Massawippi Lake municipalities suggest no motorized boats until waters recede
By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
The municipalities surrounding Massawippi Lake have jointly suggested in a recent communique that motorized boats should not be used on the lake for the time being.
“There was no emergency meeting, per se,” Patrick Clowery, speaking on behalf of the Régie du Parc Régional Massawippi, told the Record over the phone. The five districts, North Hatley, Hatley, Cantons de Hatley, St. Catherine de Hatley and Ayer’s Cliff, which make up the régie, sent out a communique for security reasons, Clowery said. Because the lake was so high and the area received so much rain, floating debris like logs and even pieces of dock in the water were common. “It was just a horror show,” he added.
The communique was a suggestion and is not enforceable (by the municipalities), Clowery continued, for that power is under federal jurisdiction. Motorized boats, especially wakeboards, create a lot of waves that erode the shoreline, he said. Clowery spoke with the Ayer’s Cliff Director General Abelle L’Écuyer-Legault and the town plans on reopening their boat ramps on Thursday, July 27, he said. The North Hatley Marina has stated it will be closed until Wednesday July 26.
Unfortunately, some lakeside residents are continuing to use their motorized boats, Clowery said. The immediate security risk has passed, he said, because most of the debris is now on shore. “If you hit something at 50 miles per hour on the lake, let’s say, a log… you could hurt yourself badly or even die,” he explained.
