Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter
The municipal council in Saint-Anicet wants to develop the area known as “the beach” at Jules-Léger Park.
The municipality has been renting the waterfront property on Lake Saint-François from the Pilon family since 1980. Residents who took part in a public consultation during the fall of 2023 made it clear they were in favour of maintaining the site. The sentiment was echoed during a second consultation on February 22, which was attended by around 20 residents as well as five elected officials, and three municipal employees who explained the financial implications of maintaining the beach.
During its regular meeting in February, the municipal council adopted a resolution authorizing the municipality to enter negotiations with the Pilon family to purchase a 1,781-square-metre portion of the lot. On March 3, the council passed a loan bylaw to borrow $325,000 over ten years for the purchase the land. The average annual cost to property owners is estimated to be around $15.81 as part of their municipal taxes.
A referendum on the loan bylaw is now scheduled to take place on March 31, between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. at the town hall. At least 267 residents must sign the register for the bylaw to be reconsidered. If the number of signatures falls short of this figure, the loan bylaw will be sent to the Ministère des Affaires Municipals et de l’Habitation (MAMH) for final approval.
During the public consultation in February, the municipality detailed some of its development plans. Parking, or the lack thereof during the summer, was brought up as an issue. The municipality plans to discuss the parking situation with residents in the village to see about renting land to create more parking spaces. Signs were installed last year directing visitors to use the parking area at the town hall.
Work began in November to renovate the park, wharf, and swimming area. The municipality received two $100,000 grants as part of a revitalization agreement between the provincial government and the MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent. The remaining work in the beach area includes removing rocks from the water, the softening of the slope depending on erosion, and the expansion of the sand surface at the water’s edge.
Additional work will also be done in the park, including repairs to the stairs and cement platform along the wharf, the installation of handrails along the stairs, and the construction of a new building to house public washrooms.