Access to Lake Massawippi: between protection and exclusion

As you know, I have long been campaigning for access to the lake to be truly open to everyone. I often repeat that 98% of Quebec’s bodies of water are private or difficult to access. This issue is very close to my heart, because I am both a passionate fisherman and a lover of water—like so many others here.

When I was a student, I used to come fishing on the footbridge in North Hatley. Every time a boat passed by, I would say to myself, “One day, that will be me.” I got that chance. And even today, in the summer, I sometimes invite people I meet on that same bridge to come aboard and go fishing with me.

Le lac Massawippi est immense, mais il ne profite qu’à une très petite partie de la population. Cette saison seulement, j’ai fait une centaine de sorties de pêche. Et ce que je constate, c’est qu’il est presque toujours désert. Pour moi, c’est un privilège inouï : 15 km de lac pratiquement pour moi seul. J’ai parfois l’impression d’être dans une pourvoirie au nord du Québec… alors que je ne suis qu’à 1 h 15 de Montréal et 15 minutes de Sherbrooke. Ma visite est toujours impressionnée : elle ne comprend pas comment un lac aussi magnifique peut être aussi vide. Il faut l’admettre, c’est une richesse incroyable pour les gens d’ici.

Lake Massawippi is huge, but only a very small portion of the population gets to enjoy it. This season alone, I’ve been fishing about a hundred times. And what I’ve noticed is that it’s almost always deserted. For me, it’s an incredible privilege: 15 km of lake practically all to myself. Sometimes I feel like I’m at an outfitter in northern Quebec… when in fact I’m only 1 hour and 15 minutes from Montreal and 15 minutes from Sherbrooke. My visitors are always impressed: they can’t understand how such a magnificent lake can be so empty. You have to admit, it’s an incredible asset for the people who live here.

As a local resident, restricting access to the lake is, in a way, like expanding my own playground. But let’s be honest: it’s not normal for such an exceptional body of water to be so underused. The reason is simple: it’s not that people don’t want to swim or sail on Massawippi—it’s that they don’t have access to it, or find it very difficult to do so.

I know the North Hatley municipal beach very well. Before I had a waterfront property, I went there almost every evening with my children for over five years. And even today, despite having direct access to the lake, my children still prefer to go to the beach to play with other kids. I understand them. The place is tiny, but welcoming… despite an obvious lack of management of the building and surrounding infrastructure.

It is true that making the lake more accessible may worry some local residents, who fear for their peace and quiet. I understand this concern very well—I share it myself. But collectively, we cannot keep a body of water of this quality virtually inaccessible. The lake does not belong to us. There is nothing to prevent us from taking the protection of its ecosystem seriously at the same time.

However, the current situation—in North Hatley as in many lakeside villages—clearly does not promote access to the water. The reason given is almost always the protection of the ecosystem. This is a perfectly legitimate goal. But I find it hard to believe that it is necessary to restrict access to the extent that we have done in order to achieve it. Here are a few examples. :

• Beach in front of the dental clinic: swimming and fishing prohibited.
• Lobanaki beach section: closed and fenced off.
• Federal wharf: swimming and fishing permitted, but no facilities.
• Municipal beach: high rates for non-residents ($10/adult, $6/child).
• Parc de la Rivière: swimming prohibited, fishing prohibited.
• Dreamland Park: no signage; swimming likely prohibited, fishing tolerated; no swimming facilities.
• Marina: kayaks $22/hour, pedal boat 26$/hour; motorboats between $40 and $60/hour.
• Access by boat: $60 per trip (washing + launching), no sticker for non-residents without proof of mooring.
• Pontoon rental: approximately $135/hour.

Ultimately, the issue of access to Lake Massawippi goes far beyond the simple desire to swim or sail: it touches on fairness, quality of life, and our collective relationship with an exceptional natural heritage. Lake Massawippi is one of the jewels of our region, and it deserves to be shared, appreciated, and enjoyed with respect by the entire community.

Protecting the ecosystem is essential, but protection must not become synonymous with exclusion. In my opinion, it is entirely possible to reconcile respect for the environment with responsible access. Other municipalities are doing so successfully; there is no reason why North Hatley cannot be a model in turn.

We have passionate, creative, and committed citizens in our village who are ready to contribute and propose concrete solutions. All that is needed is a gesture, an opening, a clear willingness on the part of the administration to initiate positive change. In fact, this is point 2.3 of the municipality’s master plan recently adopted by elected officials.

I firmly believe that fairer, better organized, and better thought-out access would benefit both the community and the local economy, while strengthening our sense of belonging.

And perhaps, who knows, one day very soon, we will all be able to enjoy Lake Massawippi as it should be enjoyed—together.