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The wilderness property surrounding Lac Tamaracouta in Quebec’s Laurentians will be protected in perpetuity thanks to a new agreement between a private owner and multiple levels of government.
The municipality of Mille-Isles and its residents are the big winners in this protection of almost 300 hectares of land, but the mayor says this deal benefits everyone.
“[It will be] for the public, hopefully no charge for everybody and anybody,” said Mayor Howard Sauvé. “And we’re going to be starting on our trails this spring, this summer. So hopefully by the end of the fall, the trail should be more or less done.”
Sauvé said he expects the trails to be ready for public use by next spring. They are still not sure how landowner Eric Desroches will manage his section where he plans to develop a recreational tourism site, but there are rules to follow as the area is also protected as a heritage site.
“The site here, we’re standing with all these houses and the lake is a protected site now. So you can’t tear down stuff and put up Airbnbs. He has to respect what’s here and he has every intention of doing that anyway,” Sauvé said.
Multiple levels of government worked together with a landowner and environmental partners to get the deal done that protects 300 hectares of land in perpetuity. (Andie Bennett/CBC)Residents breathe a sigh of relief
When Tamaracouta Scout Reserve ceased operation in 2018 and decided it was going to sell the land after operating from that location for over a century, residents in the surrounding areas were concerned.
Before it closed, the camp was known as the oldest continuously operating scout camp in the world. Many residents in Mille-Isles and the surrounding municipalities either attended the camp as children or sent their own children.
With the mounting pressure of growth and development in the Laurentians, there was concern Lac Tamaracouta would become collateral damage in the demand for land resources.
Lyne Lanthier, president of the Tamaracouta Lake Association, said they worked hard with many partners to get the conservation deal done.
“We live here and we have had the privilege of enjoying the pristine environment and we are thrilled that it will be protected,” Lanthier said.
Francis Léger, a Mille-Isles councillor and resident for 30 years, said he was astonished at the outcome.
“It appeared like the place was going down and would disappear and it is being saved. Everybody is amazed and I certainly appreciate the efforts,” he said.
Project manager for the Nature Conservancy of Canada, Catherine Lefebvre, says they will work with the municipality on the conservation of the flora and fauna on site. (Andie Bennett/CBC)Just 1 piece of a larger conservation project
Catherine Lefebvre, project manager for the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), said the park represents one of the core areas they are working to protect. They will work with the municipality on conservation of the flora and fauna on site but also to preserve the corridors that allow animals to travel from one nature reserve to another.
“Basically it’s one of many cores in the Laurentians and also in the surrounding region … to make sure that large wildlife animals like moose, lynx, wolves [are] going to have space to be,” Lefebvre said.
“This protection is important because we protect a space in the property for the animals to be at peace.”
Project manager for NCC Catherine Lefebvre says this area is part of an essential ecological core. (Andie Bennett/CBC)
Lefebvre says due to climate change, there are more species that are travelling north and part of their conservation goal is to allow the animals to move around and follow their natural path without getting stuck.
What’s next for the land?
There remains work to be done for future use of the Tamaracouta land. In the next few months, partners and local stakeholders will develop a plan of how to best manage the land. There will also be development of the trail network.
Local Liberal MP Tim Watchorn says the federal government will continue to support initiatives like this under its new Nature Strategy. Watchorn, who represents the federal riding of Pays-d’en-Haut, grew up in the region. He was a Beaver, a Cub and a scout with Tamaracouta Scout Reserve.
“Everybody wanted to protect this. I don’t think anyone knew exactly how we would get there, but working together is how we get to the result we got today,” Watchorn told a news conference formalizing the deal this week.