Voluntary nautical code – Click

New Washing Station

The wash station is located at 628 Chemin de la Gare (behind the municipal garage) whose ultimate goal is the increased protection of all bodies of water in the territory of Ivry-sur-le-Lac.

Why a washing station?

Prevention is the best option. Considering that scientific studies have proven that exotic invasive species can cause considerable damage, notably to flora, fauna, water quality, public health and the property value of waterfront buildings, we have ensured that measures are taken to maintain water quality.

Washing boats, trailers, marine equipment and gear is essential. It is recommended that cleaning be done more than 30 metres from the landing. For this reason, we have installed the wash station at the municipal garage, far enough away to avoid contamination and close enough to the landing to facilitate launching. An asphalt surface was paved behind the municipal garage so that it could be swept between each wash. In addition, the stone contour of the asphalt surface allows for natural drainage of water into the ground.

Exceptions for waterfront residents who do not take their watercraft off their property

The wash does not apply to waterfront residents whose boats remain on their property (or in their boathouse) all winter and who never navigate in other bodies of water. The purpose of this exception is not to oblige a waterfront resident to take his or her boat out for washing, however, they will have to fill out the undertaking contained in the form confirming that their boat has been stored on their own property and has not been in a lake other than those of the Municipality of Ivry-sur-le-Lac.

Only for the latter, the decal will be available at the washing station once the form has been duly completed and the payment received. Each citizen must pick up the decal before launching their boat.

Business Hours season 2026

Open from May 13, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

IMPORTANT: Boats must be taken out of the water by October 18, 2026 at the latest.

Boat Lauching Operations

On April 15, 2026, you received an email inviting you to renow your sticker.

Please visit the platform to confirm or update your information.  Payment must also be made online.  Once your application has been approved by the municipal administration, your sticker will be issued to you when you visit the washing station.

If your boat is launched by a dealer or warehouseman, the same requirements apply.

Fees

Annual rate for owners and Tenants (with proof of lease of 3 months and more) of Ivry-sur-le-Lac:

Daily rate:

• Non-motorized boat $50 per day
• Motorized boat of 9.9 hp. or less $150 per day
• Motorized boat of more than 9.9 hp. $250 per day

No personal watercraft or wakeboats with motors of 150 hp or more with ballast are permitted.

The daily pass includes, in particular, the washing of the boat and the obtaining of the daily decal.

The daily pass is valid for one day only.

When you receive visitors and they bring aquatic recreational equipment – tubes, skis, life jackets or fishing gear – please ensure that they are free of invasive plant parts. To do so, it should be pre-washed away from the lake with a pressure washer. As for kayaks or non-motorized equipment, they must first go to the wash station before launching.

Under Schedule 7 – Part 5 (Québec) of the Vessel Operation Restriction Regulations, the hours permitted on Lac Manitou to tow a person on any sports or recreational equipment are as follows: 10:00 am to 12:00 pm and from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm

As for the use of wakeboard type boats, the Municipality is asking boaters not to use wave amplifiers because of the shallow water, the erosion created around the lake and damage to the residents’ docks.

It is important to remember the following regulations pertaining to the maximum speed guidelines on Lac Manitou that are found in the Vessel Operation Restriction Regulations:

Section of the by-law	Description	Maximum Speed (km/h)
50	Lake Manitou outside the areas specified in sections 51 to 53	55
51	23 meters or less from shore of Lake Manitou	10
52	Lake Manitou between North Bay and Pointe Adams	10
53	Lake Manitou in the Strait of the Island known locally as Île McCall	10

 

Also remember that Lacasse Bay (North Bay), where the boat launch is located, being relatively small, must be shared amongst swimmers, kayaks, canoes, sailboats and motor boats. The priority belongs to bathers and boats without motors. So, if you drive a motorboat, maintain a distance of at least 50 meters away from other users.

Safety first!

During the summer of 2019, a technical resource was made available to citizens. A large part of its mandate was related to citizen awareness of good practices of riparian bands. This officer conducted a door-to-door tour to raise awareness among shoreline residents and visited nearly 200 citizens. She also organized several very interesting training workshops and wrote several articles encouraging good practices for municipal newsletters. She participated in the annual general meetings of the Manitou Lake Improvement Association (MLIA) and Manitou Conservation.

The officer also supported the associations in implementing voluntary monitoring of the health of the lakes using the tools developed by the Conseil régional de l’environnement (CRE) des Laurentides and the Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques (MELCC) as part of the Réseau de surveillance volontaire des lacs (RSVL). She organized a workshop on the monitoring and detection of invasive alien aquatic plants and accompanied volunteers in the field to characterize aquatic plants at Lac Manitou, Lac Fer-à-Cheval and Lac de la Grise (identification of species and assessment of cover by the main grass beds) to finally fill out the Lac Manitou health record using data collected by the CRE des Laurentides, the Municipality and the Association.

In summary, many actions have been taken to ensure the protection of the lakes’ health and their sustainable use, and let’s hope that it will increase awareness among our citizens! We are very proud to confirm that our bodies of water under study were free of Eurasian Watermilfoil at the time of characterization.

In partnership with the municipality and the Association pour l’amélioration du lac Manitou (AALM), two qualified professionals were commissioned to conduct a comprehensive analysis of Lake Manitou’s water quality.

Lake Manitou – Water Quality Update (2008–2023)

General condition

Lake Manitou remains a high-quality oligotrophic lake – clear water, low in nutrients and with limited algae growth. Over the past 15 years, water quality has remained largely stable and compares very favourably with that of other lakes in the Laurentians.

What has changed recently

• recent monitoring (2021-2023) shows modest but significant changes;
• phosphorus, a key nutrient that promotes algae growth, has increased moderately;
• natural organic matter in the water is on the rise, likely due to heavier rainfall and climate effects.

These changes are not alarming, but they indicate that the lake’s balance is becoming more fragile.

What has not changed

• Algae concentrations remain low;
• there are no signs of eutrophication or algae blooms;
• the lake remains clearly in the oligotrophic (healthy) category.

Why Lake Manitou is sensitive

• Its water renewal is slow (approximately 2.3 years);
• it has large, shallow bays where sediments can be resuspended;
• nutrients that enter the lake can remain there for many years.

This means that small actions, repeated over time, can have lasting effects.

Key message

Lake Manitou is healthy, but it will not remain so automatically. Protection and prevention are now essential to maintain its quality.

What can residents do? What are the most effective actions?

• Preserve and restore natural vegetation on the shores and riparian strips.
• Avoid using fertilisers, compost runoff and wood ash near the lake.
• Maintain septic systems carefully and on a regular schedule.
• Use outdoor showers without soap and place compost bins away from the shoreline.

These actions are important because the watershed is small, and what happens near the shore has a disproportionate impact.

Small collective actions make the biggest difference.

Lake Manitou remains one of the cleanest lakes in the region. Protecting it now is much easier and much less expensive than trying to restore it later!

Report containing a review of water quality data for Lake Manitou

For safe navigation!

Check local weather conditions before planning your outing. Water conditions play an important role in ensuring everyone’s safety on the water. Don’t get caught off guard!

All motorboat operators must hold the Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC). This requirement applies to all types of motorboats, regardless of thier size or the power of their motor (including small electric motor boats). The pleasure craft operator card is valid for life : www.tc.gc.ca.

In addition to having your PCOC on board, you are required by law to have safety equipement. You will find safety equipment that each type of pleasure boat must have on board in order to comply with Transport Canada regulations for pleasure boating: www.tc.gc.ca/eng/safety. Check if you have all the compulsory equipment on your boat. Remember, it is a $250 fine per missing piece of equipment. Also, the operator of the pleasure craft must carry out periodic maintenance of all of their nautical equipment so that everything works properly, thereby reducing the probability of failure.

The most important boating safety gear is wearing the right size personnal flotation device for each person on board. Wear it, it’s a lifesaver!

 Do not consume alcohol or drugs. Driving while impaired is illegal. Did you know that you could lose your driver’s license?

Reduce your speed near the shore and respect the speed zones under Schedule 6 – Part 3 of the Federal Vessel Operation Restriction Regulations SOR/2008-120, namely:

Art. 50   Lac Manitou outside the zones indicated in articles 51 to 53
MAXIMUM SPEED 55 KM/H

Art. 51    23m or less from the Lac Manitou shoreline
MAXIMUM SPEED 10 KM/H

Art. 52   Lac Manitou between North Bay and Adams Point
MAXIMUM SPEED 10 KM/H

Art. 53    Lac Manitou in the Strait of the island known locally as McCall Island                                                                             
MAXIMUM SPEED 10 KM/H

Open water swimming

When swimming in open water with motorized boats, it is crucial to prioritize safety due to the risk of accidents. Be aware of the presence of these boats and adapt your swimming accordingly, using safety equipment for better visibility.

Avoid swimming in areas reserved for motorized boats.

Ensure your visibility by wearing a bright swim cap, preferably fluorescent, and a torpedo buoy.

Always be aware of your surroundings, watch the movements of boats, and anticipate their trajectories.

Swimming should NEVER be a solitary activity. Regardless of your skill level, swimming alone is dangerous. Even very good swimmers can find themselves in danger in the water.

Safety is everyone’s responsibility, including motorized and non-motorized boaters and swimmers.

Safe coexistence for all!

We are lucky and proud not to have Eurasian water-milfoil in the lakes of our territory in Ivry-sur-le-Lac. We must continue to be vigilant and continue to protect our lakes from potential threats. Education is a key element of this process. Below, you will find information from the Conseil régional de l’environnement (CRE) on the plant and tips to identify it.

Fight Against Invasive Exotic Aquatic Plants

An aquatic plant is described as exotic when present in a body of water outside its natural range. This new colonized environment is often initially free of predators of this foreign plant. This factor, combined with other benefits of growth and reproduction, allows it to become a fierce competitor of native plants, to the point of becoming invasive. Eurasian water-milfoil (Myriophyllum Spicatum) is a well-established species of Eurasian IEAP in Québec. In addition to the rarity of natural predators, this plant has an additional asset: it can reproduce through stem fragmentation. This allows it to quickly colonize water bodies. IEAPs can pose a serious threat to the environment. They can alter the composition of natural ecosystems and disrupt local biodiversity. Their proliferation has negative repercussions on the economy and society, notably by affecting tourism and resorts. The multiplication of IEAPs can even negatively affect the value of shoreline properties. That’s why we must prevent them from colonizing our lakes!

To reduce the risk of introduction and spread of invasive alien aquatic plants, it is necessary to inspect your boats and equipment before using them in another lake. The Eurasian water-milfoil is present in some forty lakes in the Laurentians. To find out the location of affected lakes, visit the MELCC website, Sentinelle, which publishes information on invasive exotic species.

How to Recognize It?

(copyright : CRE)

– Whorls of 3 to 6 leaves
– 12 to 14 leaflets per leaf
– Average distance between whorls ≥ 1cm
– Terminal spike, blade-shaped bracts, flowers larger than bracts
– Truncated leaf-end

Species Similar to the Eurasian Watermilfoil

(Copyright CRE)

How to Distinguish this Plant from Native Species of Watermilfoil in Québec?

Count the leaflets!

There are several identification challenges:
– Species can be difficult to distinguish
– Sometimes difficult to access or to harvest in full
– Sometimes difficult observation conditions

Although the use of municipal parks in Ivry-sur-le-Lac is reserved for residents only and that they are accessible at all times, they are not monitored. Make sure children are always accompanied by someone responsible.

Dogs are Prohibited

Also remember that dogs and other pets are strictly prohibited in public parks. This by-law was put into place to enhance the bathing experience for all citizens.

Thank you for your co-operation!

In 2010, the Conseil Régional Environnemental (CRE) teamed up with Richard Carignan (Laurentian Biology Station – Université de Montréal) to produce bathymetric maps of lakes in the Laurentians.

Bathymetric charts are topographic maps that indicate the depths of lakes and streams, as well as their area and volume of water. The bathymetric readings, which are used to produce the charts, are made using an electronic depth sounder that measures the depth of the water and records it continuously. These maps also tell us about the lake’s watershed, which is essential to understanding their health status.

Map of Lac Manitou

Information on the water quality and transparency of Lac Manitou

Sport fishing in Québec is regulated by the Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs. In short, Québec is divided into 29 fishing zones that take into account the distribution of species. Maps illustrate each zone. Fisherman must respect the fishing rules that apply in these areas as well as the requirements relating to the territory they wish to frequent.

In sum, Lac Manitou is in zone 9 and sport fishing is completely banned throughout the winter.

However, to find out where it is possible to fish in winter, visit the following webpage:

https://mffp.gouv.qc.ca/publications/enligne/faune/reglementation-peche/periodes-peche.asp

Did you know that in Québec, if you fish for gray trout also known as lake trout, you have to put what you catch back into the water?

Why Do We Have to Put Them Back in the Water?

In order to restore the lake trout population, the government conducted a Lake Manitou seeding program between 1992 and 2000. In August 2012, the government conducted tests to determine the status of lake trout. They analyzed the contents of the stomachs of the captured females to realize that the lake trout are “slow growing”, as more than 63% of the stomachs were composed of zooplankton. Since a lake trout can take 7 to 8 years before it is mature enough to reproduce, the population is not considered at a point of equilibrium.

So according to the management plan of the Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs, in Lac Manitou, the release of lake trout is mandatory.

How to Recognize Lake Trout.

They have:

• lack of mottling on the back, dorsal and caudal fins;
• no red spots;
• pectoral and pelvic fins sometimes bordered by a white band, but very narrow and diffuse;
• the caudal fin is deeply forked

Have you noticed the dam on the Lac-de-la-Grise road near the Municipality offices?

The Dam Safety Act and its by-laws, which came into effect on April 11th, 2002, establish a series of measures to regulate the construction, modification and operation of high-capacity dams, including the Manitou Dam.

Who Manages This Dam?

It is the Centre d’expertise hydrique du Québec (CEHQ) that manages not only the Manitou dam but also the hydrometric station attached to it. This station (one of approximately 230 hydrometric stations) measures the levels and flows of major watercourses on a continuous, 24-hour, 7-day basis and transmits the recorded data hourly to an integrated collection of telemetry data. On a daily basis, it is therefore possible to obtain data on water levels or flows, especially for monitoring during spring floods or summer droughts, to optimize the management of some 780 public dams or know the level of certain bodies of water for the practice of outdoor activities.

In addition, the CEHQ makes available data, studies and cartographic products so that citizens who live near lakes or streams and any other interested person can follow the behavior of certain bodies of water.

Historical information, real-time data and certain forecast data are also available at measurement stations in Québec’s hydrometric network operated by the CEHQ.

For more information and to consult readings from the Manitou dam (number X0005241) or any other dam and the data collected by the hydrometric station (040106), visit the CEHQ website at: https://www.cehq.gouv.qc.ca/.

Although the Japanese knotweed is very beautiful, unfortunately, this plant is on the list of the 100 most harmful exotic invasive species in the world. Indigenous to Japan, it was introduced for ornamental purposes. Its beauty is a trap, however, since once planted, it rapidly spreads, forming dense colonies.

According to the Government of Québec, it invades shoreline strips and watercourses, which radically modifies the lakes’ ecosystems. Japanese knotweed takes the place of native species by shading them with its imposing foliage and releasing toxins into the soil to prevent the growth of other plants.

Shorelines, wetlands, roadsides, ditches and other open areas are all habitats that can be colonized by knotweed. Along water bodies and ditches, fragments of plants or rhizomes can be carried by the stream. This vegetative propagating plant is able to generate a new plant from a single tiny piece of rhizome.

With its impressive root system, Japanese knotweed can affect soil drainage, bank consolidation and wildlife diversity. In addition to its rapid spread, the plant is almost impossible to eliminate.

The best way to prevent it from invading our shores is to not plant it!