Keeping the Lac Dumont Beach closed (TNO)

Keeping the Lac Dumont Beach closed (TNO)

The MRC Pontiac urges the Quebec government to enforce the ban on access to the Lac Dumont beach on unorganized territory (TNO), after illegal gathgerings have been denounced in recent weeks.

MRC Pontiac Warden Jane Toller mentioned it in one of her daily reports this week, recalling the danger linked to the spread of COVID-19.

Ms. Toller said she was informed of the situation at Lac Dumont by the Warden of the Vallée-de-la-Gatineau MRC, Chantal Lamarche, who reported that about 200 people had gone there during the May long weekend.

Knowing this, Jane Toller made a point of recalling the regulations surrounding gatherings and access to beaches which remain prohibited to this day due to COVID-19.

The MRC Pontiac had the beach closed in 2015, which caused some mayors to be surprised when they learned that people had gathered there.

An agreement with the Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs (MFFP) aimed to close road access to the beach at Lac Dumont on the condition that the closure be permanent, due to environmental and public safety issues.

The mayors agreed that this situation should fall under the Sûreté du Québec, and that the Ministère de l’Énergie et des Ressources Naturelles du Québec, which is responsible for the occupation of the territory, should ensure to respect the arrangements established to keep the beach at Lac Dumont closed.