Announcements & Table of Events for 2024
NOVEMBER 2023
COALITION QLAIMS
Earlier this year, representatives of the Coalition québécoise des lacs incompatibles avec l’activité minière approached the McGregor Lake Association to request support for the Coalition’s mission with both a membership and an opportunity to outline the issues and their mission to the Association’s membership. The presentations were held on 25 October (French Presentation) and the second English Presentation on 30 November.
An afternoon on a pontoon on the lake with Mayor Jules Dagenais and our new councilor Jacques Lemay
On September 14, our president Natalie Lavigne, former president Bob Kerr and a member of the board of directors, Marc Violette, took a pontoon tour of the lake with Mayor Dagenais and Councilor Lemay. These visits were a follow-up to the presentation that Natalie and Bob gave this summer, with the Lac St-Pierre association, to the Extraordinary General Committee of the Val-des-Monts municipal council.
During the pontoon tour, they discussed invasive species and identified some areas of concern. Your association is very concerned about this issue which has a major impact on the health of the lake and our representatives were delighted with the openness of Mr. Dagenais and Mr. Lemay to find and implement solutions. Other meetings are to be planned and we will keep you informed of follow-ups.
VIDEO ON WATER QUALITY
Last August, our president Natalie Lavigne was invited by the municipality of Val-des-Monts to participate in the filming of a video aimed at highlighting the VDM water quality monitoring program, the partnership with Water Rangers and the efforts of volunteers. You can view the French video here.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who gave their time this summer to help us carry out the Municipality’s water tests as well as the E.coli bacteria tests coordinated by Peter Barton (board member) . The results are published on our site.
OCTOBER 2023
UPDATE ON NEW McGREGOR LAKE MAP
For all of you who have been waiting for the new McGregor Lake Map, please note that unfortunately our designer was sidelined by a tough bout of COVID in his family and so was unable to meet our Thanksgiving deadline for delivery. He is now back in the volunteer saddle, and we are aiming to have a final draft circulated to all those who registered to appear on the map, before we send it to the printer. Our new target for delivery is early December. We are sorry for the delay but appreciate your patience and understanding.
JULY 2023
Recently the Extraordinary General Committee of the municipality of Val-des-Monts listened and participated for more than a hour to a presentation by the associations of McGregor Lake and Lac St-Pierre. The two associations had been invited to contribute to the strategic planning of the municipality as well as to the water master plan. (photo follows)
Our president (Natalie Lavigne) and the former president (Robert Kerr) presented the 5 biggest issues (below) that we have in common with Lac St-Pierre, as well as possible solutions.
- Aquatic invasive species
- The development capacity of the lakes
- Pleasure boating safety
- The erosion of the banks
- The quality of life of local residents
The Association was invited to participate in monthly meetings with Mayor Dagenais and Councilor Sylvestre along with the Lac St-Pierre Association to discuss the most promising solutions to ensure the protection of these two lakes which are among the busiest in the municipality.
July 14, 2023 A new Campaign “Cohabiter pour que tout le monde puisse en profiter” will be launched next Tuesday, July 18 at 10 AM at the Parc écologique Pélissier. For more details, please see the Press release.
New regulations governing short-term rentals were adopted by the members of the Municipal Council on January 17th. These 2 new regulations, numbered 917-23 (AM-109) and 918-23 (AM-110) (in French at this time) add several additional provisions regarding Airbnb and VRBO type rentals, including that renters may not launch their boats at Pélissier ramp.
NEW: McGregor Lake Map Project The Association is looking to undertake a design project that provides an attractive art piece which could potentially be used as a multimedia rendering on our website to provide real-time updates about sensitive areas on the lake. The Design Brief provides further information.
Please note that the Municipality of Val-des-Monts has put together a new municipal events calendar on their website! You will find all the important dates related to the Municipality, such as special events, opening of the public boat ramps, City Hall closures, bulky waste week, start of registration for leisure activities and more.
EVENT | DATES 2023 | DETAILS |
| Annual General Meeting | June 8 2024 10-12 noon | It is a great opportunity to meet members. The Mayor and Councilors were invited to address issues of concern and answer questions. You can also renew your membership and purchase Association t-shirt, caps and other merchandise. Agenda and financial statement to come. |
| Boat Launch | April 26, 2024 | Boat ramps will open Friday April 26 2024 and will be open every day from 6AM to 8 PM. Lac McGregor – 2, chemin Pélissier Lac Saint-Pierre – 2048, route Principale Rentals of non-motorized crafts at Pelissier on Lac McGregor will begin on May 15. Consult details on dates, fees & boating safety information on the Municipality’s website and our Boating page. You can also consult their new municipal calendar. |
| Annual Regatta/Games and Picnic | July 20, 2024 10-2PM | The Annual Picnic (Regatta) is a great opportunity to join your lake neighbours for games and a BBQ but be sure to arrive on time — games for various age groups will begin at 10:30! Prizes will also be awarded, and parents and children can compete together in our famous tug-of-war! You will also be able to purchase new Lake Association t-shirts & gear. See photos of past regattas. |
| Loon Watch | If you’d like to participate in the annual Loon Count send an email to lacmcgregorlake@gmail.com. Check out results of our Loon Watches here. | |
Water Testing | Results of past water quality tests are available on our Water Quality page. | |
Christmas Bird Count | Usually held early January | Check out the results of the 2021 Christmas Bird Count on our Christmas Bird Count page. If you’d like to participate, contact Amy Lawes: thejasperpatch@gmail.com. |
2022 Public Consultations on Val-des-Monts water bodies
The Municipality of Val-des-Monts launched on July 19, 2022 a citizen consultation on its water bodies. This consultation was done in several parts including an online consultation platform and a consultation evening at City Hall as well as a Zoom videoconference. More details available here, including a copy of the Municipality’s presentation.
Watercraft and Nautical Equipment Cleaning Station
As part of its efforts to protect the environment and to stop the spread of invasive species, the Municipality of Val-des-Monts announced the opening of its first self-serve watercraft and nautical equipment cleaning station on April 22, 2022.
Located at the municipal offices (1, route du Carrefour, Val-des-Monts), the electrically-powered station generates a high-pressure hot water spray that removes harmful species from watercraft and related equipment.
The station will run as a pilot project for an undetermined period, and is free to use. Boating enthusiasts are encouraged to clean their watercraft and nautical equipment both before and after they head out onto lakes and rivers. Proof-of-washing vouchers will be issued, and though it won’t be compulsory to show these vouchers when using a municipal boat launch during the trial period, it is strongly recommended.
Boat-launch attendants will continue to inspect watercraft, ensuring proper cleanliness before boats go onto the water. If boats or watercrafts aren’t considered clean enough, boat-launch users will be encouraged to visit the free cleaning station.
To keep traffic flowing smoothly and safely at the self-serve cleaning station, directional signs have been installed, including lines on the pavement to provide more visual cues.
The station was designed in keeping with the guiding principles of Val-des-Monts’ Environmental Policy (EU 2011-002) and with the final report on the Blanche Ouest River watershed master plan. The report’s policy directions included installing boat-cleaning stations in strategic locations and making users of public access points and other stakeholders more keenly aware of the need to prevent invasive aquatic species (IAS) from reaching our waterways.
The project received a $15,000 subsidy from Québec’s ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs du Québec; the grant stems from a special 2021-23 measure designed to protect Québec fauna and from the Plan de développement de la pêche au saumon et de la pêche sportive au Québec 2017-2022 (Québec sport and salmon fishing development plan).
To note: the station must not be used to wash roadway vehicles or other non-water equipment and items there.
For more details, see the following links on clean-up techniques and invasive species.
https://mffp.gouv.qc.ca/wp-content/uploads/Depliant-nettoyage-embarcations.pdf (Quebec Government)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RC4qLKF6ofg&t=197s (Ministry of the Environment)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ukXQs_5mrY (Sépaq)
Meeting with Municipality of Val-des-Monts (February 16, 2022)
Peter Barton and Natalie Lavigne of the MLA met virtually with the Mayor of Val-des-Monts and two councillors on Wednesday February 16, 2022 to present a brief of the initiatives undertaken by the MLA over the recent past and our goals moving forward. Topics included: Budget, Urbanization Plan, Short-term rentals (Airbnb), Water Management Master Plan, Boat wash, Private boat launches, Development & deforestation, and Policing on the water. After the presentation, the Mayor and councillors spoke of their priorities in light of our concerns and addressed the MLA priorities presented. Here is a summary of the meeting:
Municipality’s water testing results for McGregor Lake
Following the adoption of the Water Master Plan on May 5, 2020, the Municipality of Val-des-Monts began monitoring water quality in May 2021. The results as they pertain to McGregor Lake have been added to the Water Quality page.
If you have some news of relevance to other McGregor Lake residents that should be featured on this page, please send the info to lacmcgregorlake@gmail.com. We’ll contact you if we need additional details. Thanks!
Updated March 2022