Hello everyone!

Finally, no masks! Instead of Covid, this year we’ve been worrying about the drought of the last weeks, quite an improvement. Although nature (including Pemichangan’s bees) has suffered somewhat from the drought, it will still be there to welcome us this long weekend when many of us start getting things ready for summer. It seems from the FLP Facebook page that one of the things keeping many people busy over the weekend will be dock hunting! There have been many photos of escaped docks posted over the last month. If your dock is gone, check the Facebook page. In the meantime, read on for the latest on what the FLP Board and Committees have been up to.

North End Boat Launch.
Further to the update provided in our previous newsletter, work continues by the Gatineau Fish and Game Club and the Municipality of Gracefield to prepare the site for a new launch. In order to ensure the preservation of our lake, the FLP has made it abundantly clear that mandatory boat washing, as well as proper management of incoming/outgoing boat traffic, must be top of mind. As new information becomes available, we will advise our members accordingly.

Red and Yellow Buoys.
Now that Kim Snider has retired form her position on the Board, Marianne Kennedy Beaulne (with the help of Cameron Jackson) will be responsible for installing the red buoys marking danger zones and the yellow buoys marking the critical milfoil areas in the lake identified by the SAGE report. The FLP has a few extra yellow buoys for anyone with milfoil in front of their cottage. You can also purchase your own buoys at The Chandlery Marine Supplies. The FLP needs help installing the buoys so please contact Marianne (email below) if you can spare a few hours in May.

Code of Conduct Coming Soon.
Stay tuned for the FLP’s new Code of Conduct for cottagers and other visitors such as renters and campers. The three main areas covered are the environment, disturbances (think noise and artificial light, for example) and safety. The FLP has looked to other lake associations to prepare its own code. For more information, please contact Marianne Kennedy Beaulne or Marie-Pierre Diotte (emails below).

Adopt a Site.
If you or your family want a reason to visit Pemichangan’s picnic or camp sites, Adopt a Site is for you! You can help the FLP keep sites clean by selecting a site to visit a few times over the summer to see if it is in good shape (no damage to trees, fires out and no garbage or items needing attention). If visitors are using the site, you can ask them how their visit is going. It’s a great way to help let people know that most of the upkeep is done by volunteers. It is also a wonderful opportunity for kids and teens to get involved in looking after the lake. If you are interested, please contact Todd Norton (email below).

Campers should note that there is NO site reservation system at Pemichangan. The main purpose of maintaining the picnic and camp sites on the lake is to prevent campers from moving to other locations on Pemichangan. The FLP (through its volunteers) will continue this summer to install toilets at the few sites that do not yet have them. Marcel Chantigny has once again been hired to keep the sites clean. However, it is difficult for one person to cover the entire lake all of the time, hence the reason we are asking for support from volunteers. Marcel will stop by once or twice a week to clean up, check that the campfires are out and remove any garbage left behind. If campers are present, he will ask if they want to dispose of any garbage. Leave No Trace Camping is the best way for campers to help Pemichangan.

Interesting Facts about Loons.
Loons love Pemichangan for the same reasons we do: pristine waters and plenty of fish! They prey by sight and therefore prefer clear lakes because they can more easily see their prey through the water.

Loons are the sign of a healthy lake and the good news is that, in 2019, a 20-year follow-up study on mercury concentrations in loons showed that Pemichangan loons are among the healthiest in Canada, with mercury levels remaining at low risk of reduced reproductive success. Most amazingly, the same adult male, first captured and sampled in 1997, was recaptured 22 years later in the same bay (Ritchie Bay). Estimated to be at least 28 years old, he is one of the oldest loons in North America! Even so, like loon populations everywhere, our cherished loons are still vulnerable to pollution and disturbance.

Most loons nest from mid to the end of May, very close to water and preferably on island locations away from potential predators such as the bald eagle. They typically lay two eggs, which both parents take turns incubating for approximately 29 days; the parents provide high levels of care to their chicks for their first eight weeks or so, and the fledglings typically learn to fly a few weeks later.

Loons cannot walk efficiently on land (hence the clumsy gait from which they get their name) but are excellent swimmers and powerful fliers. Although it needs to run a sufficient distance across the surface of the water to generate enough force to take-off, once it gets going the loon can fly up to 120 km/h. In winter, loons migrate to shallow coastal marine habitats (another trait they share with the friends of lake Pemichangan!).

Although our loons are still healthy and thriving, part of the FLP’s mission is to keep them this way by preserving their habitat. Such things as avoiding waves near their nests and avoiding chemical, noise and light pollution will help. More advice on preservation will be included in the upcoming code of conduct.

Fishing Season.
Pemichangan’s (Zone 10) fishing season started on April 22 but game and fish wardens have been around in the area since the beginning of April so make sure you follow applicable rules and regulations. Fishing permits are available at various retail locations, including the depanneur in Point Comfort and Marché Ami, in Lac-Sainte-Marie. Let’s see your fish on the FLP Facebook page!

Changes to the FLP Facebook Page.
Posts of a commercial nature such as requests for cottages for rent or sale are no longer permitted on the FLP’s Facebook page, the FLP’s mission being the preservation of the health and environment of the lake. To post ads or inquiries of a commercial nature, please use the Pemichangan Marketplace Facebook page.

Membership.
The FLP currently has about 159 members (out of a possible 330). If you used the new automatic membership feature, your renewal will be automatic. You can take advantage of this feature if you join through the FLP website. If you have any questions about membership, please contact Pat Zakaib (email below). And if you are a U.S. member/owner, please let Wanda Taylor (email below) know. Wanda is acting as liaison to the U.S. friends of Lake Pemichangan and will bring unique information to your attention – if she has your contact information!

You receive FLP mailings even if you are not a member, but your membership helps fund the association’s projects and lets board and committee members know that you support their efforts. Thank you to all our members!

Have a concern? Want to help out on a particular project? Contact Rick Robertson at (613) 513-7425. The FLP wants to hear from you. In the meantime, enjoy the long weekend and don’t work too hard!

Sincerely,

Rick Robertson
FLP President

Directors

Rick Robertson, President (613) 513-7425 richardjrobertson@gmail.com
Jeff Stanier, Secretary and IT (613) 324-7277
Patrick Beaudry, Public and Government Relations (819) 635-6680
Michèle Patry, Communications 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, Code of Ethics and South End les2marie@msn.com
Marianne Kennedy Beaulne, Code of Ethics and 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 sperr@ctf-fce.ca
David Lees, Membership Outreach (613) 866-5337 davidlees@bell.net