APELL Is Now on the Internet
We are pleased to announce that APELL now has its own web site on the Internet ! Although not the first lake association we are definitely the first in Quebec ! The site is still under construction as this newsletter is written but is already pretty comprehensive. The site contains:
If you have any suggestions/comments concerning the Internet site, please contact Steve Slaby.
The address is: http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/2562
Please take particular note of the upper/lower case letters in the address. The first screen will allow you to choose the english or french version of the site.
Another added bonus is you can send comments/questions to the association via Email. The APELL email address is: appel_exec@geocities.com Before anyone calls in to note the spelling mistake in the address, it is already known, but cannot be changed !
Municipal Parks Initiatives
There have been two proposals put forth to create provincial parks in our area: Morissette Mountain, and Lac des Iles.
The first proposed park surrounds Morissette Mountain. This park was proposed in PSAR 1, and out association has supported it. The municipality had already acquired the land and had it surveyed at considerable costs (approx. $14,000.00), and had no choice but to go forward or loose their investment. Details are sketchy, but things like walking trails and a picnic area at the top are possible components of the park. The municipality will ne announcing details shortly and we will keep you informed.
The second park is over 500 acres to the north and south of Lac des Iles. The proposal submitted by Remi St. Laurent would see significant setup costs to the municipality (translate: your pocketbook!) While it was hoped that some of these costs would be obtained through commercial sponsorship, the municipality would still have borne some of the costs. At the initial stage. Blue Sea and Wright were each to be requested to contribute $5,000.00 to a feasibility study.
This association strongly opposed the project for a number of reasons. We did not feel that it would be wise or prudent to attempt to develop two provincial parks simultaneously in close proximity to each other. We felt the municipality did not have the financial or other resources to adequately do so. Some of Mr. St.Laurent's plans were also detrimental to nature, and in some instances, dangerous, and illegal.
The northern sector of the proposed park is in a protection zone for the white-tailed deer. Under the original proposal, hunting was to be forbidden. Under his revised plan, hunting was to be controlled. This would have created a potentially dangerous environment where hunters and tourists would be sharing the same terrain at the same time. It was also proposed that there be deer feeding stations set up, where tourists could feed the animals during 10 months of the year. Can you imagine the resulting slaughter. You encourage the deer to get close for 10 months by feeding them, then you hunt them down during hunting season. This would have surely led to a total slaughter and extinction of all deer within a large area over a very short span of years. The whole process would also have been illegal, since it is strictly forbidden to hunt at any time in a provincial park.
He proposed a controlled timber cutting operation to bring in approx. $80,000.00 per year in revenue, without realizing what impact that would have on the existing timber cutting business in the municipality. An annual timber cut of this magnitude would have quickly thinned out the existing park density. Again, another dangerous situation where there is constant felling of trees while tourists are milling about. And again, another illegal activity where timber cutting is not allowed in a deer protection zone.
His proposed land use of the park would have diverted significant negative water and land traffic to the Lac Profond area, and would have resulted in a serious deterioration of that small beautiful lake.
His auto-financing scheme for the project did not make any sense. There had not been any serious attempt to study the usage of the park facilities by the outside population and what levels of income had to be generated to make the park self-sufficient, and hence not a future burden upon the municipalities of Blue Sea and Wright. Christian Clement also submitted a proposal for a part of this same piece of land. His proposal would cover 50 acres, and would include his Sugar bush, various trails and a "lumber" camp where people could stay and see how logging was performed years ago. This proposal had *no* costs to the municipality, other than those the municipality had already paid out, in the area of $3,000.00 for improving the pioneer road. Again, our association supported this initiative, partially because the municipality had already made an investment in the project, and to not go forward would have meant a waste of taxpayer monies already spent. The details of his proposal were also good and did not require any additional municipal monies to be contributed.
The Public Access
Late last fall, the concrete blocks at the public access were relocated to improve putting in and removing boats; hopefully the ice did not move them over the winter.
Hunting in the Latourelle Lake Surroundings
A couple of neighbourhood landowners have submitted complaints to the association concerning unauthorized hunting on their land.
It seems that people are under the false assumption that most of the undeveloped land to the west and north of Lac Latourelle is government land, and hunting is permitted. While that was once the case, the majority of government land has now been purchased by individuals. There remains only a few lots that still belong to the government.
While we unfortunately don't know who the *offenders* are, we would ask that anyone who hunts please respect the wishes of private property owners, and hunt *ONLY* where it is permitted.
Mobile Home / Trailer Installations
The municipality will be taking a tougher stance on trailers this summer. The following rules will apply (and will be enforced!)
Merger with Messines
The merger is still a possibility. The Blue Sea/Messines merger is still on the targeted list, even though representations had been made to the province against it. Since the province is still pushing the issue, we unfortunately believe it only a matter of time before it becomes a reality. Perhaps the best hope lies in a good counter-attack.
The municipality should create a committee of council to study the alternatives, adopt a strong negotiating position, and set minimum standards and conditions for such a possible merger. Such a committee should not be composed of only elected councillors, but also respected members of the community as well as representative(s) from the cottagers. It would be directed to map out a strategy for dealing with the situation as it progresses in order to at least obtain the best deal possible.
Executive Meeting Highlights
Unfortunately, the flags that were ordered for members of the association will not be arriving. It seems that the fax with the list of names and addresses was "misplaced" by the people running the flag program. When Morris called to check on progress, they did not have any record of it.
The proposed Senior Citizen's home development on chemin du Lac Long is at a standstill. If there is no progress by this season, the land will revert to Laurier Lafontaine.
Constitution Changes
Members will be requested to approve certain changes to our Association Constitution at the first General Meeting in June. We therefore request that you pay particular attention to this portion of the newsletter, since it constitutes the formal notification required to place the matter on the spring agenda.
Our association has taken a much more pro-active stance in relation to a number of issues over the past two years, and some members would argue that we are exceeding our mandate. A typical example of this is the merger issue with Messines. While we are convinced of the necessity to protect the best interests of our cottage members on this issue, perhaps we should firm up our involvement. We therefore propose to marginally expand the purposes of the association in a catch-all phrase to cover eventualities.
We would therefore add to the objectives of the association "to support any efforts aimed at the best interests, financial or otherwise, and to oppose any attempts to thwart the best interests of members of the association as a community within Blue Sea, insofar as these efforts do not result in secondary interests taking on an importance over environmental concerns which shall forever be the dominant consideration of our association."
In the section pertaining to the duties of the Executive, we would add that "the Executive would decide if at any time the Association should get involved in any subject outside the traditional objectives of our association."
As far back as we can remember, nominations for office have been called at the last General Meeting in September. Yet, the original Constitution of the Association clearly states that "nominations for office signed by at least two members shall be presented to the Secretary at least one week before the General Meeting." Clearly we have been remiss, and clearly the situation should be corrected.
We therefore propose to slightly modify the rules, as follows: "Nominations for office, signed by at least two members, may be presented to the Secretary at least one week before the General Meeting. In addition, nominations for office will be called at the General Meeting and any person so nominated for any office must be proposed by at least one person, and seconded by another, not from the same family unit as the person nominated".
The last General Meeting in September has in the past been the forum for holding elections to office. The turnout is often poor and we sometimes encounter difficulties in even obtaining a quorum to hold such elections.
The Executive proposes holding elections in mid-summer, say the second General Meeting of the season, usually in July. It would permit a larger attendance and participation by a larger segment of the Association. The successful elected officers would take office after the last General Meeting of the year, usually at the end of September, and the current Executive would continue to hold office until then. At the first Executive Meeting after the last General Meeting of the year, in late September, both the old and the new Executives would attend a common Executive Meeting to be held at a mutually convenient time and place where the official handover of power would take place, and thus insure an element of continuity between the old administration and the new.
We therefore propose as follows: "Be it proposed that General Elections be held every second year, and that such elections be held during the second General Meeting of the Association membership in mid-summer of that year, usually in July, instead of late September. Notwithstanding the holding of such elections for office, the current Executive shall continue to hold office and to carry out its normal responsibilities until the end of the current elected term, which shall be the end of September in the year during which an election is held. The newly elected Executive shall assume its normal duties and responsibilities at the end of September of the year during which an election is held. At the first Executive Meeting after the last General Meting of the year during which an election is held, at a time and place mutually acceptable, both the old and the new Executive shall attend. The official handover of power shall here take place, and the attendance of both Executives will hopefully insure continuity between them on matters then outstanding."
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.
An added note: there will be a couple of door prizes at the first meeting this year, so be sure to attend; you may actually win something!
Interested in getting more involved ?
Now is the time to start thinking about running for a position for next year's executive. Please remember that the term for elected members is now two years instead of one.
A couple of the current executive members, who have worked very hard for the association, will not be running for re-election, so there will be openings available. The executive is made up of the following positions: President, Vice-president, Secretary/Treasurer, Directors, and alternate Directors. If you are not sure what is involved with becoming a member of the executive please feel free to contact Morris Richardson, or Fran Baressi.
While we certainly encourage members to seek office, we would hope that members who wish to do so familiarize themselves with what is expected of them beforehand, so that we don't end up with officers who have neither the time nor the capabilities to carry out their functions for the term. When that happens, it unfairly puts the added burden of their work upon the remaining members of the Executive.
Looking for Volunteers
The executive has been thinking about starting a Water Quality Monitoring Program this summer. One of the easiest tests that the association can administer at no cost, is to start monitoring water clarity and temperature. A couple of volunteers would be required to take weekly checks of water clarity and water temperature.
Each volunteer would be assigned one or two areas to check. The check should take only a few minutes of your time each week (weekend). Once this information is gathered, it will provide us with information to establish "normal" readings. In following years, if we start to see alarming differences in the readings, we will be able to act quickly to hopefully prevent any possible environmental damage.
Environment Related Issues
The following exerpt was taken from "Blueprint for a Lake-Friendly Landscape", Article written by Mary Jo Buza, Thurston County Community and Environmental Programs)
Problem: Excess Nutrients. Wide use of lawn and garden fertilizers on shoreline property can cause nutrients to build up in the water. Rain and watering can wash fertilizers out of your yard and garden and into the lake. Fertilizer buildup in the water results in rapid aquatic plant growth and algal blooms, which hamper swimming and boating activities and kill fish. Careless discarding of lawn clippings and yard debris near the lake will also cause excess nutrients to pollute the lake.
Solution: Leave some native vegetation along your shoreline. If native vegetation is gone, reduce the size of your lawn by replanting native species of trees, shrubs and ground cover. Native plants require fewer pesticides and fertilizers, and once established, need less water than exotic ornamental varieties. Create buffer areas with native plants to act as a natural filter system, trapping nutrients from stormwater runoff before they enter the lake. Dispose of lawn clippings and yard debris or start compost piles well away from the lake or nearby streams and wetlands.
Problem: Excess Toxins. Pesticides commonly used around homes and gardens (such as diazinon, dursban and orthene) and herbicides (such as Weed and Feed and RoundUp) can cause serious damage to fish, wildlife and people when they get in the lake water. They may be blown directly into the lake when applied on a windy day or washed off plants and soil by rain or watering. Improper storage and disposal of these chemicals also can pollute the lake.
Solution: Always read labels carefully and avoid using pesticides and herbicides whenever possible, especially on windy days. Use pesticides only when you actually see a pest.Dispose of unused pesticides and containers at the local hazardous waste disposal site.
Bell Canada "Improvements"
In our local area, Bell Canada has been upgrading their equipment that is supposed to give us better reliablity, access to 911 service (assuming the municipality of Blue Sea chooses to implement it), access to third-party long distance providers, more optional features (Call Display, Call Waiting, Call Return), and faster, more reliable access to data services (Internet, etc.).
Unfortunately for most cottagers any of the improvements will probably not be apparent. In talking with Bell, they have yet to expand the number of private lines in our area, so new subscribers will still be stuck with party-line service (which does not allow you to use cordless phones, answering machines, fax, Internet access, etc.).
Currently there is a waiting list for private lines in our area. Bell Canada does not currently have a date as to when they will be expanding the number of private lines, but my personal guess would be that the more people who call and ask for private lines and get put on a waiting list, the more likely (and possibly sooner) Bell will take action. If you are interested in a private line, *PLEASE CALL BELL AND PUT YOUR NAME ON THE WAITING LIST!*
A new feature that Bell is offering, is to suspend your phone service while your cottage sits dormant throughout the winter at a cost of $50. You will still maintain your listing in the phone book, and will not be hit with re-connection charges in the spring. Based on the lowest cost ($12.81/mth) if you cut off for the maximum of 6 months, you will save. ($50 versus $76.86). The other added bonus would be that if someone breaks into your cottage during the winter they would not be able to rack up huge phone bills.
If someone calls your number when it is suspended they get a message something like "Number is temporarily suspended at customer's request). You do have the option of having a forwarding message added instead (ie. please call me at home at xxx-xxxx) but that would cost $2.80 a month during the suspension period.
Current rates in our area are:
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.
PSAR 1
On Jan.25, 1997, we addressed a letter to Blue Sea municipal council, detailing our association's reservations to certain aspects of the project, in line with FAPEL Consultant recommendations. On Feb. 24'97, a special meeting of Council took place to debate PSAR 1 and we are happy to report that 85% of the recommendations we submitted to council were accepted by them and transmitted to the MRC for possible implementation.
The Beaver Problem
This past winter was another success for the trappers on Lac Latourelle; quite a good number of beaver were trapped this year; hopefully we will be able to give you some numbers at the first meeting this year.
Gossip Corner
The executive has given condolences on behalf of the Lake Association to the Cousineau family, for their loss of the family home in early spring. By the time most of you go up to the cottage for the first time, you will probably see the new house almost finished.
For the second winter in a row, Morris' place was hit by burglars. The front door was kicked in, but fortunately nothing was taken, and there was no vandalism.
Are you itching for good TV reception at the cottage for those miserable, rainy days? If so, then you will have to continue to wait for awhile.
Cablevision have been running their lines into the area recently, and have been already taking orders. However, rather than cross over from Messines to Blue Sea via Traverse St. Jacques, as originally intended, they instead proceeded along the eastern shoreline of Blue Sea Lake from Messine to Blue Sea, and then turned left at the church to head toward Wright. The net result is that cable will only be extended through the village area and northwest as far as Domaine Belle Plage. It is indeed a pity, since home security systems that run off cable lines would hopefully have been available in our area.
For those of you who enjoyed the great friendly service (and the great steaks!) at Jean's in Blue Sea (F.X. Bertrand) we are sorry to have to inform you that they went out of business over the winter.
The good news is that a new owner is now open at the same location to continue the business. We visited on May 10, 1997, the first day of business and spoke to the new owner, Mr. Barbe (no apparent relation to depanneur Barbe in Wright.) Mr Barbe tells us he formerly owned land on Lac Latourelle, near the public landing. Two years ago, he sold the land, to use the proceeds to invest in another business, which subsequently floundered, and he has now transferred his liquid assets to invest in the current business.
The new business will feature a wide assortment of hardware products, similar to that carried by the former owner. In addition, he will also carry a large groceteria selection, again as with the former business. The big change is in the meats. Whereas the former owner was a certified butcher, the present owner is not. Hence, there will only be a small selection of meats available, mostly cold cuts for sandwiches, pre-packaged. While we mourn the departure of the former owner, we wish the new owner future sucess in his new business venture.
Membership Renewal Time again
Get out your pen and checkbook. Its that time of the year again where we ask you to renew your membership. No changes over last year - same price, same types of membership. The form is enclosed so why not take the time to do it now before you forget about it. We will not ask you to donate to a fish fund this year, because of the current problem the municipality has with the Ministry regarding the possible closure of Blue Sea Lake to all fishing for several years, to permit clean-up, and the proposed stocking of alternate lakes in the area by the ministry..
Wearing Apparel
Fran still has some inventory of clothing left over from last fall and will continue to look after this matter during the current season. So if you're looking for that special something for that special person, why not an item of clothing with our lake logo on it. Talk to Fran Baressi ; she'll be happy to hear from you on this issue.
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
