2024 Annual General Meeting
Sunday, July 28, 2024 (10:00 AM)
Directors Present:
Alex Sandahl (AS), President, Black Lake
Bonnie Swaine (BS), Past President, Boyd Lake
Lynn Palmer (LP), Secretary, Clear Lake
Jacques Pigeon (JP), Clear Lake
Andre Therrien (AT), Curran Lake
Brian Robinson (BR), Curran Lake
Trudy Adams (TA), Black Lake
Lois Finch (LF), Black Lake
Joanne Vallée (JV), Clear Lake
Guest speaker: Jason Morrison (JM)
1. Call to Order
AS called the meeting to order at 10:01 a.m.
Approximately 56 people were in attendance.
AS noted that he would like to offer a territorial acknowledgement: “I wish to acknowledge that the land on which we live, we work and we play is the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg people.”
2. Approval of the Agenda
AS asked for the agenda to be approved.
Motion to Approve: June Parker
Seconded: Diane Hislop
3. 2023 AGM July 30
a) Approval of Minutes
The minutes of the last meeting were available on the website. AS asked for modifications. No changes were suggested.
Motion to Approve: Peter Parsons
Seconded: June Parker
b) Business Arising
AS noted there were some questions surrounding the inspection of septic systems that came up last year. After doing some research, he found that there is a provincial law, Q-22, r-2, that states that a seasonal septic system must be emptied at least every 4 years, a septic system subject to full time use must be emptied at least every 2 years and the owner has an obligation to provide the municipality with a copy of the invoice and any comments from the septic company. So, all the municipalities of our Association have a basic monitoring system in place.
AS has personally experienced this as part of Wentworth, but it is a Provincial law so all municipalities should have the same rules in place – so we think that this item has been taken care of. AS asked for any questions and there were none.
4. President’s message
AS first thanked the DCC for allowing the DCA to use their clubhouse for our AGM and gave his remarks in English and French.
AS noted, that if he had to determine the fundamental theme of the Dunany Community Association it would be, in his opinion, SECURITY. This theme guides all our efforts and programs. On the one hand, there is security of our members. Then, the security of our environment, including our lakes, our forests our flora and fauna. And lastly, the security of our properties and our roads. AS noted, that we need to protect our way of life. This applies to all of us. This is what defines us as a community. AS said that he has had the pleasure of working closely with Mayor Morrison and his Council in Wentworth over the past year. He also had an opportunity to discuss Road Security and environmental issues with Mayor Scott Pearce of Gore. He noted that he regrets that he hasn’t yet had the chance to meet representatives of Lachute or Brownsburg-ChathamAS thanked the members of the Board of Directors for their efforts this past year and gave particular thanks to Lois Finch for her years of service to the community. AS also thanked Jason Morrison, the Mayor of Wentworth for joining us today and giving up a precious Sunday morning. Finally, AS acknowledged the Presidents who came before him and mentioned those that were in attendance today.
AS noted, that today’s meeting will have some very important presentations and significant updates and thanked everyone for their involvement in our community.
5. Wentworth Watercraft By-Law – guest speaker Jason Morrison
AS noted that a By-Law was put in place mainly in Lake Louisa years ago to protect against invasive species in the lake. A new By-Law was introduced in February, passed in April and came into force in June of this year. Any watercraft that goes in or out of the water needs to be washed. Wentworth has spent $100,000 on a system to clean watercraft. The DCA has been careful with how we have operated SPANK in the past and has been concerned with the environment for years. As there was some confusion regarding the implications of this By-Law, we’ve invited Jason to provide more information and answer any questions members may have.
Jason Morrison (JM) noted that if you have a boat that stays on your lake all the time – you don’t have to wash it. The main idea with the new By-Law is to make sure that boats going off the lake that are going to other places that aren’t local are washed when they go back in. For years Wentworth have been charging $20/wash to make sure that invasive species don’t come in. The objective is to ensure that species don’t come in. We do have an invasive snail which is new to Lake Louisa and Lake Bixley so Wentworth wanted to make sure that every lake is protected as much as possible. So, this By-Law and the washing station help provide the tools to reduce the risk of bringing in invasive species into our lakes. Once you register, you can wash your boat for free 24/hr x 7/day x 365/day/yr – you can go any time. When you talk about Eurasian Milfoil weed – the seeds/spores are smaller than a grain of sand. You won’t be able to see them but a pressure washer will get them off very quickly. Some lakes that have this weed, can’t use their docks because it is surrounded by a sea of weeds.
With this new By-Law, residents can come to the Municipality, sign up, describe their boat(s) how many you have and register. This year it’s free. Next year it will be $10 a boat or $20 a household. The council felt that everyone should help protect what is precious for us – the environment. This process will give us an update of everyone’s boat. The problem before in Louisa was that there was no obligation to update the boat list. We can now do an auto-declaration every year. JM noted that it was important to say that it’s a ‘regulation in development’ – if people have changes they think that Wentworth should bring forward – they would like to hear it.
Starting next year, the Municipality will enforce boat washing more and the fines will be $1,000. One thing that comes up often is Airbnb’s – people don’t know our customs – if you own an Airbnb it is considered to be a business and the fines are triple. You have the document “Living in Dunany” – it is important to share that with cottage renters. In terms of enforcement, the Municipality is counting on two ways for enforcement: You can talk to the Municipality if you see abuse; if that doesn’t work, Wentworth may hire some staff to patrol the lakes. Everyone who has a sticker, should have a receipt. Once you’ve registered you will have a card and you can swipe your card at the station. There will also be video cameras.
JM asked for questions. Mike Cockhill asked what kind of information was needed. JM advised just a description of the boat. June Parker asked what you do on a lake like Clear? JM noted they have put a letter out to the other 3 municipalities and they are happy to register for Lakes where there are more than 1 Municipality. JM is hoping that the other Mayors get on board with this approach too. Andy Therien asked about paddle boards? JM responded that the By-Law impacts anything that goes on the lake even portable slides. It only takes one error and something can spread to all. There was a question regarding SPANK – JM noted the By-Law is for our own protection – if you don’t follow it, not going to be there to stop it. JM noted that the washing station is next to the fire hall.
AS noted that they talked about whether we could define the 4 lakes of Dunany as one watershed. But they don’t think it would work – as there are two different watersheds. Eurasian milfoil won’t float upstream. Chris Jackson asked about SPANK. We ran it last year and donated $595. He noted that we could not figure out how to run a similar experience and follow this new legislation. Hopefully this is just a pause and we will come up with some ideas for how to make it work for next year. There may be a 2nd washing station and it could be in Dunany. Peter Parsons asked about the water used to wash the boats and asked whether a normal pressure washer would be good. JM advised that the washing station uses hot water, better than a garden hose.
AS noted that stickers are available at the Town Hall. Every lake will have a different colour. There is a form on the website to register. It’s taking the summer to get everyone registered. AS noted that it was an extra step to protect our lakes.
AS asked if JM had any other comments. JM noted the speed limit was dropped on the Dunany Road. The Dunany Road is managed by the MTQ and, although the Municipality fought for 50 km/hr, the speed was reduced last year to 60/km/hr. The radar machines that were put up give us information. The MTQ has given out some fines. The biggest complaint is bikes going as high as 120 km/hr – a lot between 11 and 3 in the morning. He has asked the police to have a bigger presence. AT noted that there is a sharp corner on Curran Road and we put up a slippery corner sign but that the MTQ were supposed to add a flashing light. Wentworth has asked the MTQ for it. JM noted that the MTQ responds more quickly when there have been fatalities and cited an example of a collision on the 329. Chris Jackson asked about the widening of the road shoulder. JM said it was just maintenance so that the water can clear off. JM has inquired to the MTQ about the potential for a shoulder or a bike lane.
JM mentioned that Wentworth is having a WILD fundraising event on October 19. The theme is the history of our community. WILD received its official status as a non-profit this year so it can now give out receipts for donations. WILD is a land trust created 3 years ago by the Municipality to try to protect and preserve 30% of the land in Wentworth as greenspace.
Another project is the skating rink in Louisa. This is in Wentworth and the Wentworth Recreational Association has asked for a grant to pour a concrete slab so that it can also be used for tennis and pickleball in the summer. If all goes well, it should be ready by this winter.
Joel Hay asked about the motor bikes – “Living in Dunany #7” talks about noise and light. JM noted that police surveillance is the big thing. Lachute bought a decibel meter to try to measure the noise levels. It is very expensive and may not be worth it. What we need is presence on weekends. Need to be here at prime-time i.e. noon to 3 pm on a Saturday afternoon. The only way to stop people is to fine them. They don’t want to drop the speed so low that all of us get punished. AT noted that the digital equipment shows that 600 vehicles go by and that the average speed is 61 km/hr. Almost everywhere we are below the speed limit. Just unfortunate that 5 – 10% go over.
AT noted that since we have the 60 km/hr sign– we don’t see it for ½ km. We have 60 driveways in a 3 km stretch and most of those are hidden. Robert Percy asked if the Municipality could take over Dunany Road. JM said that roads are very expensive to maintain. Wentworth evaluations have increased and he has cut taxes to a bare minimum. Brooks’ corner to Paradis corner is 1.2 km and that was going to cost $1.2 Million to pave. Wentworth won’t be doing roadwork unless the municipality get grants.
JM noted that one of things we can look at is on our sideroads and asked how open people are to pealing the asphalt off and put down gravel? Revilla Sauve said that on Ross Road it works very well. JM noted that some people don’t want gravel.
AT commented on snow removal and said that the job that was done was very good. JM noted that David Riddell got the Dunany Road contract this year as well as the 329.
JM noted that there is a new depanneur by the town hall. Wentworth Station and noted that it nice to support a local business.
6. Reports
a) Dunany Trail
BR noted he will be brief as there’s not a whole lot of changes since last year. The Dunany Trail crosses the northern half of our community from St. Paul’s Church in the East to Curran Road in the West. The Trail stitches together a number of existing local trails and was an initiative of Robert Percy and the DCA, financed by funds raised by the SPANK events. Our task is to keep the trails open and accessible year-round. AS noted that the Dunany Trail is pretty well all on private land and thanked the owners – Percy, Octeau, Mannard and Nobes – and noted that it was important to be respectful of the land when on the trail. During the winter, the trails are kept open by a group of volunteer snowmobilers led by Pierre Demers and Bill Gauley and connect with the groomed trail which circles the DCC. The trails can be accessed from St. Paul’s and the DCC parking lot. Two years ago, the DCA initiated a winter Fun Day at the DCC with skiing, snowshoeing, and tobogganing. This past year, unfortunately, Mother Nature spoiled our plans, but we are planning for next winter, possibly a little earlier in the season.
During the summer and fall, the Dunany Trail can be accessed from St. Paul’s Church and from local trails at the end of Ross Rd and Curran Rd. Apart from keeping the trails clear of fallentrees and limbs, plans are in the works this year to significantly upgrade the signage on both the Dunany Trail and some of the local trails which connect with it. BR encouraged anyone who has not explored our backcountry to give it a try. The next 3 months are the prime time of year for getting out on the trails. He noted he is happy to help anyone who needs information on how to get in or out of our network.
b) Environment
JP noted that if you read his report on the lakes published in April our lakes are in very good shape. He has the numbers for this year’s samples in June. The phosphorous count for Boyd is absolutely excellent at 3.9 – anything under 5 micrograms/liter is very, very good.
This information is quite reassuring. We measure in 2 ways: we take samples with a team of six: Bonnie, Andre, Francois Cote, Gustavo Labbe, France and Jacques. We did a sample last week and will do another one in August.
10 days ago, he was on a dock on Black lake with Jason Morrison because Jason had reported that there might have been some Chinese mystery snails in the lake. So, to make matters clear, JP got a biologist from the MRC and with France, and Alex found that there were some snails there. France passed around the Chinese mystery sails so that every one can see them. They looked at all the lakes and found them in every one of our 4 lakes. We found that they are good food for herons and otters and they haven’t been a big problem. Even though they are classified as exotic invasive, there are very few of them in our lakes because they prefer very calm and shallow lakes like in lakes that have been built with dams that are shallow (average depth of less than 2 meters). All of our lakes have an average depth of 5 or 10 meters. Glen Nobes asked what damage they do? JP noted that if you have a very shallow lake, you get millions of them. They eat what is in the bottom of the lake. They are great aquarium cleaners. They were introduced in Lake Erie. We have some in the lakes but they are not a problem. In our lakes, there are few areas where they can prosper which is contrary to Lake Bixley where the lake is 1.7 meters deep on average. Chris Jackson says that in a shallow part of his lake – he has seen them explode. JP’s recommendation is to do nothing. Our lakes have found an equilibrium with them and they have been on our lakes for decades.
On the dock with Jason, JP had a good conversation about the By-Law and agreed that we have one problem “the ins and outs”. If your boat is left at the cottage for the winter – it is not contaminated. The issue is someone coming from the outside, a renter, a friend – we must make sure that these boats are washed every time before they are being put in our lakes.
JP advised that he and France have been doing the Environment work since 2006 and that next year Daniel Payette will be taking over the Environment file. Daniel, Johanne and JP/France are working together this year to make sure that they know all the contacts at the Ministry of the Environment, the protocols for testing and he is very confident that it will be a smooth transition.
AS noted, that they saw more snails on Black Lake in ‘Frenchy Bay’ and that the purple bladderwort is very thick – which happens when it is warmer – and perhaps that is the same issue with the snails. AS noted that he would like to remove the bladderwort, but it expands by fragmentation. It takes a permit to remove the Chinese Mystery Snails and they can live outside the water for 4 – 6 weeks. Daniel Payette says it is not recommended to remove them – if there is a larger colony the remaining ones will feel threatened and will reproduce more to promulgate. They are in shallow rock places. Some snails are indigenous to our lakes. Some people use them for bait. We’ve hired a team to take care of them – loons, mergansers and otters!
c) Roads
AT noted that Jason hit all the points on his talk. He shared that some people have been writing and complaining to the Ministère de Transport and noted that the DCA supports that. People can write Mrs. Grondin of the CAC, as well, and can also call 511 – who helps with road issues. The more we complain and more contacts we have, the more it will help our cause. Dunany Road goes through 3 municipalities. To get anything done with the MTQ is challenging. We have to be patient. If you have complaints, please pass them on.
AT talked about the Spring clean-up. After the snow has melted and the black flies arrive, a group takes garbage bags and pick up cans, cups and garbage. They do about 20 km – Barb and Andy, Brian and Gail, Judy and Glenn – some people do it regularly every year. Last year they did a little bit on Stevenson Road and had not done Stevenson before. They did 1.5 km on both sides and had 5 big garbage bags. The biggest challenge is the first time you clean up – it gets easier over time. He told the story of how they went to check out the rest of the road and there was a couple walking along the road who were accumulating cans and cups. They noted that they saw the group cleaning up and thought they would clean up too! They didn’t have bags so AT gave them some and they cleaned up the rest of the road.
AS asked whether it was last year that the secondary roads went from 50 to 40km/hr.? Yes, that is when it was made official. AS thanked BR and AT for their presentations.
d) Activities
LF noted that there are a lot of activities: The artists are having their show here August 23 and 23. The knitters are knitting, the bikers are biking, Glee club is singing…
LF said that SPANK has been part of our community during the summer since 2010 and has through its fees raised money for the Dunany trail and Argenteuil aid center. She noted that due to the new By-Law 2024-002 concerning the protection of and access to bodies of water in Wentworth, she worked with Chris Jackson to see how we could do it within the Law, but it was enough to drown them! They thought about sharing boats – but we would need an inventory of all the boats on the lake. LF suggested that residents could perhaps organize a SPANK morning with a paddle around each lake, then coffee, muffins and of course the SPANK salute. In the meantime, they will try to think about what we can do for next year. LF referred to a number of activities that are happening in the area like “Shakespeare in the Park” in Morin Heights and a Cultural Festival in Gore. LF noted members just have to look on different websites: Wentworth, Gore, Brownsburg, Morin Heights, Lachute and 4korners.
Another thing that the community has done is the Equipment Sharing group. She noted that since 2022 they have 62 pieces of equipment that they are willing to share with the community. They have all sort of things and have loaned out 28 pieces of equipment to 10 people so far. She specifically thanked the 19 families who donated equipment.
Carly Hay mentioned the Imagine Festival that will be head at the Club House this year on August 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
e) Fish stocking
Rod Armstrong read the Fish Stocking report – 2023 saw a return to the trout stocking program, after a year when no stocking was done in Black Lake and Curran Lake in 2022. There was a definite drop off in Black and Curran Lake trout fishing results in 2023 and 2024. Things should pick up next year after we stock this Thanksgiving weekend, at the Ryan’s on Curran and at the Robinson’s on Black. The time and date will be sent to members once it is confirmed by our supplier. As usual, we encourage DCA members and families to help out at the dock, or to paddle over to take part in releasing the trout.
Rod noted that during COVID when everyone was looking at doing outside activities the hatchery price of fish tripled. So, we bought slightly smaller fish. Boyd Lake experienced exceptional spring trout fishing in 2024, proving that slightly smaller trout (8-10” vs 10–12”) had a successful survival rate. Rod doesn’t have much anecdotal information on the 2024 spring speckled trout fishing on Clear Lake. If anyone has information they would like to share, please email or call him.
The speckled trout hatchery for Clear is on the 5th hole and in the two ponds and if you go in the evening or in the winter – you will find trout in both of those ponds. It’s behind the bell on the 5th and it’s interesting to see the real hatchery working. Because there is still an endemic population of speckled trout in Clear we don’t want to mess with the endemic population.Bass fishing has been particularly good this year with comments of many big healthy bass being hooked in all the lakes. We encourage our members to keep a fresh trout or bass for the table and to use terminal tackle that enables “catch and release”. Worms are the worst bait to use because bass and trout will inhale the worm. Flies are better. When you fish try to use tackle that will let the fish survive. If anyone has any questions about this program, please contact Rod.
Revilla asked if we could schedule a visit to the 5th hole. Rod noted that this is not the best time and it would be great to do it in the Spring when water flows better and it is clear. We used to have a Green Day – it could be a Green Day event. AS noted that Rod said that he had ‘anecdotal evidence’ but it would be good to get some scientific data. JP has shared a survey of flora and fauna of our lakes that Vanier College did in 1981. As we are well funded – there is a discussion at the Board Level that maybe in the Fall or the Spring we could look at a specialized service that could do a survey of flora and fauna and what’s natural. AS thought it might be appropriate to spend a couple of thousand dollars to have another survey done.
f) Security
JV said her report is short. She wanted to thank Diane Hislop who has managed this file. Diane took JV on a grand tour of Dunany. Even though she and Daniel have been in the Community for 20 years, they didn’t know about all the little areas. She also thanked June Parker who is responsible to maintain the relationship with the Sureté de Quebec and noted it is very important to keep a good relationship with them. She noted that last March a generator was stolen and that we are more vulnerable when we don’t have people around the lakes. SQ has been advised.
On another subject – across Canada our communities face wildfire, tornados, etc. She noted that we need to take care of our safety. Lask year that Diane Hislop and LF said that we should look at how well we are prepared for emergencies. She noted that people should go on the “Emergency Preparedness” site for Canada, or on the Wentworth website which are very easy and highlight what you need to do. She suggested that everyone go to the website for each Municipality and register a cellphone number so that people can receive notifications about an emergency. She has checked each Municipality and they each have a system.
g) Communications
JP noted that when started in 2008 – we only communicated a few times a year. Now we have a website and we communicate regularly. This year he was inspired by Eleanor Hammond, our historian, and wrote a piece about Mary Boyd. At that time (1850) Wentworth did not exist. He built the story on a tip from Angie McLeod. JP asked those present that if they have stories on our past, our history, our present, he will gladly receive suggestions for articles from you. JP is trying to communicate as regularly as possible. One final note – we collect a lot of data on our lakes and not everyone knows that. It’s important to take all the data we collect and communicate the results in a language that is accessible and understood so that people can take action to protect our lakes.
7. Financial Review
a) Membership
JP noted that last year he collected over budget and this year we are almost on budget. He thanked everybody.
b) Financials and budget
AS noted that he wears 2 hats and can ensure members there is no Conflict of Interest between the 2 jobs. Referring to the Financial Statements provided, he noted that we are a very strong and very well-funded organization. With the Income statement – membership was $700 higher than budgeted. Good to see grants from Wentworth which was higher. And we did get a donation from SPANK of $590. Interest revenue is increased. We’re looking at $8,500 in revenues vs. a budget of $7,000.
In terms of expenses everything is close to budget. RSVL – is higher as this year JP and France attended a seminar on the environment and lake protection. The DCA paid their fees and they paid for their own accommodation. We have a surplus of $2,000.
On the Balance Sheet, we are sitting on Assets of almost $20,000 of which of $18,500 is made up of cash and short-term investments. We do have funds available to us. There are 2 items that have been unchanged for the last few years – ‘prepaid expenses’ and ‘advances from SPANK’. AS will work at clearing them off for next year. Our net surplus is $18,900 – which for an organization of this size leaves us in a very good financial position.
The budget for 2024 is almost identical to 2023 – we will see a decrease for RSVL and we’ve increased the budget for our website. This results in a Balanced Budget. If we do decide to do a survey for flora and fauna we will see that in the next year.
c) Financial Review Committee
AS asked Annabel Moore, Chair of our Financial Review Committee to speak to the results. AM advised that she has reviewed the books for this year and is comfortable that the Financial results are a true reflection of the activity. AS asked for a motion to approve.
Motion to Approve: Chris Jackson
Seconded: Lori Lincoln
d) 2024 Dues
JP noted that the dues will remain at $45, the same as last year.
8. Nominating Committee Report for 2024-25
BS, Chair of the Nominations Committee, proposed that the following DCA members be nominated to the Board of Directors for the period of one year from the AGM on July 28, 2024, to the ensuing DCA AGM in 2025:
Président Alex Sandhal, Black Lake
Past president Bonnie Swaine, Boyd Lake
Secretary Lynn Palmer, Clear Lake
Treasurer (Interim) Alex Sandhal, Black Lake
Communications/environnement Jacques Pigeon, Clear Lake
Director Trudy Adams, Black Lake
Director Johanne Vallée, Clear Lake
Director André Therrien, Curran Lake
Director Brian Robinson, Black Lake
Director Marina Chambers, Black Lake
Motion to Approve: Bob Percy
Seconded: Rod Armstrong
Expression of Thanks
AS thanked the members of the Board. We have 2 – 3 meetings/year. There are lots of things that go on the background. He also thanked Lois Finch and noted that even though she hasn’t been in the community for a long time, but she has been involved in everything from A to Z. AS thanked her for her tremendous contributions to the Community over the years.
AS welcomed Marina and looks forward to working with her in the future. He also thanked France Jobin who is working the reception table and for all her work.
Alex noted that Jacques has been critical to this organization for many years and we are working with JP to put a succession plan in place to ensure successful continuity.
9. Questions and Varia
AS asked if there are any questions or concerns and noted that the Board are available by email. He advised that we are looking at the Privacy Laws that are now in place. He noted that the DCA has personal information in a data base on file. It is only accessible by 1 or 2 people. Our information is always in English and French.
AT asked If we can get the “Living in Dunany” to those that aren’t here. It is on the website.
Judy Butler asked about fire permits, which are required.
Joel Hay wanted to thank the Dunany community for the support to him and his family when his house burned down in December. The Community stepped right up when he was in Malaysia and Dubai and, when he came back, he had a place to live and clothes to wear.
Rob Percy noted that St. Paul’s church is open at 4:00 p.m. It was also noted that there was a memorial for Shirley Beals this afternoon which is open to all.
10. Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 11:40 –
Motion to Approve: Jane Pilon
Seconded: Michael Cockhill
