Courtesy
The 2025 MCI patrol team—Chanel Racine-Mineault, Angélique Guillemette, Gabrielle Bousada, Maëlie Massé, and Sélina Rodrigue—out on Lake Memphrémagog as they begin a summer of environmental monitoring and public outreach

Memphrémagog Conservation Inc.’s patrol team hits the water for summer 2025

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

With the summer season underway, the Memphrémagog Conservation Inc. (MCI) patrol team is back on the water and along the shores of Lake Memphrémagog for its 53rd consecutive year, tackling everything from invasive species to shoreline development monitoring.

The 2025 patrol team is made up of five members, including biologist and project manager Chanel Racine-Mineault, who is coordinating the effort. “Our role is really multifaceted,” Racine-Mineault said in a recent interview. “We do scientific research, raise awareness, respond to environmental incidents, and work directly with shoreline residents to help them adopt practices that protect the lake.”

Joining her are assistant coordinator Angélique Guillemette, a technician in bioecology, and three university students studying ecology: Gabrielle Bousada, Maëlie Massé, and Sélina Rodrigue.

According to MCI, the patrol’s mission this summer will involve a wide range of initiatives, including monitoring water quality, identifying aquatic plants and exotic species, and responding to citizen concerns such as cyanobacterial blooms. The team also keeps a close eye on real estate development and construction around the lake.

“This year we’re particularly focused on shoreline revegetation and working with property owners who want to make their lots more ecologically friendly,” said Racine-Mineault. “We’ve already had several requests for consultations, which is great to see.”

The patrol also serves as an educational resource, setting up kiosks at community events, updating MCI’s social media platforms, and welcoming the media for interviews. “Communication is a big part of what we do,” she explained. “People often don’t realize how their everyday actions—like mowing too close to the shore or using fertilizers—can affect water quality.”

Working seven days a week during the summer months, patrol members travel by boat and vehicle across the watershed, which spans areas both in Quebec and just across the U.S. border. The international nature of the lake adds another layer of complexity to the work. “We also collaborate with the American group DUMP—Don’t Undermine Memphrémagog Purity—especially on issues like the Coventry landfill site in Vermont,” Racine-Mineault noted.

That topic will be one of the focal points at MCI’s upcoming Annual General Meeting on Saturday, June 14 at 9:30 a.m., taking place in the Ovila-Bergeron room of the Magog community centre. The meeting will review the past year’s accomplishments and ongoing projects and will include a presentation on the landfill site, which has long raised concerns about potential contamination of the lake. Representatives from DUMP are also expected to attend.

Only MCI members in good standing will be able to vote during the AGM, and the organization is encouraging anyone interested in becoming more involved to sign up or renew their membership ahead of time.

In addition to the patrol’s return and the AGM, MCI is currently hiring for two positions in communications and science popularization. The goal is to enhance public understanding of the lake’s ecological issues and support the organization’s outreach efforts year-round. Applications are due by May 29.

“Everything we do is about creating a culture of stewardship,” said Racine-Mineault. “Lake Memphrémagog is an incredibly valuable natural resource—not just for Magog, but for the entire region. We want to make sure it stays healthy for generations to come.”

For more information on the patrol, the AGM, or employment opportunities, visit www.memphremagog.org or contact the team directly at 819-620-3939. The patrol can also be reached by email at patrouille@memphremagog.org.

This summer, if you see a boat with young scientists aboard taking samples or offering advice, it’s likely the MCI patrol—keeping watch over the lake, one shoreline at a time.