Accomplishments in 1996
They say that time flies for those who are having fun. If that is so, we must have had a lot of fun, because time has surely flown very quickly this year.
It has indeed been a busy one for all of us on the Executive.
Municipality News
At the September council meeting, Blue Sea and Messines were requested by La Sauvegarde (Blue Sea lake association) to prohibit winter fishing on Blue Sea completely for the next several winter seasons. The presentation was somewhat forceful.
There were Quebec government biologist reports on cause and effect issues, and the results of a survey carried out surreptitiously by the Quebec fish and game ministry last winter. Quebec offered to stock alternative lakes, but did not mention which ones, as an inducement to the prohibition. Messines voted in favour of prohibition, but Blue Sea turned it down on a split vote. This has become a bitter issue, and promises to bring in provincial influence to bear on the matter eventually. We will keep you posted.
In accordance with arrangements arrived at whereby the municipality will take over public lands on Mont Morissette, a survey of the whole mountain area had to be undertaken. Tenders were called, a contract was awarded, and land surveyors were busy over November performing their work. The whole area has now been surveyed, and an official report will be given to the municipality as well as the provincial government sometime in December for further action.
At the October meeting, Laurier Lafontaine officially requested Council to take over maintenance of the dam on our lake. It was deferred for further study to November, and again for a further month to December, but Council finally agreed at their December meeting to take it over. Laurier is to train the municipal works inspector on the fine points of maintaining good water levels.
At the December meeting, Council adopted new provincial regulations regarding the emptying of septic waste systems. Henceforth permanent residents will have their systems emptied every second year at the price of $46.00 per year, or $92.00 every two years. Cottagers will have theirs emptied every four years, at $23.00 per year or $92.00 over the four year stretch. Island properties will be subject to special provisions to be announced later. The process will be rigidly controlled and coordinated by the municipality. They will issue a certificate of conformity on request in the case of sale of properties, and the billing for the service will be done through the annual tax bill.
Notices of Motion were presented by Council in December in compliance with the 5-year land-use project of the MRC with regards to mobile home installations. New rigid standards have been proposed at the MRC level to control the quantity of mobile homes, trailers, etc ... on any given property, the standards required for sanitary installations, the permits required to install a mobile home on a property, and the on-going permits required to maintain them on the properties over extended periods, as well as restrictions on where these may be installed within municipal boundaries. While it is evident some difficult decisions will be required, the new regulations seem generally favourable at this time.
Executive Meeting Highlights
We have decided to carry a service aimed at prospective cottage buyers. Certain members of your Executive are constantly being contacted to show prospective cottage buyers local available properties and to supply information on same. We have therefore decided to maintain a 'listing' of available properties on both lakes (Latourelle and Morissette), which will include the present owner's name, address and telephone number, the asking price, and other pertinent information regarding the property. Any property owner contemplating selling their property who may wish to avail themselves of this service may henceforth do so at a cost of $15.00 per property listing, per year. Large landowners subject to discount on volume.
In order to encourage a larger turnout of members to vote at elections for officers, we have decided to hold the elections in mid-summer, instead of early fall. Hopefully, more members may attend to support the democratic process. Notices of Motion, in accordance with rules in the Association, will be going out in early spring, to permit us to amend the constitution of the Association to reflect that decision.
Blue Sea/Messines Merger
On Oct. 30, 1996, we attended meetings in Hull, called by the Quebec Municipal Affairs Commission. We presented our brief opposing the merger of Blue Sea with Messines. Also in attendance were members of council of both municipalities, along with various citizens. Both municipalities presented briefs, as did the Blue Sea make work committee. All the presentations were against merger and all were very good. The Blue Sea Optimist Club sent a letter in support of the make work committee brief.
Blue Sea dealt primarily with its historic independence, and its affinities to Gracefield. It also expanded on its territorial pre-occupations and its dependence upon the cottage industry.
Messines dealt primarily with its affinities to Maniwaki, its dependence upon the forest industry, and its predominant resident population based services.
In keeping with its mandate, the Committee to research employment opportunities in Blue Sea dealt primarily with future opportunities for employment in Blue Sea, and the effects a possible merger would have on this area.
Our own brief dealt at length with the financial and economic impact of merger on the two municipalities. It compared the municipal infrastructures existing and various operating cost centres of both municipalities and attempted to project these to a merger situation. Because our full brief was too long to read at the commission hearings (we only had 10 minutes to read a prepared text) the full brief was left with the commission for further study, and a brief expose was presented during the commission hearings.
Now we wait until the year-end, when the Commission will announce its decisions.
For those of you who may wish to obtain working copies of our own brief, we still have some available. Please request them from a member of the Executive, who will obtain you a copy.
During the Commission hearings, we were congratulated by the President, as well as one of the Directors, of the Municipal Affairs Commission for taking the time, as a lake association, to become involved in the local political process. Not only were we the only lake association to present a brief at the local hearings in Hull, where some 40 municipalities were called upon to make their case, but we were the only lake organization to present a brief anywhere in Quebec, where the Commission heard from over 400 municipalities.
It must be admitted that members of your Executive felt a great deal of pride in our Association and its forward mindedness.
We were subsequently thanked by both mayors. Blue Sea put forth a motion of thanks at its November council meeting, and we have received an official thank you letter from the Secretary Treasurer of the municipality. For those of you who receive La Gatineau, you will note that we also received a good lengthy review in that newspaper in November.
It was a nice feeling to be on the same side as council for once, instead of in the opposite corner. It clearly showed everyone concerned that we decide on issues before us, not personalities presenting them. Hopefully it will show council we can work more closely together on various issues in the future.
FAPEL Seminar
On Oct. 12, 1996, your president attended a daylong seminar given by FAPEL at the Holiday Inn, in Hull. The whole morning was devoted to septic installations. In the afternoon, we discussed MRC land-use projects, water analysis, and motorized watercraft. We then had an open period on any subjects of concern to attending members.
A very productive and educational day. We obtained a variety of material for future usage and information sourcing.
General Meetings for 1997
Three general meetings have been tentatively scheduled at the Salle des Loisirs (same place as last year) for the following Saturday dates, at 10:30 a.m. sharp.
Your Executive have decided to start the meetings promptly at 10:30 a.m. to permit us to finish earlier. If your are late in arriving, you will miss the beginning, since we will start on time. This idea of stalling in hopes of having more people has come to an end. Please plan accordingly.
Executive Meetings for 1997
These are the tentative dates for meetings of your Executive for 1997. They start at 7:30 p.m., unless otherwise indicated. The host home or cottage for each meeting is also indicated. The last executive meeting posting will be for both executives, the one prior to elections and the one after the elections, to insure continuity. If you wish to have a certain topic discussed at a meeting, feel free to contact any member of the Executive.
Special Events
So far, we have planned three events for 1997. Vince, our point-man on entertainment and special events 'is working on these goodies and will keep you informed.
The second annual Children's picnic will be held on Saturday, August 9, 1997, and further details will be announced prior to that date.
The annual adult picnic will be on Saturday, Aug. 16, 1997, and details will be forthcoming as well.
The annual clean-up day is also planned for Saturday, July 12, 1997.
Plans for 1997
Security: Neighbourhood Watch
With the arrival of winter, and the closing of cottages for another winter season, we have already received notice of numerous break-ins.
Two residents of Blue Sea village have recently been apprehended and charged with a large number of break-ins in the area of Lac Profond, and on the islands of Blue Sea. They were released under their own recognizance, although one of them had a lengthy criminal record, and ordered to appear on Dec. 15th for pre-trial hearings. We will keep you informed of the outcome.
A number of cottages were seriously vandalized on the islands in Blue Sea Lake. This was not a simple matter of stealing contents. This was more sheer and wanton destructiveness. In some cases, so much structural damage was caused, cottages may have to be destroyed and totally rebuilt (support pillars sawed with chainsaws, etc. )
Promptly report any strangers lurking around illegally to the Q.P.F.(1-819-449-4333) If you spot their vehicle, jot down the license number for later reference. Last year certain individuals volunteered to patrol the lake on skidoos.
PSAR 1
This is the official acronym for the 5 year land-use project of the MRC. It means Project de Schema d'Amenagement Revise 1. Basically it projects the land use over the entire MRC of the upper Gatineau for the next 5 to 7 years. All municipalities are required by law to submit their plans, which are then consolidated into the present revision, which was published approx. one month ago. We now have until mid February 1997 to request our council to propose amendments to the official plan. After that time, whatever amendments are agreed to at all levels will be consolidated into a second revision, where public consultation will take place. It is considered much easier to influence the first revision rather than wait for the second. Once the second revision is published and accepted, it becomes law, and all municipalities are given a short period of time to enact the required legislation to put their section into effect.
Since receiving the documents (376 pages plus many maps, all in technical French), we have been studying it to find how Blue Sea will be affected. FAPEL has also received a copy and its officials are studying the document. So too for the Federation of which we are members. In the next several weeks, a meeting will be called by the Federation, inviting all presidents of all member lake associations to join with them and officials from FAPEL, for a daylong session at Mont Ste. Marie, to discuss all the ramifications of the project and how each municipality will be affected.
A superficial overview suggests that Blue Sea will have a number of modifications from the existing status.
The first will be to implement a control over campers and trailers. We have already discussed that elsewhere in this document.
The second, and very important consideration is the proposal to turn the entire Mont Morissette area (160 hectares) into a Regional Park for land conservation purposes, as well as tourist development areas. This merits very close scrutiny. The priority will be to offer site development of a non-motorized nature. No forest industry. A cycling and cross-country ski trail are favoured.
Also, Blue Sea lake itself has been designated a conservation priority zone. Presumably this will allow the provincial authorities to step in to clean up the lake as they see fit.
The connector road between Blue Sea and Messines. east of Blue Sea Lake, is to undergo major reconstruction over the next several years.
Large segments of Blue Sea municipality have been designated a protection area for the white-tailed deer. Hence, there will be some controlled areas with regards to forestry industry.
There is also a segment detailing new provisions when issuing construction permits in certain designated zones.
You are invited to give us your comments on this subject so we may be in a better position to make your views known in our presentation before mid-February,'1997.
The Beaver Problem
Again this fall, beavers have been hyperactive on our shorelines. The Quebec Federation of Trappers are now actively trapping them on Lac Latourelle, following discussions held with them earlier this year.
We would advise those who visit their cottage properties in the winter to beware of beaver traps. Federation members have placed a number of traps at or near beaver mounds all around the lake. Please keep your children and pets away from these traps to avoid injury.
Winter Ice Fishing
We remind honest fishermen that you are allowed a maximum of 5 rods ' a bascule) when fishing on the ice, that you must be in full view of all 5 at all times, and that they are not allowed to remain unattended overnight. It is also illegal to make a fire on the lake.
Closing Notes from the President
I would like to say how pleased I have been with the very positive atmosphere in which members of your Executive have worked in the past year. We have accomplished so much, only due to the untiring efforts put in by several of them. I have sincerely enjoyed working with them.
At this time of the year, let us put aside our petty bickering, our conflicts with our neighbours, our complaints against our elected representatives, parochial issues, language problems, and provincial cultural and political differences.
We, the Executive, wish to extend to one and all, our best wishes for the holiday season upon us. May your Christmas be merry, and may you be filled with joy and prosperity throughout the coming year. May your troubles, trials, and tribulations all be small ones, and may your rewards be bountiful.
As an association, we should resolve in 1997 to further expand our membership representation on both lakes (Latourelle and Morrissette), to closer communication with other associations within the municipality, and to a working partnership with the municipal council for the general improvement of our community.
Gossip Corner
Congratulations to Raymonde and Marcel Tessier who are celebrating their 20th Wedding Anniversary this New Year's eve.
Financial Statement
ASSETS
Cash in Bank $2,059.17
Bank Share Cap. $5.00
$2,064.17
Inventory - Clothes $991.87
Inventory - Maps $50.00
$3,106.04
LIABILITIES
Accounts Payable $1618.40
Lake Stocking Fund $197.00
Due to m. Richardson $24.93
$1,840.33
RETAINED SURPLUS
Carried Fwd Prior Yr $1,247.37
Current Yr Profit (LOSS) $18.34
$1,265.71
REVENUES
Primary Memberships $690.00
Secondary Memberships(24)$120.00
Fish Grant $3,000.00
Advertising $450.00
Wearing Apparel $1,391.77
Sale of Maps $12.00
Circular Distribution $12.50
Interest Income $1.34
Total Receipts $5,676.69
EXPENSES
Bank Charges $6.05
Xmas Party Donations $125.00
Clothes Purchases $1,103.63
Annual Filing Fees $90.00
Fireworks $75.95
Fish Stocking Reserve $2,500.00
Foodstuffs & Coffee $90.58
Hall Rental $100.00
Memberships $125.00
Merger Report $40.00
Office Sup. / Postage $249.53
Annual Picnics $320.68
Promotional Expenses $87.11
Signage $193.80
Telephone $191.02
Travel $300.00
$5,658.35
Operating Profit (Loss) $18.34
To surplus Account $18.34
Executive Committee for 1997
| Name | Title | Home Phone# | Cottage Phone # |
| Morris Richardson | President | ||
| Fran Barresi | Vice-President | ||
| Rita Lingen | Secretary/ Treasurer | ||
| Steven Slaby | Director | ||
| Vince Barresi | Director | ||
| Ramona MacFarlane | Director | ||
| Andre Lirette | Director | ||
| Cristian Juteau | Alternate Director | ||
| Doug Heath | Alternate Director |
The executive welcome calls from members, but we would ask they be before 9 PM.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank our new sponsors for supporting our assocation, and we invite our members to avail themselves of their services and products whenever the opportunity arises.
Copyright © 1996 APELL
All Rights Reserved
Droits d'auteur et copie © 1996 APELL
