Environment

(Sorry for technical problem with the English names of some pages in the menu.)

Ecosystem services* play an important role in adapting to climate change. ¹

“Quebec ecosystems are currently being impacted by climate change, such as rising temperatures and changes in precipitation patterns. Climatic conditions are becoming more favorable to a wide variety of species from more southerly regions, some of which are invasive. The ranges of existing species are also being altered, leading to upheaval in the structure and functioning of ecosystems already weakened by anthropogenic pressures.” ¹

“In Quebec, climate change is leading to a northward migration of many plant and animal species. On average, Quebec's bioclimatic niches could shift by around 45 km per decade, which is very fast. ... On the other hand, some native species, notably trees and other plants, will not be able to keep pace with the shifting of their bioclimatic niches.” ¹ Thus, taking into account the nature of the soil, the latitude at which the Pays-d'en-Haut is located would, in 2080, be more favorable to sugar maple than it is today, but less so to aspen, and even less so to black spruce. ¹

Some native animal species will suffer from these ecosystem changes. They will choose, if they can, to follow the northward migration of their natural habitat. Here, the fragmentation of this habitat by man, with his dispersal over the territory and the extension of his communication routes, will make this movement more uncertain.

“Aquatic ecosystems are also subject to change. Various salmonids, particularly in northern Quebec, such as Arctic char, trout, lake trout and salmon, could see their optimal thermal habitats decline and temporarily disappear in certain shallow lakes during the summer due to rising water temperatures, increasing the risk of mortality in these populations.” ¹

Climate change will also disrupt species life cycles. “For example, depending on day length, the snowshoe hare's coat changes from brown to white in winter. However, this camouflage strategy could prove ineffective with the late arrival of snow, making hares easier to spot and therefore more vulnerable to predation.” 1 The aquatic environment will undergo similar phenomena as water temperatures rise.

“Rising temperatures and a longer growing season favor the emergence or proliferation of numerous invasive species, many of them exotic, originating from regions further south or resulting from anthropogenic activities.” ¹

New threats of this type are already being predicted for our lakes. ²  “Expected impacts (of climate change) also include thermal stratification of the water column, decreases in dissolved oxygen concentration, and increases in the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide dissolved in water, leading to acidification of lakes and rivers.” ¹

At Lake Saint-François-Xavier, in the small “Pavillon” basin, this stratification is probably already affected by the concentration of sodium chloride, which can alter the density of the water, “affect the vertical mixing of the water and interfere with the redistribution of oxygen and nutrients, both of which are essential to the survival of species living both at depth and on the surface. ” ³

To cope with the impact of climate change, two types of measures are needed: adaptation and mitigation:
1. Adapting to climate change: Successful adaptation can involve modifying plans, policies and activities to reduce the negative impacts of climate change or take advantage of new opportunities.⁴  In its Projet de politique environnementale, Wentworth-Nord Council has committed to doing just that. Spring flooding and forest fires have already triggered this adaptation process in our area.

2. Mitigation: While adaptation reduces the impact of climate change, mitigation aims to slow the pace of climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Examples include electrification of transport systems, public transit and car-sharing. Here, however, awareness and action seem to be lagging the objectives announced by public authorities.

“Extreme climatic events and the significant damage they cause often explain the urgency to act of certain players who have already begun the process of adaptation. For example, the recent floods of 2017 and 2019 prompted the authorities to invest in several measures, including major efforts to map flood-prone areas under current and future climate conditions.” 

* Ecosystem: A dynamic whole made up of living organisms and the non-living environment in which they evolve, their interaction constituting the basic functional unit of ecology.

1. Ecosystem services play an important role in adaptation
2. Invasive species are reshaping aquatic ecosystems, one lake at a time
3. Plan ministériel de gestion environnementale des sels de voirie 2011-2014
4. Climate change adaptation in Canada

By Carl Chapdelaine

In its Protection of air quality and active transportation issues, the Projet de politique environnementale de Wentworth-Nord prioritizes the shift to electric vehicles. A commendable approach, but a timid one, in our view; it puts forward only two measures:

• Study the possibility of installing a network of electric charging stations in the municipality's three sectors.
• Encourage the purchase of more fuel-efficient vehicles when renewing the municipal fleet.

Electric vehicles present certain disadvantages and require a certain amount of adaptation, which may discourage many. They will argue that they are not the most ecological solution, given the negative impact of battery manufacture. However, this impact is already absorbed after the electric vehicle has been in use for a few thousand kilometers; and that's not counting the preservation of air quality it ensures as soon as it's put into service. What's more, replacing imported oil with our own electric power will drastically curb capital flight; an economic balm in the face of threats from our neighbor to the south.¹

Those less receptive to change will probably wait until the replacement of the current fleet of gasoline-powered vehicles by their electric rivals becomes irremediable or opt for a hybrid. For others, who aren't affected by the short range, for example, isn't it time to go electric?

For a territory similar to ours, the Earth Day organization has made its choice: “Driving toward sustainability with electric vehicles: a greener future for rural communities” Émilie Fargeout's article provides a good presentation of the virtues and challenges of this choice, and its application seems to us to fit the situation of a municipality like Wentworth-Nord.

The regulation formalizing Quebec's flagship decarbonization law was adopted last December. As of January 1, 2034, it will prohibit the sale of light vehicles with combustion engines, including hybrids, from the year 2035, except between private individuals. This ban will extend to models from earlier years, on December 31, 2035; but certain exemptions are provided for.² Similar legislation is being studied across Canada.

Québec reserves the right to adjust its regulations, depending on market developments and so on. And under the new U.S. administration, isn't the electrification of transportation likely to fall behind?

And while Émilie Fargeout believes that electric driving is feasible in a rural municipality, some observers don't see how a city like Montreal will be able to afford it. Beyond 2035, will all its citizens, who own electric vehicles but have no parking, have access to enough charging stations?³ Technological advances, heavy investment and the collaboration of Hydro-Québec will be needed to meet demand. As a side note, her current mayor would suggest that you simply swap your car for a bike and public transit...

1. Le rêve électrique du Québec en transport est-il réaliste?
2. Six questions sur l’interdiction de vendre des véhicules à carburant dès 2035. ProtégezVous
3. Voitures électriques : les gens qui stationnent leur véhicule dans la rue deviendront-ils des citoyens de seconde zone ?

Other: Electric car?

By Carl Chapdelaine

Introducing his presentation, Mr. Sébastien Poncelet recalls that the Comité consultatif en environnement (CCE) proposed the development of an environmental policy at the end of 2021, and was then given the mandate to do so. Two years of work, first under the guidance of the first environmental coordinator, Mr. Benjamin Plourde, and then under that of his current successor, have resulted in this impressive document. In some twenty slides, Mr. Poncelet now presents us, more schematically, the strategic objectives retained in this approach. *

The workshop format chosen for this consultation was reproduced in the participation by videoconference, so that, after the presentation of the slides, the twenty or so participants, via the Zoom application, were divided into several sub-groups. The undersigned found himself, after a few wanderings, with three other residents of Lake Saint-François-Xavier. The number of people present in the Gougeon room of the Saint-Michel pavilion can be estimated at around forty.

We were instructed to highlight the points listed in the document according to the priority we gave them. The three levels of priority offered were distinguished by their own color (in descending order: 1=green, 2=yellow, 3=red); while blue indicated a point to be modified, with comments. Difficulties in mastering the technique, no doubt, led us instead to transmit our scores and remarks in the comment area. They also prevented us from going through the document to the end...

We felt that all the points were important, but we still had to prioritize their importance in our eyes. You'll find our comments in the attached document, prepared on the spot by our rapporteur, Ms. Root:

Environmental Policy Meeting, Saturday January 18, 2025.

Group: Ardis Root, Anne-Claude Bonin, Carl Chapdelaine, Céline Bouchard
We are residents of Montfort, Lac St-François Xavier

Protecting water and wetlands
- Priority points 1 and 2, 3 and 4 are very important priorities 2, but we understand that they are more difficult to achieve.
- Education is very important - points 5, 6 priority 3 - We believe that people are concerned about the environment but don't know what to do.
- The beaver issue could be a blue priority. We think it's important to keep an eye on them.
- Limiting the number of residences is a blue priority for Lac St-François-Xavier because we don't really have any (or very little) land under development.
- Priority 2- raise awareness of the role of motorboats. We would like to introduce a rule concerning visitors and perhaps a limit for rental buildings.
- the last two points are priority 1 for us. Erosion is an issue

Nature conservation
- We prioritize point 1, the corridor; for us, our priority is the lake.
- Priority 1 rules on pesticide use and the use of treated wood on the lake (e.g. docks).
- A forest fire protection plan should be a priority. Our houses are made of wood, and we're surrounded by conifers.
- Biodiversity is important, but we don't think it's an issue at the moment, so it's not a priority.

Other
- Erosion is priority 1, as our lake is heavily impacted by erosion.
- Miners, is this a real issue for our municipality? We don't think it's a priority.
- Construction on mountain tops is not an issue for us.
- There should be initiatives to encourage homeowners to use non-polluting materials (e.g., tin roofs, not asphalt shingles).
- Electrification: we find the document a little timid. We believe that the municipality should give preference to more energy-efficient vehicles for its fleet. As far as the population is concerned, we all agree on the need to facilitate the use of electric vehicles. However, for 2 of us this is priority 1, and for the other 2, priority 3.
- We believe there should be a program to reduce or even ban the use of 2-stroke engines on lakes and rivers. The use of electric motors should also be encouraged.
- We agree with protecting the starry sky; there should be regulations governing the use of outdoor lights.


But don't we still need to think about how to compile and integrate the results of this exercise? Is there a scientific method for this? And what value can be placed on the priority ratings given by participants in the consultation? Will they have been able to situate each element of the strategy in its context, as its authors have attempted to present it, and to disregard any personal interests?

Does their assessment assure us of the most appropriate choice of measures to implement in order to achieve the desired objectives? Is it not at the moment of appealing to good will, or of imposing legislation corresponding to these measures, that the citizen's assessment of priorities will concretely materialize as when the real estate developer must comply with PIIA criteria?

But this draft environmental policy is driven by the vision and will of the Council. Through consultation, its members will have been able to obtain an initial assessment of its approval, if not by all citizens, at least by those who have shown their interest by participating. They will decide whether to take this into account, or to go ahead with their own conception and knowledge, if these differ from the results obtained. Or, the project, in part or in its entirety, will fill the promise book of candidates in the next municipal election.

The success of this collective approach also depends on the commitment of the individual citizen. How well will this appeal be echoed throughout the process?

*As usual, in these Environmental Services consultations, we are told that these boards will be made available to the public. As usual, the undersigned cannot find them on the municipality's website. ...

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) & Linguee

By Carl Chapdelaine

Your 2010 Impala isn't electric, and it's not very smart either, but you've got low mileage, and the car is fairly well preserved. Why change it? Thirteen years is already more than your previous cars. Spoiling yourself won't be a sin.

You've often climbed aboard a newer vehicle as a passenger. Dashboard screens have replaced the old-fashioned displays and buttons that control various functions; you're behind the wheel of a computer. With your Chevrolet, you don't really feel up to date; and you're emitting greenhouse gases. Your next car will have all this equipment and will be electric.

Your driving skills have diminished with age; driving in the dark, in bad weather or on snow-covered roads scares you more and more. Could driving aids, which are quite sophisticated on luxury models, help you out?

None of your friends or neighbors would recommend that you take the plunge into the world of electric vehicles. They question the credentials of such a car in Quebec, and even the environmental value of this option. But aren't governments doing everything they can to point you in the direction of the best choice - the electric choice, they swear? Generous subsidies and the use of rush hour lanes on Autoroute 15 and more will be yours. You can no longer afford to talk about the environment, while betting on the opposite choice.

There will be no electric charging station at your cottage; you don't even have a road to get there. Is the Montfort Pavilion Advisory Committee planning to install a charging station at the future Pavilion or in the parking lot next door?

Your changeover is scheduled for 2025; 14 years will already be a record. But you already want to get ready for it; the 2024 Auto Show will be the starting point. As you well know, sticking your foot in there could mean putting your toe in the gear... You don't really know the difference between electric and intelligent; choosing the intelligent, connected car inevitably meant the electric car for you; you're looking for its showroom.

You make your way through the endless procession of corridors and showrooms of the Palais des Congrès, where classic and vintage cars, motorcycles, electric bikes, boats, dream pillows and more almost make you wish you'd never set foot there. It's on the third floor that the hybrid and electric models finally appear. And the first thing you see is Chevrolet; is your destiny immutable? Smaller models aren't for you; you need room to transport materials back to your old cottage. The SUV offer you some. Hyundai's seductive Ionic 5 is one of them. However, your route will never cross the ever-popular Tesla, or Honda; where could they have hidden them?

Step two: start visiting your local dealership, since that's what's always guided your car-buying. It's the GM dealership, with its poor service; now there is also a Toyota dealership. You resist Chevrolet's electric Blazer, a SUV 2024, which could be made for you in today's timeframe. There's a black one available immediately. You look for your last car, but not for a hearse just yet...

At Toyota, which you visit on your way to the grocery store, the salesman shows you the SUV bZ4X 2024, on demonstration, which would be a forerunner of the one you'd order. You could buy the one he's showing you, in black and white, but the domino effect doesn't appeal to you. If it's still there, perhaps you're not the only one who thinks so. And the range, like recharging, of electric Toyotas is not the best. But your long-distance trips are now limited to the round trip to your cottage.

You ask if the same vehicle from 2023 is still available. But yes; a cancellation offers you the opportunity, unhoped-for according to the manager, to buy this coveted jewel, fully equipped and at a slight discount. And the government will reimburse you $12,600. You need to make your decision right now, because every seller in the country would like to offer it to their waiting customers. It would take you a year to get the same one, in the 2024 version. After grumbling, you'll leave the dealership four hours later. They'll have managed to add an extended warranty and matching anti-theft protection to your jewel, and put your signature on the contract!

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) & Linguee

By Carl Chapdelaine

The document presenting Wentworth-Nord's draft environmental policy, “Agir en fonction de l'environnement, c'est naturel”, written by the members of the Comité consultatif en environnement (CCE), is worthy of an urban development plan. The well-structured document is the result of an impressive amount of work by the environmental coordinator and the CCE, as well as input from council members, the administration and the organizations consulted.

Following public consultation on January 18, the final statement of this project will have to be validated and adopted by the council to become feasible. Precisely, “Preserving the natural character of the municipality ... implies a political vision aimed at limiting urbanization and encouraging the conservation of natural habitats, reducing pollution and promoting sustainable lifestyles”. This orientation relies on the channelling of development induced by free enterprise and has not only financial implications. While laudable, the balance between the two movements, which tend to clash, will be a major challenge. Yet the authors of the project assert that innovation and sustainability go hand in hand.

The document begins with an in-depth overview of the territory, including its geography, population, vocation, etc. It offers the same approach for each of the selected issues. These presentations are certainly a reminder of a series of elements that the citizen of Wentworth-Nord may already have assimilated, and he or she may simply want to skim over them.

The presentation provides the rationale for each major policy direction. The last of these orientations, that of informing, mobilizing and encouraging citizen action on the environment, presents a number of concrete measures that we hope will find favour.

As with the duel between development and preservation, the issues prioritized in the draft policy offer as many confrontations as possible between human action and environmental protection. For each of these issues, we find the motivation for the intervention advocated.
The authors have then grouped the actions they hope to take over the next decade under different objectives. With the help of tables, maps and histograms, they provide us with an impressive list of actions identified for each issue and the context in which they fit. This section makes up the bulk of the impressive document.

The project does indicate the need to evaluate and valorize the natural resources present, but does not specify how. There is little data, for example, to measure the impact of development on the environment, or even to quantify its components and the importance we attach to them. Other measures are more precise and involve urban planning regulations, such as increasing the size of areas dedicated to conservation, or creating ecological corridors.

In this respect, artificial intelligence will soon provide an indispensable tool for the public sector. The latter will mandate a specialized firm, equip itself with resources or borrow from future models to carry out, by this means, value analyses, guided by human appreciation, of the elements that make up our environment. Initially, these elements will have to be evaluated quantitatively, as in a risk analysis, or for the already very complicated task of determining the carrying capacity of a lake, or for the weighting of criteria in a PIIA. Then, an appropriate algorithm could produce a coherent assembly. Here again, we can imagine the need for citizen consultation. Constant updating of environmental policy measures is therefore to be expected.

Like any document of this magnitude, it calls for a keen interest in environmental issues on the part of those who undertake to read it. Failing that, it seems to us that a summary*, in this case generated by artificial intelligence, could encourage as many people as possible to take part in the forthcoming consultation on this draft policy. Too brief, however, this summary will not allow the reader to penetrate the document, to follow the authors' entire approach, or to enter into the details of the project.

In order to be able to interact effectively during the planned consultation, or even to become involved in the actions proposed to citizens, it would therefore be to the participant's advantage to familiarize himself with the content of the document and, eventually, to position himself in relation to the issues identified, the objectives set and the proposals for achieving them. However, it might be preferable for the presentation accompanying the consultation to be limited to a summary of its content. We can also imagine that each workshop, in the Salle Gougeon in Saint-Michel, would deal with one or other of the issues put forward, and that the virtual audience could be invited to divide up in the same way. On this occasion, a workshop should be reserved for the English-speaking community.

What's more, the scope of this draft policy is such that, even over the ten years planned for its realization, we can't expect it to be fully realized. If it can rally the support of citizens and councillors, however, this planning instrument will dictate to them, as well as to urban planning departments and the administration as a whole, the path to follow.

For this consultation, however, we shouldn't expect miracles in terms of citizen interest or participation via videoconferencing. It is on the floor of Salle Gougeon, with the formation of participatory workshops, and provided that a significant representation of the population attends, that relevant interventions will prevail. And to combine this formula with that of a virtual audience, and even with some interactive tool, is an audacious gamble.In this winter season, when two-thirds of residents - vacationers - are not in Wentworth-Nord, or even necessarily receptive to what's going on there, the council's choice is still surprising. For a ten-year plan, why risk limiting the appeal to everyone?

Will the recording be accessible? Will the presentation end up on the municipality's website? Wouldn't it be possible to approach an independent journalist and prepare an interview with the environmental coordinator, highlighting the key points of the policy and making it available on YouTube? Such interviews on community television networks can generate a great deal of interest.

But, as we've seen from previous meetings between the municipality and lake associations, organized by the municipality's environmental services, these consultations also include a good deal of presentation of the actions carried out by the said services. They are coupled with a call for the participation of these associations and citizens in their implementation. Their agenda seems to be linked above all to the municipality's administrative process.

* Wentworth-Nord's environmental policy for 2024-2034 aims to preserve and protect the municipality's natural environment.

It is based on four pillars: preservation of the natural character, sustainable development, enhancement of natural spaces, and recognition of the territory's assets.

The policy was developed by the Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) and will be implemented by the Urban Planning and Environment Department.

The main issues addressed include protection of water and wetlands, nature conservation, protection of biodiversity, waste management, sustainable construction, protection of the night sky, adaptation to climate change, and promotion of active transportation.

Specific actions are planned for each issue, such as bringing septic systems into compliance, creating conservation areas, raising awareness of biodiversity, reducing waste, and promoting eco-responsible building practices.

The policy will be reviewed every ten years, with an annual follow-up of actions taken.

The active participation of citizens and local associations is essential to the success of this policy.

ByCarl Chapdelaine

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) & Linguee

“Eco-corridors are the combination of terrestrial and aquatic passages that link conservation nodes Éco-corridors laurentiens By urbanizing, spreading out, linking development hubs with a road network and appropriating lakes and waterways, even a sparsely populated municipality like Wentworth-Nord is eating into the natural environment and hindering the movement of wildlife. This disrupts the ecological balance on which the fate of many plant and animal species more or less depends.

Some animals are more likely to be affected by this encroachment on their habitat, such as the wolf, which fears man, with the consequences for the interaction that must reign between these carnivores and their prey, as well as for their respective distribution on the territory. We have therefore developed the concept of wildlife corridors, to enable the movement of all species for which this factor may be decisive.

Of course, the creation of protected areas or, as in Wentworth-Nord, the designation of public land as such, could facilitate the creation or maintenance of these ecosystems.

In the 2024 amendment to the municipality's urban plan, under the item Land Conservation, it was prescribed that a significant portion of Wentworth-Nord's territory would be protected from development, including nature reserves and crown lands. This was also marked by a resolution of the municipal council, at its meeting of April 17, to, among other things, facilitate the movement of wildlife or prevent misuse of the territory, such as by mining claims.

In the preliminary consultation on this amendment to the Urban Plan, a measure for the acquisition of land by the municipality, to protect it or convert it into green zones, was presented. This involved using the 7% (now 10%?) contribution for park purposes when applying for a subdivision or building permit, through the new municipal tool of pre-emption on the sale of land.

At the Wentworth-Nord council meeting of February 15, 2023, we had already learned that councillors and members of the administration had participated in the Public Lands Allocation Plan, which the government renews every five years. This plan concerns, among other things, the designation of land to be protected. In this respect, the municipality was working on a vision to be presented to the Ministry des Ressources naturelles et des Forêts. https://wentworth-nord.ca/      Wentworth-Nord makes a commitment

Certain elements of this policy of designating protected areas, such as the use of pre-emption on the sale of land, may have caused concern among some landowners. Information, awareness-raising and citizen involvement must therefore accompany this land protection policy.
Today, Colleen Horan, town councillor and chair of the Comité consultatif en environnement de la municipalité (CCE), is turning to lake associations for support in such efforts to implement a protected areas policy in Wentworth-Nord.

By Carl Chapdelaine

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) & Linguee

(Example- Letter of support:)

Municipality of Wentworth-Nord
3488, route Principale, Wentworth-Nord (Qc) J0T 1Y0

Contact: Sébastien PONCELET,
Environmental Coordinator
Service de l’urbanisme et de l’environnement

Subject: Letter of support for the creation of a protected area on public land in Wentworth-Nord

Date                

Dear Mr. Poncelet

NAME hereby supports the creation of a protected area on the territory of the municipality of Wentworth-Nord. The protection of the municipality's public land is essential to preserve the integrity of ecosystems and habitats for biodiversity, and to help achieve the target of protecting 30% of the territory by 2030.

This project will consolidate conservation cores due to its proximity to the Buck Mountains Reserve and other private lands protected through voluntary conservation. It also aims to protect several natural environments of high ecological value, such as wetlands and hydric environments of conservation interest and exceptional forest massifs. In addition, the project will help consolidate regional connectivity by becoming part of the ecological network identified by Éco-corridors laurentiens, namely the Oka-Tremblant eco-corridor.
(DESCRIPTION OF THE ORGANIZATION/INSTITUTION AND ITS INTEREST IN THE PROJECT - IF NECESSARY)

NAME therefore supports the project to create a protected area in Wentworth-Nord.

We support your efforts to protect this area, which will contribute to the goal of 30% protected areas in Quebec by 2030, and to do so in a connected way, via a system of ecological corridors that promote the resilience of the province's ecosystems. The area is located in a zone of great ecological interest, making it ideal for preserving biodiversity and ecological connectivity.

In order to make its own contribution to this project, our organization wishes to protect its property at ADDRESS, lot number LOT NUMBER, in perpetuity.

The mobilization of local and regional stakeholders for the protection of this area testifies to the importance of preserving these natural environments for the local population. By harmonizing different uses and planning the land in a sustainable manner, it will be possible to restore the balance between land uses, while protecting habitats of high ecological value and their biodiversity.

Yours sincerely

SIGNATURE
NAME
ORGANIZATION

Québec Meilleure Mine analyzed the CAQ's 200 proposed amendments to the mineral exploration and extraction regulations.

Despite complaints from the industry, very few gains were made for the people who occupy the territory. Of the 60 demands made by Québec Meilleur Mine, only 6 were proposed in the bill.

The gains include private and agricultural land, woodlots and land around lakes. They are protected from claims. From now on, only exploration companies can take a claim. The aim is that when there is a claim, there must be exploration work. All development projects will have to go through the BAPE (Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement). There is a lot of resistance from mining companies to the amendments, claiming that there is no evidence of water contamination, tourism or economic danger.

Québec Meilleure Mine will be offering a webinar to lake associations for more information in August.

As for the 6 requests made by Coalition Qlaim (Coalition québécoise des lacs incompatibles avec l'activité minière), none were taken into consideration. Coalition QLAIM asked to be included in the discussions, and recommended that MRCs, which are responsible for land-use planning, should take precedence over mine development, that the Minister should be able to block claims, and that OGATs (Orientations gouvernementales en aménagement du territoire) should take precedence over claims.

For the protection of waterways and lakes, a bylaw was passed to ensure that protected territories (5 buildings) are now 1000 metres from the shore (a gain of 400 metres).
However, potentially contaminated watersheds are not considered. What's more, there will be no moratorium, public land will not be protected and the social acceptability measure will still be under the control of the operating companies.

In more densely populated areas, such as the Laurentians, environmental protection is essential to the quality of drinking water. In addition to creating noise, air pollution and road damage from heavy trucks, a mine project contaminates waterways and groundwater. 

It's incomprehensible that RCMs can't influence this industry.

Representatives, municipalities, prefects and RCMs must demand more rights; in fact, RCMs must regain their planning rights.

- Claim: mining rights

At the Wentworth-Nord council meeting on April 17, Councillor Karine Dostie announced the adoption of an amendment to the Fire Prevention Bylaw, adding a ban on fireworks on the shoreline or on the ice, with certain exceptions. The Chair of the Environment Committee, Colleen Horan, also echoed this announcement at the same meeting. Fireworks had thus become a danger and an environmental nuisance.

During the national celebrations at the beginning of summer, we often wondered how the wildlife, which surrounds us so closely here, would react after dark to the explosions of the fireworks, often amplified by the deafening noise of the bombs. As the moment passed, we calculated that, like a solar eclipse, the fauna would soon return to its normal life. But even so, knowing that sound carries over our bodies of water, such activities seemed questionable. Once again, this year, some of Newaygo's fireworks enthusiasts, no doubt unaware of the new legislation, had a field day.

At no other time, perhaps, have we been so preoccupied with the impact of our noises on wildlife. The hunter, of course, must have imagined the terror of his prey at the sound of a rifle shot; and the hunting season was certainly on the wildlife calendar. The noise of our heavy machinery, our highways, our airplanes, a chainsaw, or whatever, must certainly be detrimental to many species, when calling for breeding partners, and corrupt the amorous tirades of our birds. Do certain insects, whose sounds are sometimes already inaudible to our ears, need to find other ways of communicating? Do our noises threaten the very survival of certain species?

And talk to cat owners: "When I came to live here (in Newaygo) permanently, in 2003, my cat disappeared into the forest for three days, terrorized by these noises. He was so frightened that he scratched me to get me to let him go so he could escape into the forest."
Furthermore, if we can see that observing the starry sky in cities is no longer comparable to observing it in the countryside, doesn't the noise that accompanies us today also hide the original nature of our sound environment?

In fact, several studies have shown that noise pollution affects many animal species. Birds, for example, are said to sing louder in cities than in the countryside. La pollution sonore et ses impacts sur la biodiversité

We often only know the surface of a lake. This observation has always been used as an argument to explain the lack of attention we sometimes pay to the underwater environment. Yet we know that sound travels well underwater; and the impact of boat engine noise on the estimated behavior of marine mammals, which communicate by sound, is now part of our environmental concerns. And what about our lake fish? Don't they communicate by sound too? Science speaks: "It may seem astonishing, but some species have quite developed auditory acuity." Le silence révèle des sons Obviously, this is yet another new scientific discipline looking for a subject.

Acoustic ecology has yet to get its head under the surface of lakes, and the aquascopes introduced by CRE-Laurentides, RSVL or our national Mat Madison are not yet equipped with hydrophones. But already, a handful of researchers are pointing the finger at the acoustic nuisance caused by our outboard motors; and the louder they make, the more likely they are to affect our aquatic fauna. And that's not counting the inconvenience to our loons.

For Raphaël Proulx, professor of conservation biology at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, and doctoral student in physical geography, natural biodiversity also exists in the form of sounds emitted by different sources, animal or otherwise. "These different acoustic sources interact with each other and can have an impact on living organisms, as well as on the environment". (Oui, la pollution sonore a un impact sur la biodiversité)

But while research supports the finding that some species, such as birds, flee areas affected by our noise pollution, the aquatic fauna of our lakes is trapped by it. And while the authorities have regulated the volume of sound emitted by our vehicles, no measures seem to exist to protect these territories. Shouldn't our zoning regulations also take into account the impact of sound in protecting the environment of our lakes?

"(For Raphaël Proulx, the environments most affected by noise pollution are marine and freshwater environments. Why?) Quite simply because humans are unaware of the noise they make underwater, since they can't hear it." For him, "noise pollution has a real impact on the aquatic life of the region's lakes". And they increase with the speed of the boats. Here, in a way, if speed doesn't kill, at the very least, it pollutes.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) & Linguee

By Carl Chapdelaine

The Laurentians of today and those of the past, still the same environment? You have certainly read, among others, Dave Clark's childhood memoirs on trains, in the Lake St. François-Xavier Fall 2011 Newsletter, or imagined the arrival by train of vacationers in Montfort and weekend skiers in the other villages of the region. Some in the summer, others in the winter, they would join the cottages or hotels for reunions and eventful weekends.

It was an environment that may have suffered from logging and the log drive, but which could accommodate without too much damage, despite the consumption of coal or diesel, a certain flow of visitors. Today, logging has moved somewhat away from urbanized centers and lakes, mostly for lack of resources. The log drive has disappeared, although its waste still lines the bottom of our lakes.

Thousands of vehicles have replaced the few passenger cars; a monstrous array of carriage roads, with ramps right to your door, and the highway have replaced the only two railroads. The exact opposite of what would have been needed, on a territory-wide scale, to avoid the devastation of this coveted environment. And, as with almost everything in human endeavor, there is no turning back.

You probably think about it; you wonder about your environmental impact, especially on the protection of the lake. But you don't see much opportunity to do better. Will enjoying the environment always mean destroying it? How to get out of this vicious circle? The car is essential to you; and carpooling or public transportation do not seem to you to be suitable alternatives for your trips from the lake to the village or to the city. More likely, you will have to take the plunge and buy an electric car, counting on the presence of the essential charging stations for its use?

But we are far from seeing floating over Wentworth-Nord, the smog cloud that, as the meteorologists indicate, occasionally covers the Metropolis. So, is it urgent to apply the brakes, often more than a hundred kilometers from Montreal? Aren't our Laurentians still our infinite reserve of nature, water, and pure air? That is, of course, if we have finally been able to get off the highway; that Eurasian Watermilfoil or sediments have not already denatured our waterways...

Health is a priority in Quebec; it has just been offered a budget for a still nebulous development plan. When will we see a similar plan to protect our environment, with a call to all? Isn't one of our problems our isolation from the challenge? You deliver your garbage to the composting or recycling facility, with the uncertainty of its ultimate destination. You drive slower and perhaps go less far. All in all, you do your small part. But, in fact, you're still polluting more than you should. And that is not a general mobilization to initiate a reversal of the trend. 

Your priority, if you are a permanent resident, is to go to school or to your business; to your cottage if you are a cottager. You must invite friends or relatives and, as there are hardly any shops and private services in this municipality scattered around its lakes, you take your car to go and get supplies in Saint-Sauveur, while filling up in Morin-Heights. Even with the relocation opportunities provided by telecommuting, isn't the lack of these services a major barrier to reducing travel for Nord-Wentwortois?

The escape towards the still not very urbanized spaces of the Laurentians, accelerated by the appearance of digital economy, as well as the immoderate use of the individual vehicle, are they not the reflection of the individualism that characterizes our society? However, we will have to start recovering the collective services of yesteryear, and getting seriously involved in safeguarding this environment, rather than simply asking governments to reduce greenhouse gases on our behalf.

Could we imagine, as Montrealers of the baby boom will remember, that the greengrocer, the bread seller, the milkman, or the knife sharpener would deliver these essential goods and services to our doorstep, thus reducing the number of vehicles on our roads? Moreover, hasn't Covid visibly encouraged the development of home delivery of prepared meals in the metropolis, despite the omnipresence of grocery stores and supermarkets? As in some reports on the French countryside, or even as in the case of the delivery of meals to the staff of the Montfort Pavilion, such a service is perhaps not unthinkable as long as everyone can find something to do with it. Who hasn't jokingly imagined that the pizza delivery guy would come to the lake to save you the trouble of preparing the meal or to change your routine?

Several lake associations, aware that we should not rely on the beautiful mirror that they display, have adopted a charter, which aims primarily to protect them. Why not develop a charter for the protection of the environment, to be proposed to all residents, even if our sky is still clear blue and our forest still greens our valleys and hills?

At the last council meeting, the unveiling of the ambitious program of the Environmental Advisory Committee, by its president, Mrs. Colleen Horan, deserves our attention: protection of waterways (septic systems, buoys, etc.); forests; wildlife; air; silence and peace; education through awareness. “And these are just the categories that will be given avenues to explore or focus on," added the Councillor. The citizens of Wentworth-Nord may have their own environmental protection charter; a tool to guide everyone's actions towards a common goal that is urgently needed. This is provided that the municipality does not limit itself to its priorities and, given the scarcity of its human resources, uses the committee only to support the respect of its environmental regulations.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) & Linguee

By Carl Chapdelaine,

Around the house, in Montreal, or even in the Saint-Sulpice woodlot next door, nothing to fear from this little plague; it is more likely that you’ll see there the coyote rather than the black fly. But yesterday, leaving my cottage by the Mount trail, arms loaded, I had to look like those saints of the Church with a halo around the head. A swarm of little black flies seemed to be magnetized by this succulent piece of resistance. Could not the Mohawks have been content with it for the torture of our Holy Canadian Martyrs? Nothing like it in the city or in Saint-Jérôme. What did you do with your black flies; did I ask the family of Saint-Colomban two days before? Yet we were on the deck of the house, on the edge of the woods.

It may not have been ten years since I wondered about the fact that my windshield was never stained by some crushed bugs when I came into or out of the Laurentians. I am neither an entomologist nor a biologist, and I could not give any explanation. When I was a teenager, say at the end of the 1950s, my father's car windshield was covered with crushed flying insects, flies of all kinds, butterflies and whatever, at the least car ride in the country.  Relatives confirmed to me that this was the case.

In fact it was so and elsewhere on the planet, that the term "windshield phenomenon" appeared in the realm of science. Given the lack of statistical data, some would have even tried to measure the opacity of the layer of crushed insects on the windshields to possibly assess the evolution of the problem; a kind of windshield protocol...

An important study, or rather a synthesis of the researches listed on the subject, would have been produced in Europe, in 2017, and another in Australia, to identify the magnitude, probable causes and consequences of what would prove to be a phenomenal decrease of several categories of these insects. There is even talk of the most important episode of extinction since the disappearance of the dinosaurs. But we could not have established a direct correlation between one or the other cause and the phenomenon. In fact it seems that insects have not been the favorite of researchers in the past. And the crawling insects, like the aquatic species, are not spared by this fall of population. 

In 1875, an invasion of billions of Rocky Mountain Locust took a week to cross Plattsmouth, Nebraska. A few decades later, following the development of large-scale farming and livestock production, the last of their extinct species were seen in the Canadian prairie. National Geographic.

Highly sensitive to pesticides, ephemera or manna, an aquatic species, are endangered in certain regions of Quebec. And when did you see your last grasshopper, your last bumble bee or even your last butterfly? Éphémères

We will list here the possible causes, identified or pointed at by the researchers, that we have noted:

-  Habitat and the environment (The conversion of plains to agricultural land, urbanization, deforestation, drying up of wetlands, invasive insects species and parasites, bacteria or fungi, fighting fires and perhaps forest management, light pollution, etc.)

-  Biodiversity loss, agricultural practices, pesticides and herbicides: Some insects feed on specific plant elements; however monoculture has considerably reduced the number of plants in huge territories. These insects are gone with the plants associated with them. : Karner Blue. 

A researcher, Henri Goulet, who spent 50 years studying insects for Agriculture Canada, says that non-flying insects suffered the same fate as the flying ones. « Entire species of beetles that he used to study no longer exist at the Central Experiment Farm, he says, and he believes the change came as Ontario farmers shifted to growing more corn. Goulet blames the herbicides sprayed on cornfields in spring, before the seed is planted. … (But) some places seem protected. Pinery Provincial Park west of London, Ont., is beside Lake Huron, and it seems to resist the disappearing-insect trend. One theory is that the prevailing west winds come a long way across the lake and are cleansed of pesticides.» Ottawa Citizen.

Bumblebees and bees are more present in our minds. Some pesticides used in fields or orchards seem to be the cause of their decline; at least in Europe, where the main studies cited have been made: Radio Canada international.

-  The car: Some have wondered if the road and the cars, which killed millions of flying insects in Illinois as elsewhere, would not have decimated the populations of these insects. Canadian geographic.

-  Climate change (extreme temperatures, droughts, etc.) is mentioned as a potential cause. But it can also favor certain species, such as the Eastern hemlock looper, which would have benefited from milder winters to increase its area of expansion in Quebec. Société d'entomologie du Québec

Consequences :
-  In agriculture or beekeeping: Pollination of crops reduced and fall of honey production.
-  Disappearance of bird and mammal species that feed on flying insects, such as swallows and bats, etc.

Query:
From Montreal to James Bay by car, when it's the season of insects, the phenomenon of the windshield still exists, assures me a friend who stayed there recently. And it is not with a passage in a simple car wash that you will manage to take the junk off. Neighbors in Montreal also tell me that they still harvest insects in this way by going either to the Eastern Townships or to Saint-Michel-des-Saints, high in Lanaudière, or Ville-Marie, in the Témiscamingue; but in less quantity than formerly all the same. In addition, while telling me that there are black flies on the Val-d'Or, Abitibi, golf course this week and that they are tearing you off pieces of skin, I am assured that windshields are certainly harvesting flies by going from Val-d'Or to Ville-Marie.

So, if the phenomenon still exists in areas where obviously the forest reigns or predominates, it may be necessary to establish quantitative mapping throughout Quebec, with the windshield protocol for lack of other instruments. One could thus appreciate the situation, see the future evolution of the phenomenon, if it still exists, and help discern between the causes invoked in Europe and elsewhere.

The black fly is therefore a sign of a still natural environment; for our happiness to all ... The forest workers would cover themselves with oil and get used to it. (But tell me when their cycle is over, a Montrealer can survive pollution, not black flies!)

Without prejudice, by Carl Chapdelaine

Bye-bye, bug splatter: Is this the new silent spring? : David Suzuki

With Google Translate and Linguee