 000$
    • Mugs and totes and misc: 1 176$
    • Paid:
    • Febuary 2022: 200$ DOA (loons)
    • June 2022: $2 012 Calendar print
    • June 2022: 5 000$ Jean-Louis
    •                    296$ web admin 
    • Current balance Sep 2022 : 22 854$
  • Membership: Janet Boileau
    • Change in membership fee is well founded. The new membership fee will be $40 a year and we no longer offer 3 year memberships. There are still 3 members with 3 year memberships, all of which finish this year. Generous donations boosted our membership drive income to $4,414. The new membership form will include suggestions of ongoing studies or projects that could use additional funding and a place where you can donate to the project of your choice. These donations will help keep our membership costs down and will enable us to move forward with new projects.
    • 117 members, 99 of which are in good standing- the others will receive a “nudge.” Membership brought in $2,260, $1,014 was donated to the Mini Biofilia projects, and $1,140 in support of Jean-Louis’ efforts.
    • The link to the new membership form: www.amisdulacdes16iles.org.
    • Bank e-transfer is the preferred method of payment, but if not possible, cheques will be accepted.
  • Calendars: Nan Laurenzio
    • Nan was online but technical difficulties prevented her from presenting. She took over the calendar coordinator role from Elise and has done a terrific job organizing the pickup and delivery of the calendars, and we thank her. Tim Boswell did an amazing job, as usual – and we are eternally thankful for his continued generosity and talents. This year we had a contest for Kids on the Lake to submit photos and Tim would select the cover. He did, and the winner was Ben Love. Beautiful drone shot from at the club. Also, Mikey Folmer and Liam Love had photos added to the calendar. We printed 250 and sold them all. This is a great, annual fundraiser for Amis and it will continue.
    • Calendar sales: $5,000 Printing costs: $2,012 Net proceeds to Amis du lac: $2,988

*Watch the welcome and committee reports recording here

Environment:

  • Catherine Wensley – Loon Count
    •  We continue to watch the loon count. The loon survey is still going on. Email Cathy Wensley if/when you have any loon news. So far, three loon couples have been spotted on the lake, but, sadly, another year with no babies. Environmental issues are most likely to blame for the decline in babies. There is a recorded decline across Canada – so it is not just our lake. The month of June is most critical – good weather might make things happen. Fingers crossed for next year.
  • Dave Kerr – mini-Biofilia study
    • Anne Letourneau and Sylvain Miller could not be present. The mini biophilia study is a year three of the study and is jointly funded by Amis du lac and the municipality. Basically, the study gathers data (measurements) and is evaluating potential changes in the water quality from the prior studies, the big one being the large biophilia study in the data was 2009-2010. So, it’s been 12 13 years. Year 1 of the mini-biofilia study is available on the Amis du lac website, as is a link to the full study (published on the municipality’s website.
    • To get a feeling for the overall health of the lake – there are things to focus on:
      • Phosphorus levels – need a balance of what goes in and what goes out. So far, we are maintaining that balance. Was a dip in 2020 but back to normal – if not a bit high. The trend seems to be to lower levels, which is good.
      • Clarity with Saachi disk – measurements are taken at the same locations. Currently around 6m over the years. There is a natural decrease in clarity in June July as the algae feed on the nutrients. Then improves in the fall as the lake cools and the nutrients are depleted.
      • Periphyton (Periphyton is a complex mixture of algae, cyanobacteria, heterotrophic microbes, and detritus that is attached to submerged surfaces in most aquatic ecosystems). It is measured with a ruler. We have seen a small increase over the past 3 years – not a critical issue. But need to monitor.
    • Overall, the health of the lake remains good. It is important to remain vigilant and to completely avoid fertilizers, at all costs. Also, maintain good septic systems and not to use products with phosphates. Also, shoreline preservation and maintaining a wild littoral zone can help protect the lake from runoff which contains phosphates. It is recommended to recapture this data in 5 years. There will be clear recommendations in the final report expected over the winter.
    • Dave gave a terrific presentation – watch his presentation here

Jean-Louis Courteau Activites Update – Bill Clelland:

  •  Jean-Louis is pleased to report that the Milfoil in Raymond’s bay is basically gone – the last big milfoil location. We can expect 5% – 20% regrowth but it should be completely eradicated after 3 years of removing the regrowth.
  • He checked Hammond’s bay for the 2nd year after removing the milfoil and was very pleased to see less than 5% regrowth. In some areas 0 regrowth.
  • This summer he will focus on the two final spots tat just need some care, Cook island and Meyer’s island.
  • JL is confident that Milfoil at Lac-des-seize-iles is officially “under control” and on it’s way out completely. We will need to monitor and watch for new species which can be quite aggressive. Some lakes in our region are dead because of the Milfoil.
  • He is working with a specialist who is making a 3D model (and images) of the sunken Studebaker bear Cathy Mavripolis’ cottage. Check it here: Studebaker 3D model here
  • Also, they did a 3D image of a sunken rowboat. Click here to see the 3D image
  • There is a very unusual marble wall of Myer’s island that is causing excitement in the scientific community. JL has partnered with some experts to examine and document this wall. Apparently, it is the only artifact of its kind in Quebec. The theory is it provides proof that the lake existed before the last ice age. Making it extremely old.
  • He is removing old motors and pollutants from the landslide site. This is a great service.
  • Amis has a long relationship with JL and is extremely proud of it – and the work that JL does to benefit the lake. He is indeed our guardian angel!
  • *As a side note, anyone interested in following JL on his Facebook page (here) should do so. There is a wealth of information and wonderful writing which would be of great interest to all members of our lake community.
  • Watch the full presentation on JL’s activities by Bill here

Lake Life: Michael

  • LakeLife is our branding for our message. This is our second year of mugs and totes (different sizes and designs than last year). They are a sell out and modest income generator for Amis. We will discuss what to do next year, but suffice to say, it won’t be mugs and totes.

Kids on the Lake/Motorless Day: Bill Clelland:

  • Kids on the Lake is our youth engagement approach. We look for ways to raise awareness of Amis du lac message and importance. These are our next generation who will be responsible for taking over and continuing our environmental efforts. We have done Bingo, photo contents, Instagram, and other little activities. One of the biggest, recurring engagement activity is our sponsorship of Motorless Day.
  • Generally, Motorless Day is two parts: one-part hotdogs and one-part activity. This year the hotdogs were donated by and served up by Dave Kerr and Catherine Wensley, with help from volunteers. The activity this year was very exciting and well received. Our three scientists, Anne Letourneau, Sylvain Miller, and Dave Kerr gave a captivating presentation on our lake water life, followed by an interactive session on the wharf where kids could take water samples and look for the organisms that they had seen in the presentation. The session went on much longer than scheduled due to the interest of the kids. Big thanks to Anne, Sylvain, and Dave for their time and expertise.
  • The full LakeLife and Motorless Day presentations can be seen here

Municipal Affairs: Phil Deschamps

  • Phil Deschamps, one of our newly elected town councillors gave a great presentation on the new council’s efforts to build a 10-year strategic plan for the community. Phil was happy to say that the priorities of the council align perfectly with the priorities of Amis du la – develop and nurture an environmentally sound and sustainable community with the lake at the heart. North, South, and village residents all share the same desires for the community. Council held a series of engagement sessions (businesses, citizens, organizations, key individuals, etc.) to listen to their priorities and get feedback. Planning doesn’t just mean looking to the future, it involves understanding existing priorities and aspirations of those groups and individuals. Only then can you build a shared future that works for everyone. Note: nothing is absolute and not everyone is happy with everything. There will be compromise, but the overall plan should rest well with all. A critical outcome for the plan is to attract new families and professionals to settle in the community. This is important as people age, retire, and move on. This is vital to the continuation of the community.
  • The consultations should be completed this fall, and then they will begin to draft the strategic plan for publication later in the fall or Winter. Then hold an information session for the citizens to explain the strategic plan and how the council developed it. It will be a living document and it will be reviewed every 2 years to ensure that the spirit of the plan continues and that accomplishments are celebrated.
  • Phil closed with comments on how productive and enjoyable working on council is. That is due largely to the diversity of the councilors. Each brings their own specialties to the table, ranging from educators, business owners, engineers, law enforcement, and of course a wealth of municipal council experience.
  • Please watch Phil’s presentation here

Special video presentation by Connor Manrique-Johnson: “Responsible Boating and Environmental Impact”

  • Connor Manrique-Johnson is a very talented young man who shares the same concerns as others in our community. He wanted to get a message out to the community, helping to educate on proper boat driving and the impact bad boat driving can have on the environment and shoreline. His video is inspiring and so well done. The room erupted with applause when the film was over.
  • Watch the session here (just the remarks – can’t really hear the film playing – see below for link to film)
  • Watch Connor’s video here

 Forward planning items: Things we are considering for next year. Explained well in the video.

  1. Plantings on wharf, boathouses and shoreline vegetation. Awareness campaign on the dos and don’ts of plantings on docks, boathouses and the littoral zone (shoreline). This is to eliminate phosphates from entering the lake, and to stabilize the shoreline against erosion.
  2. Awareness campaign on 2-stroke outboards – consider an education program to encourage lakers to do away with 2 stroke, carbureted motors in favour of newer, more efficient 4 stroke, ETEC, or electric outboards. Older 2 stroke engines, built before 1999, can emit up to 25-30 percent of its fuel unburned into the water. The optimal solution would be electric motors, built through responsible, certified green processes, and using green electricity. We are not there (yet) so it is a case of the lesser of two evils. While a 4-stroke engine is still a pollutant, it is significantly better than the older carbureted 2-stroke motors.  
  3. Shoreline erosion (boat wakes). Working with the council, we hope to develop a communications approach (signage, website information, directed communications, etc.) to educate boat operators on the impact boat wakes have on the shoreline. Connors film is a first step for Amis in that direction, and the priority with the council will be the wake surfing boats.

Thank you,

Amis du lac Executive

 

 

 

 

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