Much of the shoreline of our lakes, south of the Kitigan Zibi (KZ) Anishnabeg territory is owned privately. On the other hand, with just a few exceptions, the islands outside the KZ territory are public land. Whether on an island or in the watershed surrounding our lakes, public land is controlled by provincial and municipal laws and regulations, which are enforced by a number of provincial and municipal agencies. People using public land are responsible to be aware of and to observe the pertinent laws and regulations. While some lake associations have sought and received permission to administer certain activities on their lakes, such as camping on islands, the APLC views this as very resource-intensive and has chosen to use education at this time. We have placed signage at the boat launches and on some of the islands, in order to provide people with information about best practices, which conform to laws and regulations. Please take a few moments to read these signs to do your best to follow the guidance provided.

Some of you who have visited the islands and anyone who follows the posts on the APLC Facebook page will know that there are some people who ignore the laws and regulations, who do not seem to care about protecting our lakes so that others may enjoy them. Their selfishness is evident in the garbage and waste that they leave behind them—soiling the beauty around us and in some cases endangering wildlife with their thoughtlessness.

The association is working with neighbouring lake associations to share best practices and to explore solutions to help protect our islands. Some items of special concern include toilets, keeping the sites free of debris, cutting trees and, of course, washing boats. We are all volunteers and share a common interest. We are especially grateful to those who stopped by the islands to clean up and let the association know about egregious behaviour. Such behaviour should also be reported to the municipality.

You can contribute to the protection of our lakes, including the public lands, by following the simple guidelines that have been posted. Furthermore, please discuss these best practices with family members and visitors who will be using the public lands in our watershed and visiting our islands. 

We are always looking for volunteers to accomplish this task. Are you interested? Contact us. We will give you a territory and a schedule.

Chronicle of activities

2022

• The APLC Board of Directors discussed the 2021 MRC proposal and decided not to proceed with the community lease of the islands. The management of any such lease would require a significant investment of time and resources, well beyond our capacity. Another consideration is that the management of a campsite on the islands does not fit with mandate and mission of the APLC.
• APLC volunteers continued their efforts in raising awareness on the importance of keeping our islands clean. Volunteers monitored the islands and cleaned up the mess when required.
• No significant incident took place on the islands in the summer of 2022.

2021

• The APLC met with the Municipality of Messines and the MRC de la Gatineau to discuss ways to better manage the use of campsites on the islands. The MRC proposed the use of a community lease for the islands, to be managed by the APLC. This approach would allow the APLC to set the rules for campsites and to collect fees, but it would also require the installation of sanitary facilities and the maintenance of the sites.
• Our volunteers cleaned up a few islands at Grand lac des Cèdres.

2020

• The Municipality of Messines made a proposal to set up a committee with members from the MRC de la Gatineau, the Municipality of Messines and the APLC. This committee would be mandated to find measures to better control the camping on the islands and to limit the damage.
• APLC installed signage at boat launches and on the islands to remind campers of their responsibilities on public lands.
• Some garbage was dumped at the Grand lac des Cèdres boat launch earlier in the summer. Once informed, the Municipality reacted quickly—it picked up the trash and left a garbage bin at the launch.