Over the years, the lifestyle of Echo Lake residents has not changed much. Respect for nature, quiet and discretion are values still shared by owners and their families.
Community spirit is particularly important. Activities such as the regattas and the Commodore’s Party have brought lake residents together for decades. Our common respect for tradition is a value held dear by the Echo Lake community. From generation to generation, the APLÉ (Echo Lake Homeowners Association) has passed on the program of events and know-how to new organizers. Of course, there have been a few changes, but always adopted to ensure continuity.
Respect for our neighbours brings another valuable dimension to life around the lake. It is important to recognize that one’s activities may affect privacy and interfere with the peaceful use of a neighbor’s home. Certain activities may even be in violation of municipal, provincial, or federal laws.
All new owners receive a visit from a representative of the Association early on, who provides them with the necessary information, in the form of an Owner’s Guide, to ensure best practice and their harmonious integration into the community life of the lake.
LAKE ECHO OWNER’S GUIDE
Tradition and by-laws alone do not provide answers to all the challenges to harmonious community life around a small body of water such as Echo Lake. The Association has therefore developed an OWNER’S GUIDE to serve as a reminder of the essentials for maintaining the lifestyle advocated by residents for generations. The OWNER’S GUIDE brings together laws and regulations and a series of guidelines resulting from a resident survey conducted in 2017. We count on the goodwill of everyone to embrace it as their own set of values.
The Association’s mandate is not to impose controls. Its role is to provide residents with information on how to conduct their activities so as to avoid an illegal, or simply undesirable, situation.
The Association will table a four-chapter updated version of the OWNER’S GUIDE for adoption at our 2022 Annual General Meeting.
PRESERVING OUR LIFESTYLE, ENSURING TRANQUILITY, PROTECTING OUR WATER QUALITY, SAFEGUARDING OUR ENVIRONMENT
CHAPTER 1: PRESERVING OUR LIFESTYLE
MOTOR BOATS: COMPLETE BAN, INCLUDING ELECTRIC MOTORS
What to do
Echo Lake residents count canoes and pedal boats among their preferred manually operated craft.
The context
Federal law prohibits the use of motorboats with mechanical and electrical propulsion.
For more information
There have never been any motorized boats accepted on Echo Lake. In 1989, at the request of the Association, the Morin-Heights City Council introduced a by-law banning motorboats on Echo Lake.
In 1991, the Federal government under the Federal Shipping Act, classified Echo Lake in Morin-Heights as a water body on which mechanically and electrically propelled vessels are prohibited. (Part 6 of Schedule 2 of the by-law)
https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2008-120/page-4.html
This by-law aims to preserve the health of our small and fragile lake. The law also allows us to preserve the exceptional quality of life at Echo Lake, as much for its tranquility as for the safety of swimmers.
Today, the absence of motorboats guarantees an important level of protection against water pollution, shoreline erosion, phosphorus release and the spread of undesirable aquatic plants. This measure also offers protection against noise and visual pollution.
The ban on electric motors, although they cause less environmental damage in small formats, reflects our lifestyle and allows us to protect against future variations.
PROPERTY SALES : RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL GRANTED TO ASSOCIATION MEMBERS
What to do
Owners who wish to sell their property should notify the Association, which in turn will immediately inform all its members. Current owners will thus be able to pass on the news to friends and family.
The context
By informing members, sellers will be able to quickly find motivated buyers who already know and love Echo Lake and are thus likely to respect our environmental rules and share the values of the community.
This tradition of offering one’s property first to the Echo Lake community helps maintain our way of life.
LAND CONSERVATION
What to do
The Association encourages homeowners to learn about the ecological and financial benefits derived from private conservation.
The context
The conservation of green spaces around the lake is an essential project for our future. In short, our common goal is to ensure that undeveloped land remains natural in perpetuity. Specific options are available, including private protection, in partnership with non-governmental conservation organizations or the federal, provincial, or municipal government. Residents take into consideration their ecological vision and their financial benefit in donating land, in compliance with the strategic priorities of the chosen partner.
To review the various conservation options available:
https://ruisseaujackson.org/en/takeaction/conservationoptions
Many conservation projects are now complete. These efforts will help maintain our environment, and that of future generations, naturally green, and our lake naturally clean. To learn more about these achievements, visit the following link:
https://lacecho.com/en/thelake/thefuture
CHAPTER 2 : ENSURING TRANQUILITY
SOUND POLLUTION
What to do
A quick note or email to your neighbors is always the best approach if you plan to make noise or if a neighbor’s noise level bothers you.
If you cannot settle the situation amiably, read about the applicable law below.
The context
The SQ -2019 by-law at the end of this section applies to the entire territory of the municipality and throughout the MRC des Pays-d’en-Haut. In short, the law forbids a resident to disturb the peace and prevent neighbors from the peaceful use of their property.
Speakers: Municipal by-laws prohibit the use of loudspeakers outdoors.
Machinery: Municipal by-laws on the production of noise by machinery or equipment stipulate that: Operating hours are between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. from Monday to Friday.
Maintenance: The Association recommends:
◈ The use of lawnmowers, leaf blowers, chainsaws and any other noise-producing devices should be avoided on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.
◈ The use of such equipment should be operated only between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. from Monday to Friday.
◈ During the summer period, please avoid the use of noisy equipment on Friday afternoons.
Please inform your contractor and gardener of these rules of good neighborliness specific to Echo Lake.
For more information
This by-law is available in French only :
RÈGLEMENT SQ-2019 SUR LA CIRCULATION, LE STATIONNEMENT, LA PAIX ET LE BON ORDRE : https://www.morinheights.com/IMG/pdf/sq-2019_- circulation_stationnement_la_paix_et_l_ordre_v._22.04.2021_.pdf
In cases of non-respect of these noise by-laws, please call the Sureté du Québec (Saint-Sauveur) (450) 227-6848.
GENERATORS
What to do
To ensure a quiet environment, the Association recommends:
1. Owners should ensure that sound generated by the unit be muffled.
2. Owners should purchase a generator that starts manually in preference to those that start automatically. In the second case, we recommend that owners program the machinery so that it only activates after thirty or sixty minutes of power failure.
3. Owners should schedule monthly tests for the proper functioning of the generator and not on a weekly basis as recommended by the manufacturers. Furthermore, we ask that owners program these tests in the morning and mid-week, to maintain the tranquility of our environment.
According to municipal by-laws, generators must not operate for more than twenty minutes if there is no power outage.
The context
The number of homes equipped with generators has multiplied over the past ten years. The problem with generators is noise, especially when they are performing a test run.
LOUD MUSIC AND PRIVATE EVENTS
What to do
If noise emanating from a property is unacceptable (and contravenes municipal by-laws, see below), the Association recommends calling the SQ: 450 227-6848.
The context
Municipal by-laws,
1. Prohibit the broadcasting of loud music and the production of musical events.
2. The sound of music must not carry more than 20 m (65 feet) from the property from which the noise originates (Article 28 of the Nuisance By-law)
The Association has made it a rule:
1. Not to bear responsibility for notifying all owners in advance that a private event will take place on a particular date.
2. If a resident wishes to inform his direct neighbors that he is to hold a private event on his property, the Association can provide him with the neighbors’ contact information.
The only exception is the traditional Jazz on the Rocks event, privately organized and funded each year on the lake for the benefit of all residents. This event is an integral part of the Association’s calendar of summer activities.
For more information
Municipal nuisance by-laws: follow this link: (available in French only)
https://www.morinheights.com/IMG/pdf/583-2019_-_nuisances_version_21.02.20_.pdf
CONSTRUCTION AND RENOVATION
What to do
Courteous notice: Since residents usually schedule major work in advance, we suggest that you notify the Association by giving the estimated start and end dates of the project. This will allow us to answer queries from neighbors and allow them the choice to schedule their visits at the lake and those of their families accordingly.
Summer break: The Association asks that owners not undertake or that they interrupt major construction or renovation work during the summer holiday period (July and August). At all times, activities must cease on weekends and holidays.
Emergency work: In the case of emergency work undertaken during the summer period, the Association recommends that you notify your neighbors of the estimated duration of the work. Neighbors will then be able to adjust to the situation and be more tolerant. In those instances, the Association can provide contact info for the neighbors concerned.
The context
Construction, renovation work and landscaping work generate intense noise, traffic, and dust, often over an extended period. Sounds reverberate and their level increases tenfold on the shores of a small lake, such as Echo Lake.
CHAPTER 3 :
PROTECTING OUR WATER QUALITY (SWIMMING AND DRINKING WATER SOURCES)
Given the high population density around the lake, the size of our homes and the fact that the number of permanent residents is constantly on the rise, we must and can individually contribute to maintain an acceptable level of lake water quality for the purpose of swimming and to protect the water table, the source of our drinking water.
WELLS AND SEPTIC SYSTEMS: A WAY OF LIFE
What to do
The municipality requires that you have your septic system emptied every two years and that you provide a receipt as proof.
The Association recommends emptying your septic tank every year. By grouping together, it is possible to have particularly competitive prices.
Please use only phosphate-FREE organic household products.
1. Be careful, please verify on the container itself, that these products are indeed phosphate-free.
2. Verify that it bears the Ecologo logo.
3. Please inform your tenants and domestic workers of this ban.
It is also important to monitor your drinking water consumption:
1. To reduce the flow of wastewater to your septic system, and especially during heavy rain when the soil, already soaked, has a reduced absorption capacity.
2. To protect our drinking water, since the water drawn from an artesian well originates from the water table, a non-renewable resource.
Residents should use only lake water to water their garden. This type of irrigation system is easy to install even on high-ground properties. Your gardener will be able to help you with this.
For more information
Ecoflo-type septic systems require wastewater sampling every 6 months, filter maintenance annually, and filter replacement every 10 years. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
The Association recommends testing traditional septic systems and the purification field every three to five years to ensure optimal performance. Such tests are easy to perform, and kits exist. The Association can help you by providing references. Remember that a traditional septic system, even if well maintained, has a lifespan of only about 25 years without the risk of leakage.
As a reminder, the Association recommends not to bathe after a heavy rain, especially towards the end of summer. The level of bacteria is naturally higher at that time of year and the elderly and young children could develop health issues.
To be better informed on your responsibilities for maintenance, emptying, inspection or replacement of your septic system, please refer to: https://lacecho.com/environment/wastewater treatment
WASTE MANAGEMENT
What to do
Composting is highly recommended, and the law does not allow the installation sink garburators. We should avoid that table waste, even the smallest, ends up in the septic tank. These organic matters eventually find their way to the lake and feed the aquatic plants.
At Echo Lake, the municipality collects waste, composting and domestic recycling. There is also collection of bulky goods at certain periods of the year. The collection schedule is available on the Morin-Heights website at the following address:
https://www.morinheights.com/residual materials/waste collection sector 3
For more information
The Saint-Sauveur Ecocentre is open to Morin-Heights residents for most other toxic and bulky waste. Follow the link below for information on items accepted for disposal at the Ecocentre.
https://www.vss.ca/community services/Eco centre
Note: The Ecocenter does not accept branches and trees. These should stay where they fall, if not, disperse them in the nearby forest. In their composting process, trees nourish and protect the vegetation and the animal ecosystem. Branches should be chipped or burned.
DEAD LEAVES
What to do
Do not dump or blow fallen leaves in the lake.
Do not dump leaves, or any yard waste, within the 30 meter shoreline protection zone measured from the high-water line along the lakeside.
Do not dump dead leaves in the forest or on the side of the road. These lands belong to someone and too often leaves end up in wetlands or near a stream that flows into the lake. Their decomposition is an additional source of nutrients in the lake.
Let your gardener know!
FISHING AND UNINVITED ANGLERS
What to do
Residents can practice diverse types of sport fishing at Echo Lake: deadline, trolling and fly fishing (but not spearfishing). However, provincial by-laws provide for an extremely limited quota of fish per year, per anglers. The tradition is therefore to always catch and release the fish back in the lake, to harm the least possible, our lake’s fragile ecosystem.
The law forbids the use of live bait since these species could introduce diseases or parasites into the lake’s ecosystem.
Please respond to the presence of anglers who are not part of our community. Since all grounds around the lake are private and there is no public access, residents and their guests should be the only anglers on the lake. Individuals crossing or settling on private property to fish in the lake or in the Jackson River are trespassing private property.
The Association recommends warning the intruders to leave the premises and encourages owners to contact the Sureté du Québec on break-ins committed (intrusion or illegal parking) by uninvited anglers. Phone Number: 450-227-6848
For more information
Fishing: Provincial by-laws are up-dated annually. They provide for quotas, size limits and fishing periods by area. Our Echo Lake is in Zone 9. To access this information, follow the link:
https://www.quebec.ca/tourism and recreation/sporting and outdoor activities/sport fishing
Intruders: Even more serious than excessive fishing is the possibility that these uninvited anglers will introduce aquatic plants or invasive species (clinging to their fishing boat or gear) into our lake.
The law also prohibits parking on roads and paths surrounding Echo Lake, which anglers do when they venture to the shores of the lake to fish or put their boat in the water. We recommend that you contact the SQ at 450 227-6848 to report an illegally parked vehicle.
PRIVATE ROAD MAINTENANCE (SEDIMENT CONTROL AND RUNOFF)
What to do
Private road associations at Echo Lake must ensure that they build and maintain ditches in accordance with best environmental practices. The objective is to control the silting-up of the lake (road sands) on the one hand and reduce the runoff of large quantities of nutrients that Echo Lake certainly does not need.
We ask residents on these private roads to maintain the culverts and ditches that line their own properties to ensure the success of these collective measures.
Private road associations must also verify the composition of road sands and abrasives used by snow removal contractors on our private roads.
The context
In addition to Echo Lake Road, there are three private roads that surround the lake: Cottage Road, Birch Road, and Log Village. The homeowners each have their association whose primary role is to provide essential road maintenance and snow removal services. But these associations must also be concerned about the problems of erosion and runoff to the lake. The role of the APLE is to share the expertise developed by each and help road maintenance respond efficiently to protecting our lake waters.
CHAPTER 4 :SAFEGUARDING OUR ENVIRONMENT
ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS
What to do
Facades and roofs of dark or natural hues are a preferred choice so that houses blend into our forest environment.
The lakeside façade of our homes should have a maximum of two levels visible from the lake.
The context
Our homes are part of the landscape, and ideally set in the background to it. Several houses are old and will need repair in time. In a survey conducted in 2017, members of the Association agreed that these two criteria should be a major consideration when planning a renovation, in addition to the municipality’s urban planning by-laws.
OUTDOOR LIGHTING
What to do
Municipal by-laws prohibit the direct projection of light outside of the area from where it originates. Such light can be a source of danger or simply disturb the view.
To this by-law the Association adds, that outdoor lighting should be at a minimum and be the least visible to our immediate neighbors.
The Association also asks waterfront owners to limit light decorations on the lake side of their home and property. A 2017 survey of APLE members recommended this measure in conformity with the lifestyle and traditions maintained at Echo Lake.
The context
Not all residents appreciate artificial lighting lakeside. This type of lighting captures the eye at the expense of a starry sky and night lights.
For more information
Please refer to article 49 of the link: (French only) https://www.morinheights.com/IMG/pdf/sq-2019_-_circulation_stationnement_la_paix_et_l_ordre_v._22.04.2021_.pdf
EYESORES
The Association asks residents to arrange for bins and garbage cans not to stay on the side of the road on a permanent basis between garbage pick-ups. If there is no way to store them further away, the Association encourages the construction of wooden shelters. Just go around the lake to find examples of such installations.
Tempo car shelters are an eyesore in the landscape of Echo Lake. There are various solutions (porch or shelter) that fit perfectly into the architectural style of our homes. Remember that you must apply for a permit for all type of constructions.
