Colin LeBrun, a son of the owners of the Bryson Lake Lodge in the TNO spoke at the MRC Pontiac business forum last month in order to raise awareness threat represented by invasive species to lakes in the region.

“We’ve had this business for 30 years it was built by my parents in 1993,” LeBrun said in an interview with THE EQUITY. “And since then, I’ve had the privilege of meeting lots of people that come from all different places. But this topic is more focused on the people who are coming in from the rivers and other bodies of water that are unfortunately plagued with Zebra Mussels and Milfoil and other types of invasive species.”

Both invasive species from Eurasia, Zebra Mussels and Milfoil have long been a concern to Canadian environmental conservationists and concerned citizens like LeBrun.

Eurasian water milfoil, a kind of underwater weed, was first discovered in Canada in 1961 and has since spread to all major Great Lakes and other bodies of water in central Ontario, while Zebra Mussels were first discovered in Lake St. Clair in 1988. Both species represent a huge threat to other delicate lake and river ecosystems.

“Whenever boats are transported between lakes some of that plant, or mussel that might just be dried out for an hour or so can rehydrate and can continue growing in a brand new body of water. A lake around here has a delicate ecosystem of walleye pike and other types of fish species that could get negatively impacted by those species, namely the removal of oxygen from the water that can suffocate the lake,” explained LeBrun.

Always environmentally conscious, LeBrun has long been concerned about boaters polluting the pristine lake he’s grown up on. He is most concerned about invasive species which are present in Ontario lakes and the St. Lawerence River being brought in to the Pontiac, which subsequently turned him into a strong advocate of boat washing.

“What I really want is for the municipalities of the MRC Pontiac to request funding for portable boat wash stations and to provide grants to businesses around that are in the tourism and nature sector,” Lebrun said. “Regulations could also be passed that you have to wash your boat if you’re entering a place. On the extreme end, you could require documentation to prove that your boat was washed. But at least providing the awareness and the tools necessary to wash your boat on your way up to outfitters and other businesses that rely on nature to run their business.”

Boat washing after going from one body of water is an effective way of preventing the transplant of any invasive species.

Currently, the MRC Pontiac operates one mobile boat washing station at the Zec St-Patrice in Mansfield. The mobile washing station is a new acquisition at the MRC.

Thierry Raimbault, environmental coordinator at the MRC Pontiac, explained that this was thought as the best location to position the station as it serves as one entry point to the vast territory.

Raimbault explained that the MRC will make the boat station available to municipalities for events like fishing tournaments, and also state they are encouraging municipalities to get their own stations.

“The MRC Pontiac is a place with a lot of lakes and pristine lands, so it’s very important to preserve that as it is a big asset for the MRC which we are trying to keep intact,” said Raimbault. The MRC doesn’t require the use of the station, however, only advertising the importance of the practice.

On September 8, 2020, the Municipality of Otter Lake passed legislation making it mandatory for boaters entering the lakes in the municipality to wash their boats.

The bylaw explicitly warns of the threat of invasive species to the many bodies of water that make up the municipality.

Upon entering the territory a boater must bring their boat to the boat wash station located at the 15 Palmer Street Municipal garage where they are required to pay to wash their boat. Once they do so, they must obtain and display a certificate of washing to avoid violation of the regulation.

“We have only been giving warnings to date, giving people time to get familiar with the process of washing their boats and respecting the by-law,” explained Otter Lake DG Andra Lafleur.

“In 2023 there will be fines issued to repeat offenders that choose to ignore our by-law. Citizens that have a boat that never leaves their lake can obtain a sticker from the municipality after completing an attestation confirming this and are not required to wash their boats. Taxpayers in the municipality that travel around with their boats are given a boat wash card to wash their boats free of charge.”

With the health of lakes being so central to the municipality of Otter Lake, Lafleur explained that the by-law seems like an appropriate step to protect the vital aspect of local life.

“Many of the municipalities in the Pontiac MRC rely heavily on the tourist population and the tax revenues generated by lakefront properties,” said Lafleur. “The quality of the lake has a huge impact on the value of the property, the demand for properties on lakes that have been taken over by invasive species would be significantly reduced eventually reducing the property value and the tax base of the municipality.”

Lafleur added that grants available made the installation of the boat washing station possible.

“Otter Lake is proud to have taken this initiative and hopes that others follow suit. There are many grants available for boat wash stations, we have benefited from two grants that allowed us to install the boat wash station in our municipality,” she concluded.

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