Hello everyone!

Winter is indeed coming…but who’s to complain after the wonderful fall we’ve had? It seems from the Friends of Lac Pemichangan Facebook page that many photo enthusiasts are having the time of their lives at the lake this fall. Thanks to everyone who posted photos and in particular to Kelly Hunter for agreeing to let us use one of her photos on our cover page. At last count the FLP had 757 followers on Facebook! A reminder that no commercial material is allowed so if you have something to sell or rent, please use the Pemichangan Marketplace Facebook page created by Frank Hutchingame. As things quiet down, take this time to read about what has been keeping the FLP Board and Committees busy over the last months.

Changes on the Board

Rick Roberston resigned as FLP President this year after eight full years of hard work leading the FLP and doing what he does so well – using his very extensive network to keep the FLP informed on what other lake associations are doing to protect the environment and on what property owners from all over the lake and other members think are critical issues for Pemichangan. Long time Board member Jeff Stanier is the new President. Rick met with various government representatives over the years and, as such, will now help the FLP in his new role as Director in charge of Public Relations, assisted by Michèle Patry. Rick also tirelessly spearheaded the automatic membership fee renewal initiative until the feature became operational last year. He was relentless in its pursuit. From Rick: “To all property owners on Lac Pemichangan and other FLP members, Just a quick note, as your president, to sincerely thank everyone for their support and expertise in achieving so much to protect beautiful Pemichangan over the past eight years. I have enjoyed every minute of it. I will stay on the board as past president. Now please go on line and join the FLP, our goal is 300 members and we are now closing in on 200! And welcome Jeff Stanier as your new president! Best regards, Rick”.

Patrick Beaudry, Director in charge of Public Relations, resigned from the Board over the summer to pursue many other endeavours. Patrick’s boundless energy, outstanding interpersonal skills, proficiency in both English and French and talent in handling sensitive issues with will be sorely missed. Along with Rick, he established solid working relationships with many government and association representatives during his time as FLP Board member on which the FLP will continue to build in the future.Thank you Patrick and good luck with your new projects!

2022 AGM

The 2022 AGM was held at the Gatineau Fish and Game Club (GFGC) on July 16. It felt good to get together in person after a few years of virtual meetings. The AGM offers a rare opportunity for people from the lake and other FLP members to meet and share perspectives and news on what is happening at the lake. The Board reported on its work done over the last year. Three “Great Friends of Lac Pemichangan” plaques were presented: to the Annis Family, for their work on the Board in several capacities over the years, to Bev and Gaston Caron, the recently retired longtime owners of the depanneur in Point Comfort, and to Kim and Dale Snider, the FLP’s devoted water testers and buoy persons for many years. Participants voiced their opinions on many issues, including the difficulty of voting in the recent municipal elections due to the fact that there was no voting by mail.

Board Priorities

The new Board has set the following priorities for the coming year: lake development and shoreline protection, GFGC boat launch, lake health, reorganization of the board into operational and committee sections and continued membership drive.

GFGC Boat Launch

In mid-2020, the GFGC set up a committee to help find a new boat launch into Lac Pemichangan to replace the existing launch on GFGC land (next to the Clubhouse on Chemin Point Comfort) which was assessed as unsafe.The new Chair of the Launch Committee is Laurel Murray, who took over from Tim Casgrain in August. Much work has been undertaken over the past 18 months as regards search, analysis, and consultations with local governments and other stakeholders. The committee gets regular guidance from the GFGC Board on broad parameters as the work moves forward. The status of progress is as follows:

  1. The new launch will be on GFGC land in a different part of the same bay. The GFGC will undertake the construction of the related infrastructure for the site.
  2. The launch will be accessed by an automated gate, which will be activated by electronic evidence of recent boat washing at Gracefield boat-washing sites (e.g., QR code). Different electronic modalities have been explored and the exact choice is to be determined. Gracefield is expected to have at least two boat-washing sites operating in the vicinity by spring 2023.
  3. The launch is for the use of GFGC members and will be accessible to the broader community provided those wishing to use the launch have followed the boat-washing requirements (described in #2).
  4. Environmental issues are an important element of the new launch. All aspects of environmental impact and permitting have been and continue to be examined and reviewed, and government permits sought.
  5. Communications will be an important part of the process. A communications plan will be developed in consultation with the GFGC, the FLP, the local governments and other local stakeholders to make clear: (i) that the new launch has benefited from consultations with stakeholders and from review of comparable launch sites in the region/province; (ii) the reasons for the new launch/closure of the old launch, and (iii) the key requirements for accessing the new launch.
  6. The existing launch will be closed when the new launch is operational. This is currently expected to take place in late summer/fall of 2023.

Short term rentals

Gracefield municipal bylaws do not currently allow short term rentals such as Airbnb on the municipality’s territory but changes to the bylaws are apparently in the works. The FLP is following the matter closely and will keep its members informed on new developments.

Water Testing

Water transparency testing continued this year, with measurements taken at two locations in the lake. Results continued to be within the 10-year average, although depth reading averages were slightly smaller (due to the large amounts of pollen in the water early in the season). These transparency measurement results support the notion of clear lake waters remaining healthy.

Buoys

Thank you to the FLP members who helped install and remove yellow buoys marking critical milfoil areas identified by the 2019 SAGE report and red buoys marking danger zones, in particular Marianne Kennedy Beaulne, Tracey Henderson, Marie-Pierre Diotte, Nicole Laframboise, Kim Snider, Cameron Jackson, Claudine Tremblay, Jean-Luc Cadieux and Jean Lamothe. Marking milfoil is an increasingly important initiative, and we hope to get an early start in 2023. If you would like buoys for an area of milfoil near you or want to help install buoys, please reach out to Cameron Jackson or Marianne Kennedy Beaulne.

Code of Conduct and Best Practices

The FLP’s new Code of Conduct and Best Practices was distributed to members at the AGM, and to some property owners as part of a canvassing campaign over the summer. A special thanks to FLP members Pam Curie and Ginette Viau for helping canvassing efforts at the North end.The three main areas covered are best practices on the water and on land, and how we share these spaces while protecting the health of the lake and its environs and respecting all users. The FLP looked to a number of sources to prepare its code, including other lake and recreational associations and research studies. Copies are available from Marianne Kennedy Beaulne or Marie-Pierre Diotte.

Adopt a Site

Thank you to the families who participated in the Adopt-a-Site program. The Leave No Trace Camping message seems for the most part to be getting through based on impromptu visits to various sites and on spot checks with campers on the condition of the sites upon their arrival. Sadly, there still seems to be a problem with noise and loud music from some campsite users. Sites were less busy this year in general. If you are interested in taking part in the program next summer, please contact Todd Norton.

Membership

The FLP currently has about 156 members (out of a possible 330). If you used the new automatic membership feature on the FLP website, your renewal will now be easy and automatic. It’s never too late to join. Property owners who have provided their email to the FLP continue to receive FLP mailings whether or not they are members, but by paying a membership you help fund FLP projects and you let Board and Committee members know that you support their mission of protecting the lake. Thank you to all our members! If you have any questions about membership, please contact Pat Zakaib.

Have a concern? Want to help out? Contact Rick Robertson at (613) 513-7425. The FLP wants to hear from you!

Sincerely,
Jeff Stanier
FLP President

Directors

Jeff Stanier, President, Secretary and IT (613) 324-7277
Rick Robertson, Past President and Public Relations (613) 513-7425 richardjrobertson@gmail.com
Michèle Patry, Communications and Public Relations mpatry2015@gmail.com
Todd Norton, Camping Culture drtnorton1@gmail.com
Pat Zakaib, Membership pzakaib@gmail.com
Cameron Jackson, Water Testing and Social Media Calendar cameronpauljackson@gmail.com
Nicole Laframboise, GFGC Boat Launch Committee nlaframboise64@gmail.com
Wanda Taylor, USA Liaison pemichongan@comcast.net
Marie-Pierre Diotte, South End les2marie@msn.com
Marianne Kennedy Beaulne, North End mkennedybeaulne@gmail.com
Karen Butterfield, Camping, Watershed and Lake Health kkhbutterfield@hotmail.com

Board Committee Members

Tracey Henderson, Camping, Watershed and Lake Health thenders@telus.net
John Hilbrich, GFGC Liaison john.hilbrich@gmail.com
Kristina Inrig, Alie Bay kristina.inrig@gmail.com
Samantha Perrin, Finance samantha.perrin@hotmail.com
David Lees, Membership Outreach (613) 866-5337 davidlees@bell.ca