Forest dumps: 

When I built my chalet at Manouane Lake in 1984, there was an open dump a few meters from the lake. It was so disgusting. This dump was the product of some white and autochthon that frequented the area to fish and camp, this was well before I built my chalet. There were at least 4 feet of garbage and rubbish of all kinds. When the chalet was first built, it took a lot of hard work to give the area the cleanliness it once had. It took me two years to clean the site and over 6 truck loads of garbage. There were transmissions, differentials and even motors right on the waters edge. I worked very hard to get the area back to its natural beauty. Now in 2008, the area is clean and there is even a lawn that I mow. 

When I was a teenager and frequented the area, there were no dumps except one, a little ways before Casey, at the lumberjack site. The lumberjacks took care of their own garbage by digging in the sandy areas far from the waters edge, trenches they filled with garbage. When the trench was almost full, they would burn their garbage and bury it. This method was far from the best way but still a lot better that certain outfitters in the area.  

25 years ago, there were no dumps at Lake Lortie but for the past 5 years campers and chalet owners have started to dump their garbage there. Year after year, the dump grows at a phenomenal rate.  Just a little distance from this dump, is a river that for the past 5 years is threatened by the toxic liquids that come from a few reservoirs left on the dump. The slope is steep and the land unstable and ends in the river below.  This land is threatening to collapse and bring with it part of the dump, right into the river’s water. After numerous complaints with the government, both municipal and provincial, nothing has changed; the people are still throwing their garbage at this dump. 

This is just another result of how man is impacting the environment. Animals, like the black bear, have developed dependence with the dumps that they frequent regularly. This kind of human behaviour should not be tolerated and should be punished by the environmental law.  But nothing is done. There is also another type of pollution in the forest, those of the campers, whether white or autochthones, who leave their garbage abandoned at their camping sites. There are also vehicles left all along the forest roads.   

There is still another type of pollution created by our governments, municipal and provincial, who have created garbage sites for the MRC and the city of Latuque, right near Chateauvert and right near Casey, with the attitude of ‘NOT IN MY YARD YOU DON’T’. During the summer 2006, I made complaints to the environmental authorities and the MRNF and I asked how they were going to dispose of all the garbage at the Lake Lortie dump. My question is still unanswered.  They tried to pacify me by saying that they would be sending out letters to all the Lake Lortie resort owners advising them not to throw their garbage in the forest, yeah right.  

We only hope that the 25$ we are obliged to pay for garbage control, to the city of La Tuque, will be spent to get rid of the garbage at Lake Lortie.  The answer that the complaints bureau of the MRNF sent me is that they will not be able to respond to this request because of the lack of human resources and money. Therefore, there is now an illegal dump at Lake Lortie created by the excessive number of the resort owners, which the government is partly responsible for, and who are seriously threatening the river. It is only a matter of time before the river will be polluted. This only confirms that our governments think more of the almighty dollar ($$$) to the detriment of the beauty of nature, this is unacceptable. 

There are also certain outfitters in the region who also create their own outdoor dumps.  The owners of these outfitters live in Europe and are important economic contributors. They are financed by the Quebec government so it is not surprising these outfitters are permitted to pollute the area and even after numerous complaints to the authorities, they seem to have turned a blind eye away from these outfitters, in exchange for economic contributions, again $ dollar signs.  This does not make sense to me.  

Even if we have proof and are able to identify the wrongdoers, which we have already done, the law clearly states that they cannot taint the credibility, image or reputation of these delinquent outfitters. This is the reason that we are not allowed, by law, to identify these outfitters who pollute, nor can we show pictures on our web site that could identify these delinquents for fear of being pursued in justice. Another reason is not to interfere with an ongoing investigation on this illicit and disrespectable activity against the environment.  

I have to say that most of the outfitters in the area maintain and respect the environment, but there are still some who don’t. Recently I received a telephone call letting me know that conservation agents went to the region of Lake Manouane and placed signs at the Lake Lortie dump. Great I said to the environment and parks civic servant, it’s great that signs are placed prohibiting the dumping of garbage, but what are you going to do to dispose of the existing garbage? My question is still unanswered and I’m still waiting.   

If the governments do not move on the issue of the dump at Lake Lortie, the Owanka Nature Consciousness Movement will take the initiative, thanks to the contributions  to utilise these funds to eliminate the Lortie dump.  This is a project that demands a lot of organisation and work, so we will need volunteers and heavy machinery to get rid of the Lortie dump and give back to the environment the beauty of yesteryear while protecting the Seche River from pollution.  

To be continued.