Events

(Note: Specific dates are added on the ‘Announcements & Annual Events‘ page, each year, once confirmed.)

January

Time to renew your annual membership!

Like to cross-country ski &/or go snowshoeing? Check out Nakkertok Val-des-Monts a few minutes from the lake for great trails maintained by volunteers.

February

Great time for skating, skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling on the lake, but make sure the ice is safe & thick enough.

March

Do you have large maple trees on your property? Why not try your hand at making your own maple syrup?

April

Into growing your own vegetables? Time to get those seedlings started.

Fishing season starts – Check the fishing periods, limits and exceptions for zone 10 for McGregor Lake! Visit this link for information on permits & where you can buy your permit.

Bee-kind! Wait until the temperatures are consistently over 10C to rake your leaves. Our bees & other pollinators will thank you.

Boat Ramp at Pelissier may be open due to favourable Spring conditions. See VDM events calendar. Scheduled opening : Friday April 26, 2004.

May

Boat Ramp at Pélissier opens! Date is set by the Municipality and can be found in the events calendar. Generally based on water levels, so may be in late April some years.

Marker buoys are placed on the lake by MLA volunteers to ensure boaters avoid rock shoals.

June

MLA’s Annual General Assembly (may take place in July-August).

Fireworks: Before buying those holiday fireworks, don’t forget to get your permit! See the following Fireworks Permit Application.

1st Loon Watch of the season.

July

Our Annual Regatta takes place!

You can buy McGregor Lake swag at the Regatta.

Water testing for e-Coli conducted by MLA Volunteers. The Municipality of Val-des-Monts also conducts water testing for the Rivière Blanche watershed, including McGregor Lake.

August

2nd Loon Watch of the season.

Fewer bugs means it’s a great time to go for a hike on the Nakkertok trails! The lovely trails are free to access for hikes & birdwatching during the summer & fall months.

September

Nights are getting cooler, school starts, time to get your dock ready for winter!

October

October 31st – Pélissier boat ramp closes for the season.

Great time to go see the fall colours at Nakkertok!

November

Time to get your residence ready for winter.

December

Christmas Bird Count takes place. As date is set for the whole region, it may slip into early new year.

Key Information

Association Membership

Members can renew their annual membership via Interac e-Transfer, PayPal, or by cheque. More details at this link.

Not yet a member? You can simply click here to become a member. The Association counts on members’ annual fee to help pay for the annual water quality testing, for the placement of some shoal markers on the lake, for the annual regatta, as well as to advocate on lake stewardship issues on behalf of residents with the municipality. The Association also helps share information on environmental, boating and septic tank regulations with residents.

Boat Ramp

Boat Launch : April 26, 2024

Attention – With the opening of the parc Pélissier boat ramp on April 26, 2024, boaters are strongly encouraged to wash their boats. A free municipal boat wash is available at the municipal building at 1 Rte de Carrefour. More information is available on the Municipality WEBSITE.

All boats and their trailers must have been washed. Boat ramp attendants will carry out a visual inspection of any boat that uses one of the boat ramps. The objective of the visual inspection is to detect any trace of plants or residues that could harm the quality of lake water and which are apparent on or in the boat, its engine or its trailer.

The Boat Launch is open from late April/ early May until October 31 every year. Please consult the new VDM events calendar for the opening date which changes according to the Spring conditions. There is also lots of useful information on the Municipality’s website including: boat launch season, hours of operation, and fees, boating safety tips, and rentals.

Fees for Residents and Tax payers:

– Non-motorized boats: FREE
– Motorized boats: Fee ranges from $5 to $60 for the season (based on motor power/size)

Fees for Non-Residents:

– Non-motorized boats: FREE
– Motorized boats: Fee ranges from $10 to $120 per day (based on motor power/size)

Fireworks

To use fireworks, you must make a request to the Municipality. The Public Safety department will send you important information regarding the use of fireworks and will thus be aware of your activities in case they need to intervene.

You are required to make a request available on the Municipality web page.

Eurasian Watermilfoil

In summer 2019, the MLA advised members of the growing threat of Eurasian Watermilfoil. The AVB7 was commissioned to update their 2012 study of McGregor Lake to get a better picture of the progress of Eurasian Watermilfoil in the lake as well as to identify priority areas of concern & provide recommendations for managing this issue. The study was completed in the Fall of 2019, and the full report (in French only) along with a summary report (in English and French) are available on the Eurasian Watermilfoil page.

In 2020, the MLA held two (2) information sessions to discuss our three (3) year plan to confront the threat of Eurasian Watermilfoil in our lake. Residents in proximity to the most severely affected areas were invited to join via Zoom. The residents expressed their concerns and shared their ideas on how best to achieve our common goal of keeping McGregor Lake healthy and free of invasive species.

Challenges of critical funding and Covid19 notwithstanding, the MLA has managed to prepare anchors and buoys to be placed in the affected sites, and to move forward with our plan. Looking ahead, through various fundraising and educational activities, the main focus will be on raising increased awareness of this threat, and building a larger membership base amongst residents and users of the lake to raise much needed revenue to continue our fight against this invasive species.

We look forward to welcoming many more members and supporters of our mission to protect this beautiful natural wonder that is MGregor Lake for today and many years to come.

Management of Waste & Composting

Since May 1, 2018, home composting has become mandatory and garbage is now collected every two weeks, alternating with recyclables, throughout the year.

The Municipality of Val-des-Monts has issued a bilingual Communiqué – Press release on July 13, 2018 concerning the environmental management of our waste. In summary, acceptable containers must have a maximum capacity of 360 liters, be rectangular, have wheels, not be ‘blue’ in color, and have the ability/handles etc. to be used by automated system. You can purchase it at home hardware stores or from the municipality for 80$ (tax and delivery included). Only one container is allowed per home. This is to help meet environmental targets set by the Government of Québec.

In addition, one week per month, the municipality will be collecting bulky waste. For more information, including dates, you can click this link .

Did you know that compostables account for 35-40% of our waste? Composting is a natural method to transform our kitchen and garden organic waste into rich fertile compost that can then be used to provide essential nutrients to our flower beds, gardens, vegetable gardens, indoor plants, etc. The Municipality of Val-des-Monts has distributed some 5,600 domestic compostors to residents. This includes a compost bin, the kitchen pan, the aerator and the door for the compost bin. A small guide is also included. For more information, as well as a video explaining home composting, please visit this link .

Forest Fire Risk? Check restrictions in place

Did you know there are about 460 forest fires in Quebec each year? Human activity is responsible for 70% of these fires. We’ve added a new widget at the bottom of the page that provides the level of risk of forest fires in the region. To stay informed of restrictions in place (such as fireworks & open fires bans, etc.), please visit the Société de protection des forêts contre le feu website (add “Val-des-Monts” in maps to get more specific updates for McGregor Lake).