Agenda
Annual General Meeting - Online via Zoom, August 27, 2022, 10:00 am
Mandate of the association: “to promote, protect and preserve the quality of Lac Notre Dame and Usher Lake and the watershed environment of the Lakes to ensure their continued use and enjoyment by all”.
Constitution of the meeting - quorum based on registered members
Lisa Fast, president, opened the meeting.
By the time of the meeting, 42 members had paid their membership fees. 13 members joined the online meeting. Quorum requires at least 25% of members be present - so quorum was reached. Bylaws require that only members who’ve paid the $10 fee can vote.
Move to open the meeting by: Lisa Fast
Seconded by: Don Herweyer
Approval of previous year’s minutes
Approval of the minutes of the 2021 Annual General Meeting
Moved by: Bryan Watkinson
Seconded by: Don Herweyer
Approve agenda for 2022 meeting
- Financial report
- Water Testing and water levels report
- Board report on 2021-2022
- Members Open Issues and questions -
- Current board and election of new board members
- Develop and vote on proposed program for 2022 -2023
Moved by: Lisa Fast
Seconded by: Bryan Watkinson
Financial Report
Presented by Lisa Fast for Brian Cook, treasurer for the fiscal year 2021 - 2022
Summary:
- The Lake Association has accounts with Desjardins and at June 30, 2022 the chequing account balance was $2,427 and the savings account was $3,139
- During the fiscal year, we received a grant from the Muncipality of La Peche for $400. Membership fees brought in $480 of and donations $475 for a total income of $1,370.
- Expenses included $600 for water testing in Lac Notre Dame and in Usher, and $456 for purchase of buoys, anchors and ropes to mark heavy milfoil areas by Brian Cook, and $78 for Entreprise Quebec annual registration & one month of Zoom by Lisa Fast.
Move to accept Treasurer’s report: Lisa Fast
Seconded by: Cathy Kissick
Your membership fees support the following:
- Water testing approximately $600 per year
- Buoys and signs (not every year)
- Awareness - tip cards (not every year)
- Reserve funds to prepare for potential invasive species or milfoil surge; consultation with experts like ABV-7
- Quebec non-profit corporation fees ($35/year)
- Domain name and hosting fees for the web site (every second year)
Water testing report
Water testing report presented by Lisa Fast
- Thank you to Carole Doré and Rejean Vaillant for their continued volunteer work on water testing. Water testing samples on Lac Notre Dame were collected August 16 and from Usher August ??.
- The annual Water testing report is updated with detailed test results. Brief summary here:
- At Lac Notre Dame: Phosphorus and nitrogen levels are improved this year. E-Coli warning only at Location 4 - level measured was 50 CFU/100ml (safe to swim if below 100, safe to drink below 10). We are missing E-coli measure for location 6, which is often high as well. Water users on Ch des Generations should act as if their measurement is approximately 50 as well, and take suitable precautions.
- On a positive note, E-Coli levels were either not detectable or barely detectable at the other locations (2 Canada Geese nests hatched on the lake in the spring for a total of 11 geese. Keep them off your property with these ideas: Goose action plan
- At Usher: report not available yet
Water level report
- Imre and the dam volunteers at the Lac Notre Dame outlet have been managing the beavers & dam this spring and summer, trying to keep the water levels within a 20-30 cm range. He has a checklist from Quebec of the rules he must follow. Levels through the summer were fairly normal, dropping lower when there was little rain, and then going up through August.
- Don’t trespass to damage the dam at the outlet - email info@lacnotredame.org if you have concerns, and I’ll get in touch with the team.
- The MRC has a new Waterways manager - he’ll be joining a La Peche Lake Associations meeting in September to share their new approach.
- Lisa is continuing to track water levels and work with Lac Bernard’s Association to keep the outlet and streams flowing throughout the watershed.
Board report on program that had been planned for 2021-2022
- Buoys: Brian Cook purchased additional anchors, rope and buoys, and placed them with Jason Gunville.
- We looked into options for adding buoys to create a ‘channel’ through the thickest milfoil, but couldn’t see how to make that work, as Transport Canada has extensive rules about navigation buoys. We also looked at ‘Slow - No Wake’ buoys for the side of the island but they are $500 each and seem to only come in English.
- Sign idea for island wasn’t acted on due to island owner falling ill, not being available. Will try again next spring with the new signs.
- A sign order is in progress to buy plastic signs similar to Lac Gauvreau - much much cheaper than metal signs and we can put them by the roads and on people’s docks.
- Water testing data has been shared with Canadian researchers through the Data Stream program. A data scientist asked us to participate, and I worked with them to groom/prepare the data. They are building up data sets across Canada and focusing on Quebec this year. See our data on DataStream
- Blue Green Algae Plan: there is less common green algae this summer here (cool in July) and in Ottawa too according to our consulting biologist. No sign of any blue-green here. Reminder to contact Lisa at info@lacnotredame.org if you see a blue or green slick on the surface - microscope is ready.
- Boaters asking about private ramp access have been referred to Marc from Bishop’s Manor Association.
- Members asking about burlap have been sent some links on how to do it - key is to use rocks or sand from the lake to weigh down the burlap, rather than bringing in sand that may have invasive seeds/eggs in it. Apparently can order burlap from ULine. Note though that sediment will collect on top of the burlap and new weeds can grow in the sediment.
Move to accept the board and water testing report: Lisa Fast
Seconded: Bryan Watkinson
Members open issues
- Problem with someone cutting weeds without raking, and so many floated in - we could drop a hand-out next summer - have someone in each area walk them around - Bernard and Susan on Shaw volunteer to do that for their area
Current board and election of new members
The Board meets 3-4x times per year plus the AGM.
- Dave Hayward, member will be replaced by Jane Hayward this year - Vote approved
- Bryan Watkinson, member (Usher Lake)
- Don Herweyer, member.
- Brian Cook, treasurer.
- Lisa Fast, President (elected July 2018)
- Robert Boucher, Vice-president - has opted out, need a replacement
- Marie Maisonneuve, member
- Graeme Simpson - member
Proposed Association program for 2022-2022
- Deliver/discuss Goose action plan for shoreline restoration around this fall and next summer to anyone with lawn/geese at shoreline
- Add a burlap how-to page on the site
- Other?
Moved by: Lisa Fast
Seconded by: Susan Bowen
Move to adjourn
Moved by Lisa Fast
Seconded by Don Herweyer