Presqu'ile

A private island community
Français

About Presqu'ile

A Bit of Our History

sunset at Presqu'ile

The ‘island’ really wasn’t one until the early 1960s, when the Hydro Quebec dam at Carillon raised the water levels in the river to flood much of the shoreline on both banks.
Prior to that time, from its construction in the early 1930s, visitors drove to the Lodge across dry – or damp – ground.  As a result of the dam, the Lodge area, with its adjoining cottages, needed a causeway to provide access from the road.  In 1985 the island was extended eastward and the 20 units were constructed and sold as the Corporation came into existence. 

To the present we’ve managed ourselves, responding to challenges and opportunities of nature and government as best we’ve been able.  As of this writing, we’re financially solid, relatively homogeneous and sometimes downright self-congratulatory.  We now know something about the neighbourhood, a bit about how the river works, something about how to handle our trees and grass and we have ideas about improving water flow and some aspects of the units’ general construction.  Good on us!

About the Owners

Most units are owned by families, many couples in retirement, numbers using their places as bases while they travel.  Owners may rent their units and make them otherwise available to other folk as they choose, under corporation bylaws and general good conduct. 

How We Operate

All units are privately owned and the Corporation is financed primarily by monthly owner fees. 

The Corporation is self-regulating, with a 5-member elected Board made up of owners.  Board members serve for a period of 3 years, with a renewable 3-year term, if they wish. 

The Board handles all matters of the Corporation, with the assistance of a part-time Manager.  The island Caretaker oversees water matters, the grounds and roads and general seasonal tasks

Volunteers help with our gardens, the courts and docks, social events and some of the oversight of the Lodge.

We come together in the spring and fall in a General Meeting where matters of budget, governance and legal matters, new projects and major renovations are brought forward by the Board for discussion, voting and action.  We enjoy a healthy reserve fund under a 30-year plan that includes the maintenance of the Lodge, the common elements of the units themselves, and the care and preservation of the island’s trees, lands and shoreline.

Amenities

We supervise and operate our own water treatment plant and sewage facility, using licensed personnel.  Water is drawn from deep in the centre of the river to the plant, where it is monitored daily. All island facilities have safe drinking water at all times of the year.  (*In the event of a disruption of service, the Caretaker notifies all units immediately and then posts the all-clear as soon as it is remedied and the test results from the Ottawa lab have been received.)

Similarly, our sewage treatment takes place off the island, in the large plant on shore.  It too is monitored and regulated, assuring that we maintain correct procedures for treatment and re-assimilation of clean water back into the river.

The Lodge is a large log building, architecturally similar to Chateau Montebello across the river, made of local red pine and completed in the early 1930s.  It has four large bedrooms with fireplaces, a large kitchen, with two pantries and fridges, and the Great Hall which can accommodate settings of up to sixty people at a meal and 150 for stand-up events.  The Great Hall measures some forty feet in height, with over 2,000 square feet of floor space.  It has a large front porch overlooking the lawn and river. It is used by residents and their guests for weddings, meetings and large parties and is available for owners and friends at any time from May through September.

Communications

Landline, satellite access for television , cell phone and high speed internet are all excellent

Presqu’ile in the Community

We maintain good relations with neighbours in matters of the environment, lands and water, shared amenities and the ongoing work of the region.  We share gardening with folks around us, exchanging plants, information and help.  Members are active in local nature groups and community service.  Our water treatment meets and exceeds provincial requirements.  Our sewage discharge is cleaner water than we draw from what is a relatively clear and healthy river.

We regard the Lodge, constructed in the early ‘30s, as a historical building and we work to preserve its authenticity and charm, even as we update its services to accommodate owners’ guests in its bedrooms and at meals and entertainment in the Great Hall.  We host local events and the spacious kitchen permits for catering of large events.  In summer we use the porch, lawn and gardens, sometimes with tents, to augment the Great Hall and the other Lodge facilities.

Dogs and other pets are a welcome part of island life.  They remain good citizens by being on leash on the island. Owners are responsible for their behaviour and poop.