Normal winter conditions spell relief for locals

BY ANDY BLATCHFORD

andy.blatchford@transcontinental.ca

Mid-January is upon the Montreal region and cold winter temperatures are only starting to blow in.

For Ronald Lauzon and his legion of ice-fishing faithful, the frigid weather can’t come soon enough.

Through Januarys of the last decade, the Notre Dame de l’Ile Perrot resident has looked out his front door to a seasonal

village on the ice, often counting more than 100 shacks.

He runs an ice-fishing outfitting business that attracts a range of clientele, from seasoned enthusiasts to elementary-school children. But this winter, waters off the southern shore of Ile Perrot only began to freeze last Thursday.

Still, if Old Man Winter produces 10 inches of ice, Lauzon will pull his shacks on to the frozen lake this weekend.

“I hope so, because it’s not funny,� he said of this year’s mild weather. “This is the first time we’ve seen temperatures like this.�

Lauzon said he spent nearly $5,000 on insurance for his ice cabins, tractor and truck to prepare for the season. “This fall I spent a lot and I have yet to take in any revenue,� he told The Chronicle.

But the former owner of a hunting-and-fishing equipment store remains positive and is excited about this year’s fishing prospects. He said water levels are high, so fishing holes should be productive.

With the recent cold weather, Lauzon hopes his popular walleye tournaments in February will go ahead without any snags.

“In the past, some people have caught 10-, 12-pounders, but first we need ice,� he said.

In Pierrefonds, adequate conditions for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing only appeared for one weekend at Cap St. Jacques Nature Park this winter.

Trails were open for the last weekend of 2006, but the park’s grass has been green ever since — at least until Monday’s snowfall, which should help the park open its network.

“It’s very unique,� the park’s chief animator, Alain Diechtl, said about the lack of snow. “Last year was bad, but this year it’s non-existent.�

With little snow, the park, which can welcome thousands of visitors on a busy winter weekend, has been nearly silent. This season, Cap St. Jacques has seen fewer than 30 people on most days, Diechtl said.

About 150 pairs of rental skis sit unused.

“In a good weekend (the skis) would be rented within about an hour and a half,� he said.

Environment Canada meteorologist André Cantin predicts average and below normal temperatures to fall over the region in coming weeks.

He said September’s El Niño weather system in the Pacific Ocean contributed to Canada’s warm start to winter.

Still, even by the fall, the planet was already experiencing one of its hottest years on record, he said.

“(El Niño) might explain the mild temperatures in December and the start of January, but it doesn’t explain that 2006 was very warm globally,� he said, adding 1998 was the world’s hottest year recorded.

From year to year, natural temperature fluctuations of three to four degrees above and below average are expected, Cantin said. Due to the annual variations, it’s difficult for experts to determine if this winter’s balmy weather is related to global warming, he added.

“We can’t say this based on one year,� he said. “We have to look at tendencies over long periods of 25, 50 and 100 years.�

For more information about Centre de Pêche Ronald Lauzon Anse Au Sable, call 514-453-9793 or 514-945-7160 or visit www.peche-anse-au-sable.com.">www.peche-anse-au-sable.com.">www.peche-anse-au-sable.com.

For more information about Cap St. Jacques, call 514-280-6871.