Lac des Becs-scie is completely surrounded by privately owned properties. There are no navigable connections from any other bodies of water and no public boat launch access, therefore boating privileges are restricted to residents with legal access to the lake.
Our lake is home to numerous watercraft of all types, both motorized and non-motorized, and our Association’s objective has always been to ensure a safe and peaceful co-existence for all lake users.
While hundreds of lakes throughout Quebec are specifically named in federal boating restrictions regarding motor boats and water skiing, Lac des Becs-Scie is not one of them.
In the absence of a legislated solution, the Lac des Becs-scie Nautical Association has appointed itself the local boating authority, and has issued a voluntary code of conduct which all motorized vessel operators must agree to abide by. Infractions to the code of conduct are to be reported directly to the Nautical Association which self-polices its members (with the assistance of the SQ if required). Our latest copy of their code is posted here for your convenience. Please contact the Nautical Association directly for any questions about it, at: reg.groome@live.ca
From 2003 to 2009 our Association worked tirelessly to implement a plan for the sharing of the lake that would prioritize safety, respect, and environmental protection…first through discussion and negotiation, then mediation, and then a request for formal legal intervention from the City of Saint-Sauveur and the Federal government’s Office of Boating Safety. Unfortunately, our efforts ended in a stalemate each time due to the lobbying of the lake’s Nautical Association. You can consult the history of these efforts, along with the full report of the Office of Boating Safety here.