In this episode, Mayor Richard Burcombe, Director General Gilbert Arel and Communications Director Ghyslain Forcier discuss some of the topics on the agenda of the last Council meeting. Click on the image to play the video.

THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING WILL BE HELD ON MONDAY, AUGUST 5 AT 7 P.M. AT CENTRE LAC-BROME.

Our Housing Policy Is Now Available 🏠

After several months of work, including a public consultation last May, our housing policy — a launch pad for our future urban plan — is now available!

Consult:
 

the press release

the complete document

New On-Demand Transportation Service

A new on-demand transportation service offered by Transdev is now available in Brome-Missisquoi!

It's free for the summer, so don't miss out!
 

To access it, you need to reserve your bus at the time and at one of the available stops.
 

Details on the Limocar website.

Heavy Traffic Detour to Come

With a culvert on Road 215 (near the intersection with Papineau Road) in poor condition, the ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable (MTMD) is expected to announce soon that heavy trucks will be required to take a detour via Road 243 (Lakeside Road).
 

Preliminary communications from MTMD suggest that the work could be completed in three years.
 

We are in talks with the MTMD to speed up this work, to avoid Lakeside Road being overloaded with heavier vehicles for a longer period.
 

The mayor discussed this situation in the monthly capsule The Council at a Glance. If you haven't already seen it, it starts at 11 minutes and 30 seconds.

Application of Administrative Bylaw 599-4 for Short-Term Rentals

Short-term rental is defined by Quebec law as being for stays of 31 days or fewer.

Since March 2023, the Quebec Tourist Accomodation Act allows people to do short term rentals in their principal residences. The principal residence is defined as the residence where the person normally lives and centralizes their family and social activities. It is the address that the person gives as their principal residence to Quebec government ministries and other organizations.

Any person wanting to do short-term rentals must apply for registration at the provincial Corporation de l’industrie touristique du Québec (CITQ).

In addition to the CITQ Registration, the town adopted Bylaw 599-4 adding the obligation  for people doing short-term rental to obtain a Certificate of Authorization from the town. You will be required to provide certain information, abide by certain conditions, and paying an annual fee.

Bylaw 599-4 was adopted by Council in March 2023. The validity of the bylaw was then challenged in Superior Court by a citizen of Brome Lake (Action 455-17-001532-233). The Town suspended application of 599-4 pending a judgment. In a judgment dated June 12, 2024, Justice Martin Bureau unambiguously upheld the validity of 599-4.

The town administration has begun the process of issuing Certificates of Authorization. All CITQ Registration holders in Brome Lake are being contacted and advised of their obligation to obtain the town’s Certificate of Authorization.

In the coming weeks, a registry of CITQ Registration holders will be publicly available on the Town's website.

With Bylaw 599-4, the Town will be able to better manage short-term rental in Brome Lake by acquiring information about owners who are renting, and educating owners and renters about best practices, notably concerning town bylaws for noise and nuisance.

Preventing Lyme Disease

We remind you of the importance of taking precautions to avoid tick bites, which can transmit Lyme disease. Here are a few tips to protect yourself and your loved ones:
 

• Stay on trails — avoid walking in tall grass and wooded areas where ticks are more prevalent.
• Wear appropriate clothing — dress long and in light colours
• Use a repellent — apply a repellent containing DEET or icaridin to skin and clothing
• Inspect yourself regularly — after a trip outdoors, check yourself and your pets thoroughly for ticks and remove them if necessary.
• Remove ticks safely — if you find a tick, use fine tweezers to gently remove it without crushing it.

If you are bitten, watch for symptoms such as redness around the bite, fever, headache or fatigue. Consult a healthcare professional if you experience these signs.
 

Let's stay vigilant and enjoy a safe summer!

Click here to learn more.

Click here to see the full calendar

In collaboration with the organization Conservation Lac Brome, we are measuring the lake's water quality this summer in order to get a complete the picture of the lake's health.
 

Sampling is taking place at several sites around the lake and at three different depths.
 

We are measuring the following parameters:

• phosphorus
• suspended solids
• chlorophyll
• oxygen
• water temperature and transparency

New Rain Garden at Douglass Beach

The Town has completed the installation of its rain garden at Douglass Beach. This vegetated infrastructure allows rainwater on the roof of the building to infiltrate, preventing it from running off onto the pathway and beach. This prevents sediment and other pollutants from being transported to the lake.

The plants, all indigenous, were selected for their tolerance to humidity. When it rains, the water accumulates in the basin until it is absorbed by the plants and infiltrated into the soil.

Here's how to create a rain garden 👇

1. Connect gutters to underground drains
2. Dig the garden according to the measurements calculated for the size of the roof
3. Add substrate for green infrastructure
4. Add a layer of ramial chipped wood (mulch)
5. Install river stone inlet and outlet (overflow)
6. Plant plants in the right area of the garden, according to their tolerance to humidity.

We take this opportunity to remind you that our support program is still in effect. Financial assistance of up to $1,000 is available.

Please consult our website for program details.

Our classic Beach Party will be back again this year!

On August 15, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., you are all invited to gather at Douglass Beach to have a great time with family or friends!

On the menu:

Activities during the afternoon
Hot dogs on the BBQ
Corn on the cob
Music
Bar
8 p.m. — Outdoor screening of Dune 2 *Presented by the Knowlton Film Festival

New Promotional Clothing Line!

Designed in partnership with the Kool Club illustrators' collective (Sarah Bean, Antoine Lapierre et Aicha Smaili-Carpentier), this new line of promotional items consisting of a t-shirt, crew neck, and two reusable bags, shows the many faces of Brome Lake.

Asked to capture what Brome Lake means to them, the artists chose ducks, paddleboards, antique shops and lakeside picnics to capture the authenticity and diversity of our region.

Produced in limited quantities, these items are available online at tourismelacbrome.square.site and can be picked up at our tourist office on weekends.

            Download our tourist app            

Once again this year, Festive Fridays will liven up summer evenings downtown! As usual, musical performances will take place in Coldbrook Park, and this year they'll be presented as of double features. Other new features include an ice cream vendor on site for those with a sweet tooth, and outdoor screenings of short films by the National Film Board of Canada.

Program:

July 26: Leadville Union and The Barnstormers

Submit your vote!

With the installation of the artworks now complete, it's time to head downtown and appreciate the work of the artists who participated in the project.

You can also submit your vote for your favorite chair at https://lacbrome.ca/en/contestmonsieurlachaise/.

Our community fridge is accessible from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the entrance of Centre Lac-Brome.

Foods accepted include fruits, vegetables, bread, and pastries.

You can take what you need for your personal consumption.

Interested in volunteering for this project?

Contact Claire Citeau at 450-242-2020 extension 306 or claire.citeau@lacbrome.ca.