Spring Newsletter 2018

Below is a link to our spring 2018 newsletter
Spring Newsletter 2018

Spring Newsletter 2014

Comments from the President – A Landslide

On Tuesday, April 15^th at about 11:30 in the morning, the mountain on the east side of the Lake near the village gave away in a landslide. This landslide, approximately 300 meters wide by 500 meters long destroyed a cottage and a boathouse in its path and sent debris of rocks, gravel, dirt, trees and cottage rushing into the lake. This sent a wave of ice and water estimated to be 3.5 meters high surging across the lake where it destroyed a cottage and some boat houses and seriously damaged three more cottages. This wave of ice also destroyed boat houses, damaged the cottage on Rodger  Island (Drinkell’s) and destroyed or severely damaged numerous boat houses along the east side towards the village. Mayor Baillargeon reported that the volunteer emergency response teams and police arrived promptly and determined that fortunately nobody was hurt. Property damage was determined to be major. Some residents were evacuated and the MTQ has determined that their homes remain off limits and fencing has been placed around the houses at 94 and 100 east side.

Members of the community and the press kept the seasonal residents and the public well informed about the magnitude of the damage.  Photos from the air and the ground showed the extent of the damage. Mayor Baillargeon has done a great job at managing the crisis. Once it was determined that there were no casualties and the situation was stable, he informed Premier Couillard’s office, and our Federal Deputy,  Mylene Freeman, promptly visited the site and was shown the damage by the Mayor. The following Saturday, our provincial Deputy Mr. Yves St-Denis toured the site with the Mayor.

Mayor Baillargeon asked Friends/Amis for assistance in communications, initially to help get volunteers to help with the cleanup.  The success is best described in the following excerpt from Bill Clelland’s email to the mayor:

“Congratulations to you and your team on putting together an extremely well organized day on Saturday. Given the short timeframe that you had to organize the day, I did not expect that level of efficiency – in fact, I was expecting chaos with 150-200 volunteers. It was anything but!! Together we were able to clean up and dispose of most of 6 boathouses on the east side of the lake – all taken away in containers. I saw people on the west side doing work as well. Everyone I spoke with was proud of how our municipality responded to this disaster. You, your council and your staff responded very well – as did our entire municipality. There will of course be much to do over the days, months and years to come.” Bill Clelland.

Congratulations to all the volunteers who worked so hard to help friends and neighbours. Both Saturdays were an excellent start to the environmental cleanup. As Bill mentions the effect of all the debris sliding into the lake will be felt throughout the summer. The stability of the soil on the hills around the lake will be a topic of vital interest as we move forward.

Municipal happenings

In 2013, the efforts by Amis du Lac/Friends of the Lake were directed towards the continuing difficulties within the municipal administration.  There were personnel problems, compounded by an aggressive agenda, and a municipal election scheduled for November. It was the culmination of four difficult years. Fortunately, a number of residents offered to run for mayor or council or volunteered to work on the election.

Election

Congratulations to Yves Baillargeon who was elected Mayor; Rene Pelletier, sector 1, village east side; Dave Estall, sector 2, east side of the Lake; Lucie Robillard Barbeau, sector 3, south end Laurel; France Robillard, sector 4, south end;  Corina Lupu, sector 5, the west side of the Lake;  and Francoise Tasse, sector 6, village west side.

• A lot of effort by volunteers went into making this election a success. A special thanks to:  Bill Clelland, Marie Eve Bonneville, Olivier Hamel, Jean Calder, and Robert  Sarrazzin.
• The need for many residents to reregister to vote by mail made it especially challenging. Ultimately the turnout was very high for a municipal election, especially in the Lake sectors.
• The effect of the new electoral sectors for councilors may have played a role, especially in the sectors with the smallest number of registered voters.

A special thanks to all of you who spent the time and effort to reregister to vote by mail, who returned the election ballot promptly, sometimes at considerable expense.  Only few ballots were too late to be counted in spite of a very tight schedule.

George Calder and Richard Lessard , municipal councilors and residents of the lake, announced that they did not wish to seek re-election. Both George and Richard served the citizens of the community well over the previous two terms (8 years) under somewhat difficult conditions. We appreciate their hard work and thank them for their dedication on behalf of the residents.

Municipal News

A new navette or ferry appeared on the lake late in the fall. There was concern by the residents about safety issues of the navette. At the April, 2014 council meeting, the council voted not to give the navette docking rights in the village.

The next council meeting will be Saturday, May 17, 10:00 AM at the south end in the Club l’Etoile  du Nord. The June 21^st council meeting is at the municipal hall at 10:00 AM. It is important for all who are able, to attend, to participate in the issues and to support our elected council members.

Land Use:  Urban Plan 

Last August the municipality held a special public meeting to present the “Strategic Development Plan”, commissioned by the municipality. This “Plan” was a precursor to the revisions to the Urban Plan. The “plan” had been made available to Friends/Amis and the Sixteen Island Lake Fishing Club a short a couple of weeks prior to the meeting. The meeting was well attended by over 100 residents.  Friends/Amis, the Fishing Club and a number of residents requested that the review of the “Plan” be delayed to July 2014 in order to make a studied response. Friends/Amis is looking forward to working with our members, the public and the new administration on revisions to the Urban Plan.

Environment

Milfoil aquatic infestation

In the disturbed lake bottom in the area of the new unloading docks in the village, and where the stream from Sixteen Island Lake enters Lake Laurel, the invasive aquatic weed milfoil has established itself and begun to spread. Milfoil is a nonnative plant that occurs elsewhere in the lake but until the installation of the new wharf and relocation of the boat ramp it did not occur in the main wharf area. This is of particular concern as milfoil can be spread by boat propellers cutting the weed that then migrates elsewhere in the lake to establish more milfoil. Friends/Amis and the municipality would like to work together to develop a coordinated plan of action to deal with the threat of spreading milfoil.

Night Lights

In recent years, it has become increasingly difficult to view the beautiful night skies over Sixteen Island Lake.  All of us have been awestruck as we come down the lake at night to see a million stars in the Milky Way, or the meteors streak across the sky, or the fall sky filled with the Northern Lights. There has been a slow but persistent increase of light pollution on Sixteen Island Lake. It is difficult to see past the blinking lights of the cell towers, marker buoys and increased cottage shore lights. Friends/Amis proposes to do a study and start a public dialog in hopes of reducing the light pollution of the night sky and yet keep the lake safe for night navigation. This summer the Presides Meteor Shower reaches its maximum on Tuesday night, August 12^th and we encourage residents to view the meteor shower from their boats. For this bright sky event residents are encouraged to turn off all outdoor cottage lights.

Sightings

Last spring’s newsletter talked about a loon rescued from fishing line entanglement. This summer’s sightings include a baby loon born on the lake, a bald eagle spotted at the south end, some very large owls (yet to be identified) and a couple of cormorants visited for a week or so.  A couple of years ago some of us had the opportunity to see a black bear up close behind the cottage. Many of you have had interesting sightings / encounters such as the recent arrival of wild turkeys and the increase in turtles of various types and sizes in the lake. Chris Campbell is interested in hearing about your observations or any interesting encounters with nature within the lake watershed which would give us an informal listing of nature within the watershed. Of course photos would be wonderful if you are so lucky.

Chris Campbell at: lacdesseize@gmail.com.  450-226-6727.

Calendars

Once again the 2014 calendar offered a great selection of photographs of the lake and watershed arranged professionally by Tim Boswell. Each year approximately 50 excellent photos are included in the calendar, all taken by residents of the community. A special thanks to all who have contributed your beautiful photos. Some have submitted dozens of beautiful photos over the years. If you have photos taken within the lake watershed, be it flora, fauna, seasonal scenes, or beautiful cottages, please share them by sending them to Tim Boswell at tboswell@cdmworldagency.com.

Membership

Membership in Friends/Amis remains strong. The response of all our members, as we made certain that all eligible voters were signed up to vote in the fall election, was amazing. We value your past support and your willingness to come forward when needed. We look forward to a very active 2014 and appreciate your membership and participation.

Centennial Celebrations

In honor of 100 years since incorporation, the municipality is planning numerous events this summer.

July 5&6:  Helicopter rides & Boat floats.

July 12:*  Wine & Cheese; Plaque honoring mayors; old movies (videos) of logging,  the old saw mill, the  steam train, the fish hatchery, early 1920 regatta, numerous early photos of the municipality and lake.

July 13:    Brunch in the Village.

July 19:    Classic boat show and parade as well as a Classic car show.

July 27:     Soft Ball Game for all. Special request to former players to attend.  Participation not necessary.

August 1:  Open Golf Tournament.

August: 8,9,&10:  Artists and artisans show. Video and display of artifacts retrieved by scuba divers from the lake

August 15:* Concert featuring L’Harmonie des Vents du Nord with Denise Parent and Louise Lemire.

August 16:*  BBQ /Mechoui. Horseshoe tournament, large fireworks, Time Capsule.

October 4:    Roast beef dinner in the village

*Passports are available for purchase from the municipality at 450-226-3117. ($50 /after May 24 $60).

Email George Calder if you desire updates at gmcalder2@hotmail.com

Classic Boat Show

A Classic Boat Show will be held this summer on the afternoon of July 19, 2014. This event is jointly organized by Amis du Lac/Friends of the Lake, the Sixteen Island Lake Fishing Club, and the Municipality of Lac-des-seize-Iles. This one-time, one-day event will bring together classic boat owners and enthusiasts alike, in a series of venues that will allow the lake community to take a moment to appreciate many of the wonderful boats that were common in days gone by in honour of the municipality’s 100^th anniversary.

The plan is to start the event at the Sixteen Island Lake Fishing Club’s waterfront in the very early afternoon where visitors can view participating boats up close, meet the owner to discover the history of their boat, and view a pictorial display of boats that used to ride the waves of our lake long ago. This will be followed by a parade of these wonderful boats out on the lake where they will arrive at the village marina where a venue similar to the one at the Club will be set up. Classic Boats for this event are defined as being constructed of wood, aluminum, or fiberglass, yet is classic in nature. If you are interested in participating please contact the event organizers Ken Morehouse or Geoff Cresswell at sixteenislandlake@sympatico.ca. Everybody is invited to view these classic boats, many of which are rarely seen out on the lake.

Station and Resto DCseize Iles

Both the Station and Resto DCseize Iles have been open this winter. It has been a difficult winter for business for both of them as snowmobile trails from St. Adolphe and St. Agathe have been closed for several years now, as well as the Aerobic Corridor. Snow mobile riders are the chief source of income for both businesses during the winter other than the small local community.

Jesse who runs the restaurant, Resto DCseize Iles, is back home in the Philippines for a month but will be back in May and will be open for the summer, as usual.

Stephanie and Roland from the Station will also be open as usual. This summer the plan is to open the restaurant 5 days/week (Resto DCseize Iles and the Station will cooperate so at least one of them will be open all the time). Roland will also be available (when the restaurant isn’t open) to do in home catering. For those of you who have engaged him as a caterer, you know what a treat it is.

Please patronize these last two commercial establishments in our village. We would be less of a community without them!!

Annual General Meeting 2014

Amis du Lac/Friends of the Lake Annual General Meeting:

Friday July 11^th at 7:00 pm at the municipal building

2015 Calenders will be available for sale at the meeting

Web site: www.amisdulacdes16isles.org

Email: amis16island@yahoo.com

Newsletter 2013

Amis du Lac/ Friends of the Lake is very pleased and excited that a major Environmental Study of the lakes and land of the Sixteen Island Watershed has been completed. Started in 2008 under the direction of Corina Lupu and assisted by a number of our members, the first phase was completed in 2009 and a report was issued by Biofilia in 2010.Then, a second phase commissioned by Amis du Lac in 2010 was completed in 2011.The data from this phase was included in a final study commissioned by the Municipality, completed by Biofilia and presented to the council in 2012. This report gives a clear picture of the lake and its watershed and all is not well. Your association will use the report to plan projects and set priorities to preserve the lake and watershed. It is hoped that the present council and future administrations will use the study wisely and take the necessary action to preserve the watershed and lakes that are under stress.  A very brief section on the Biofilia recommendations and conclusions is included in this newsletter. We would like to extend an invitation to everybody to join us at the presentation of the findings of the study presented by Corina Lupu at the Amis du Lac meeting in July.

Land Use Committee Trust

In 2012, Amis du Lac was approached about the possibility of acquiring part of the property on the mountain in the village, including land extending from the cell tower, south  behind the cottages along the east shore.  The intention of Amis du Lac was to place the property in a land trust, forever protecting it in its natural state.

A professional evaluation of the property was commissioned by Amis du Lac. Members of the land use committee solicited assistance from residents of the lake to fund the purchase of the property. The evaluation report indicated that the value of the property was substantially below the asking price. It was decided that purchasing the property was not something Amis du Lac could pursue at this time.

Environment 

Lake and Watershed Environmental Study

Last summer the completed environmental study of the Sixteen Island Lake and Lac Laurel and their watersheds was presented by the environmental consultants Biofilia to the municipality. This is a comprehensive inventory and study of the health of the lakes and their watersheds. The study, commissioned by the municipality, also includes the results from the first two Biofilia studies of the lake commissioned by Amis du Lac. This is an extensive study encompassing the complete watershed which occurs in five municipalities and within three MRC’s. In addition to the Biofilia report of approximately 250 pages, there are 26 colored maps showing the locations and information within the watershed.

BIOFILIA RECOMMENDATIONS

The recommendations are divided into six main areas of intervention.

1. The protection of river system

2. Control of residential development

3. Constraints on deforestation

4. Restrictions on road construction

5. Measures of erosion control to be applied to construction sites

6. Conservation of biodiversity

(Details of these recommendations will be found in the complete Biofilia study on the Amis du Lac website here.)

BIOFILIA CONCLUSIONS

Following the analysis of the watersheds, as well as human intervention impacting the quality of the environment, we believe that the ecological integrity of the following lakes’ watersheds is:

• Lac Wonish at risk
• Lac du Grand Heron at risk
• Baie des Soeurs at risk
• Passage des Grenouilles at risk
• Lac Laurel at risk
• Lac des Seize-Îles is at moderate risk

“In order to improve or maintain the water quality of the municipality’s lakes, control of the phosphorus intake must be a priority for the municipality. Phosphorus may come from punctual sources, such as erosion problems related to roads, deterioration of the shore and other erosion hotbeds. Some non-point input of phosphorus can also come from individual drain field, fertilizers and naturally, from rain. Thus, establishing by-laws for fertilizers and drain fields would limit non point sources of phosphorus. Continuing the riparian strip restoration program would also capture the residual non point sources. Furthermore, adopting legislation with strict construction norms for roads and deforestation around dwellings would limit erosion problems as well as non point sources of phosphorus and sediments harmful to the water quality and aquatic habitats. Due to the wave action of “Wakeboats”, a real problem for the shoreline stability, this type of boat should be prohibited on the waters in question. The washing of all watercrafts should continue in order to avoid the establishment of other invasive species such as water milfoil.

In conclusion, the protection of the environment and the development of land include a range of actions, of policies and of legislations which limit the pressures of development and human usage on the receiving environment. An environmental protection policy is a process through which these actions are understood, adopted and applied. This process is first and foremost a long term vision of good territorial management. The span of this vision and the necessary time to reach it are directly dependent on the principles and the conviction of the citizens and their elected representatives. This is why raising awareness towards the importance of natural processes and the impact of every action is the key element to adopt an environmental policy quickly and efficiently.  Since the municipality of Lac-des-Seize-Îles is still, to this day, a jewel in the Laurentians, citizens have every right to expect its preservation and count on the increased protection of their environment.”

( From Biofilia report)

(Details of these conclusions will be found in the complete Biofilia study on the Amis du Lac web site here.)

Presentation and discussion of the Biofilia report    

Corina Lupu has been instrumental in getting the Biofilia study started at Sixteen Island Lake, including doing much of the field work for the first two phases.  We are most fortunate to have Corina make a power point presentation of the Biofilia Study of the lakes and watershed. This will be at the Amis du Lac meeting on Friday July 12^th at 7:00 pm, at the municipal center. This is a great opportunity to learn about the study and its potential impact, its’ critical findings, its ramifications and importance to the lakes and community, and the actions needed to be taken. The Biofilia report is intended to be used as a starting point for the revisions to the municipal urban plan. The report is to be studied by the CCU who in turn inform and make recommendations to the council.

Loon Rescue

Each spring the Sixteen Island Lake loons arrive shortly after ice out and stay until late fall when their formal black collar, spotted black and white plumage with beautiful greens and whites turn to a dull winter gray.

Late last summer, a number of Lakers noticed an adult loon continually rolling over on its side and appeared to be in distress. They could see a flash of sun and hear a metallic clinking sound as the loon shook its head and laid on its side in an attempt to dislodge a large fishing lure from its mouth. Fishing line could be seen wrapped around the loon’s head and body severely restricting its head, feet and wings. An attempt by Donald, Corina and Michael to catch the loon was futile as the loon still had enough energy to evade capture. About a week later, Miriam spotted the loon at the south end of the lake. She shut off her motor and coasted to within a few feet of the loon when she noticed that the fishing line wrapped around the loon’s body and head was trailing behind in the water. Taking hold of the line she tried to gently pull the loon towards the boat. The loon immediately began to shake its head violently with a mournful howl. Realizing that more hands were needed, she called Christiane, who in turn called the Parizeaus who arrived in their boat. Try as they might, they could not get close enough to net the loon and he slowly headed out for bigger water.

Miriam and Christiane, knowing that the loon was getting weaker, decided to attempt another rescue later that evening. They were joined by Rich who brought a larger net. After much time they spotted the loon in Black Bay where he appeared to be sleeping while a number of loons close by kept an eye on him. As they quietly approached, the loon awoke and began very slowly swimming along the shore line. Miriam kept the boat close to the loon and an initial attempt to scoop the loon up resulted in Christiane falling into the water. Recovering quickly, Rich managed to net the large loon and put it in the bottom of the boat gently holding it down using the net as a restrainer. Then, slowly and carefully working through the net, he cut all the fishing line that was wrapped firmly around the loon’s head, neck, back, wings and one foot. To their surprise the fishing lure did not have a hook, but just fell away when the fishing line that was wrapped around the loon’s tongue was cut free. Miriam, keeping her boat cushion between her and the loon, “just in case”, carefully double checked inside the loon’s mouth and tongue for any signs of a hook but none was found.  Placing a towel carefully over the loon, Rich cut the net away from its frame, and gently lifted the loon towards the water.

Immediately the loon exploded into a mad scramble of wings and feet as it flailed across 20 meters of the lake where he settled into the water and let out a large haunting loon howl. Then he rose out of the water vigorously stretching and testing his newly liberated wings.  Swimming towards the approaching group of loons he paused, turned, and looked back towards his rescuers as if to say thank you. It was a very emotional moment with not a dry eye in the boat. The three rescuers watched as the loon paused once more for a moment of preening and stretching his wings. Then joining the waiting loons, he headed towards bigger water leaving a few small feathers floating on the quiet water just ahead of the boat.

Replanting 

Friends/Amis purchased $1000 of plants and bushes to assist the municipal project to replant the south end parking area. The project directed by council member Denis Charlebois was done by the students of Centre de Formation Horticol de Laval. This project is a great improvement to reestablish the natural area that was disturbed by parking lot construction the previous summer.

Web Site

The complete Biofilia Watershed Report can be found in French on Friends/Amis  website.  The English translation of the details of the Recommendations and  Conclusions can also be found on our website here.

Calendars 

Tim Boswell continues to do an incredible job producing beautiful calendars with photos taken by Lake  residents. The 2014 Sixteen Island Lake calendars will be available this summer at the annual general meeting, at major events and from Penny Love (450-226-8062). Thanks Tim for another outstanding job.

Municipal

The past year continued to be difficult for residents as both spending and taxes have experienced large increases. 2013 is a municipal election year for the council and the mayor. For the first time the election will be held under new redistricting. Candidates for council may run in any of the six districts regardless of where they have their residence. However, only the residents of legal age who live in a district may vote for the candidate of their district. Seasonal residents get one vote per property. The position of mayor is voted on by all eligible residents in the municipality (again one vote per property owned by seasonal residents). There will be vote by mail. Once again this is an important election. Our municipality is only as good as our elected officials and we encourage residents to consider serving in the municipal government.

Be sure you are registered to vote and that your preference to vote either by mail or in person is correctly recorded at the municipal office.

Municipal Centennial Celebrations 2014 

Amis du Lac in conjunction with the Sixteen Island Lake Fishing Club is cosponsoring a Classic Boat Show and parade for the Municipal Centennial Celebrations to be held in the summer of 2014. It is estimated there are close to 30 classic boats of all types on the lake and we encourage everyone with an old boat to participate. This fun event is being coordinated by Geoff Creswell.

Membership

Thanks to all of you who continue to support the lake Association. Reminders will be sent out if renewal of your three year membership is due. Your participation in Friends/Amis is most appreciated. We will have a table at the Municipal Arts Festival so stop by to purchase your calendars. This year we will also introduce a shopping bag with the association logo. Geoff Cresswell is working on a brochure that willpromote and inform the public about Friends/Amis.

Annual General Meeting 2013

The Amis du Lac/ Friends of the Lake Annual General Meeting is Friday July 12^th at 7.00 pm.at the municipal building. We invite everyone to join us for the presentation on the Biofilia Report

Friends/Amis wishes everyone a warm and sunny summer, filled with great adventures and lasting memories!