MRC Val-Saint

An Informational newsletter produced by the “Municipalité Régionale du Comté
du Val-Saint-François” and the “Société de gestion des matières résiduelles du Val-Saint-François”
Thank you to all the farmers in the MRC
that answered the survey.
Municipalité Régionale de Comté
Volume
15
N u m b e r
April 2014
1
IN THIS ISSUE :
The PDZA Survey . . . . . . . . . . . .
Page 1
The Val-Saint-François
Land Bank Project . . . . . . . . . . . .
Page 2
If you have a well,
you must read this! . . . . . . . . . . .
Page 2
Composting at home is not
that complicated! . . . . . . . . . . . .
Page 3
Cotton Diapers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Page 3
Domestic Composting . . . . . . . . .
Page 4
HHW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Page 5
Fire Safety and Moving. . . . . . . .
Page 6
Shredding Operation . . . . . . . . .
Page 6
Working in Lakes, Rivers,
& Streams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Page 7
Pilot Project for Recycling
Farm Plastic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Page 7
Regional Eco-centre . . . . . . . . . .
Page 8
Occasional Eco-centre . . . . . . . .
Page 8
You may download “Facteur Vert” from
the RCM Internet Site from our archive
section at :
www.val-saint-francois.qc.ca
The MRC du Val-Saint-François
would like to thank the many farmers that answered the survey on the
Agricultural Development Plan
(PDZA). Thank you for taking the
time necessary to share your reality
and your preoccupations. The
results of the survey will be used to
prepare a plan to help develop
agriculture in the MRC. Watch the
local newspapers, the Solidarité
agricole de l’UPA Estrie and
municipal bulletins to follow the
advancement of our work.
Visit the MRC website
Section PDZA
Visit the MRC website at www.valsaint-francois.qc.ca to learn more
about the goals of the PDZA,
updates on the advancement of our
work and to consult the first statistics
on the importance of farming in the
Val-Saint-François.
Survey on Rural Living.
If you live in the country in the ValSaint-François, and you are preoccupied by the quality of life in your
rural area, answer the survey to this
effect on our website. Results of the
survey will allow us to learn more
about the issues of cohabitation in
rural areas.
The PDZA du Val-Saint-François is
possible thanks to the participation
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Let’s work together
of the ministère de l’Agriculture, des
Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du
Québec, Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada, l’UPA-Estrie and
l’UPA du Val-Saint-François and the
UPA of Sherbrooke.
Let’s Continue to work together to
develop farming in the Val-SaintFrançois!
Karine Bonneville
Development and Urbanisme
The green chronicle
1
Linking Farmland with Farmers
Replacement is taking root in the
Val-Saint-François!
It is with great enthusiasm that the ValSaint-François Land Bank Project
announces the imminent signing of two
unrelated transfer agreements in the
MRC. At the present time, 30 agricultural
replacements are registered, including
19 farmers and 20 landowners in an
agricultural zone. Several other twinning
meetings are scheduled for the upcoming
weeks. With such a high participation
rate the future certainly looks promising
for the first year of implementation of this
service in the MRC.
Put an end to your concerns!
Gradual transfer of your business to a
non-related
replacement
raises
legitimate concerns; such as having to
stop working on the farm or having to
possibly move. Thinking that you will
have to lower the sale price of your
farm in order to allow a younger
replacement get started, is also a factor
of concern. Let’s look at the situation
in a different light! The next generation
may not have impressive start up sums,
but there are a multitude of other
possibilities by having access to land
they can promote farmers financially.
They are also sensitive to the needs of
most farmers who want to remain on
the farm and continue working for a
number of years. The services offered
by the Land Bank Project take into
account the diverse needs of both sides
and conclude agreements where each
party gets the maximum benefit and
satisfaction.
A tailor-made assistance service!
The Land Bank Project offers a tailormade assistance service allowing
agricultural landowners and farmers
without successors to be put in touch
with qualified farm replacements. It
allows farmers with no one to replace
them to find the ideal replacement,
someone that will be compatible with
them and their long-term vision. It also
allows owners with unused land to
lease or lend their land to future
farmers, which allows the next
generation to get started. The Land
Bank service greatly contributes to the
establishment of young farmers in the
region by making accessible
agricultural lands which are not
usually on the market and by
facilitating meetings between owners
and future farmers.
Mélissa Nadeau
Agriculture Project Leader
MRC du Val-Saint-François
agriculture@val-saint-françois.com
819 845-3769 extension 229
If you have a well… You must read this!
The regulation
on
removal
and protection
of
water
replaces the
old regulation:
abstraction of
groundwater.
The essence of
this regulation
remains the same, which is to prevent
the contamination of an important
resource in Quebec: Water! However some clauses will change the
standards for private wells.
2
Wells must now be accessible
and visible. If it is buried it must be
dug up!
• Each well casing must exceed
ground level by at least thirty (30)
centimetres and be accessible for
inspection purposes.
• The soil must be designed to prevent
the accumulation of stagnant water
for 1 metre around the well.
ALL wells must comply with this new
requirement, without exception!
Take advantage of the summer season
to make your changes.
The g r een ch ro n i cl e
Well
Ground level
Ground level
For more information on this new
clause or on your geothermal system,
please contact your municipality.
Maxime Turcotte
Planning advisor
Recycle
Composting at home is not that complicated!
Over the last
10 years, in the
MRC du Val-SaintFrançois, many
citizens have chosen to produce
their own compost at home.
Close to 1000
composters have
been purchased
through us, and
that is not counting the homemade composters some citizens have made themselves. The recipe to
success is simple, here are a few guidelines to help you get started on your own
compost this Spring!
First step: Carefully choose your composter.
You can visit the Eco-centre in the Canton
de Melbourne and watch the demonstration on domestic composting.
1. Choose a location that is easy to
access, well ventilated and ideally partially shaded.
2. Remove the grass, and install your composter.
3. Place a few small branches in the bottom to avoid an accumulation of water
in the beginning.
4. Deposit your waste in altering layers:
(1/3) green (wet) material and (2/3)
brown (dry) material.
A chef’s recipe:
Green matter contains a lot of nitrogen
and is more humid, while brown matter is
composed of carbon and is dry. The 1/3 :
2/3 balance is very important, because
this is what ensures success. Any other
combination can cause odors and
unwanted insects. So remember, two times
more brown material than green.
Green matter:
Fruits and vegetables (cooked, raw, whole
cut, peels, pieces ), leftover meals, (with
certain restrictions which you can find
below in « Materials to avoid », garden
residues, weeding, grass (if already dry),
egg shells, plant stems, coffee, tea, herbal
teas etc.
Brown matter:
Dead leaves (which are very dry), straw,
garden plants, shredded paper, sawdust
and shavings, wood, old compost, pasta,
bread, cereals, rice, chipped branches,
paper towels, animal hair, and old wool
socks beyond repair etc.
Materials to avoid:
Bones, meat, fish, milk products, oil and
lard (these items can cause odors and
bring undesired visitors), weeds that have
gone to seed, tampons, swabs, waxed
cardboard, plastic, and leaves from walnuts, oak trees and rhubarb, etc.
Very important:
• Keep your pile damp, but not soaked.
Imagine a sponge that has been wet
and then wrung out, that is the ideal
humidity level! If your pile is too dry,
you can add a little water from your
rain barrel.
• Regularly aerate your compost once a
month. If the pile is too wet and aerated
too often you will slow down the compost process.
• If possible cut your material into small
pieces, they will decompose more
quickly and don’t forget to alternate
between brown and green materials.
For more information and to get your composter at a discount, see the promotion on
our information sessions in this copy of
Facteur Vert.
Where to find more information:
www.recyc-quebec.gouv.qc.ca
www.novaenvirocom.ca
www.compost.org
Cotton Diaper Program, new or used
The MRC has reviewed its Cotton Diaper Program and as of April 1st 2015 they
will allow subsidies for the purchase of
used diapers and modulate how the
grants are allocated.
New parents, who opt for this type of
diaper, will get a maximum subsidy of
50% of the purchase price, to a maximum of $100 on the purchase of a set
of 20 (minimum) new diapers, regardless of the brand.
As for the allocation of a grant for used
diapers, the MRC du Val-Saint-François
will reimburse a maximum subsidy of
Recycle
50% of the purchase cost for a maximum of $50 for a set of 20 (minimum)
used diapers.
The 2015 subsidy is available to all
children residing in MRC du Val-SaintFrançois. To qualify, parents have to
present their invoice for 20 cotton diapers, proof of birth and residency of the
child concerned, and sign a contract
stating their commitment to using cotton
diapers. As for the used diapers a
signed affidavit will be required.
In addition to the benefits related to the
reduction in landfills, these diapers also
save our natural resources, your
money, and your little one’s bottom.
For any questions or to benefit from
the subsidy, contact the
MRC du Val-Saint-François at
(819) 826-6505 extension 21
or by e-mail at
mrc@val-saint-francois.qc.ca.
Thanks to all the participants!
Ann Bouchard
Project and Environment Manager
T he g r e e n c hr o nic le
3
2015
Home Composting
in the Val-Saint-François
The MRC offers you :
For more information :
Visit the MRC website at:
www.val-saint-francois.qc.ca
A compost bin
at reduce price !
g
A course on compostinment!
environ
Make a bold move for the
on session
ati
orm
inf
an
Take part in
on composting
:00am
May 23rd 2015 at 10
s
ur
se
tis
Salle Les Bâ
e
ok
St
15 at 10:00am
20
h
June 6t
Community Centre
Melbourne
:00am
June 13th 2015 at 10
re
nt
Ce
ity
Commun
e
cin
Ra
Hurry, because only the first 150 people registered will be able to get a
compost bin at the reduced price of $35.00 instead of $53.50.
First Come, First Serve
(You must register to be eligible for a bin at the reduced price)
Time limit for reservations:
minimum 10 days before the information
session in your area.
If you are a citizen of the MRC du Val-Saint-François, you
are admissible for the information session on Home
Composting.
Reservations are mandatory, and quantities are limited to
one bin per residence.
We hope to see
many of you !
It’s free
l w ay o f r e
cy
cl
in
g
e
Th
tura
na
For more information and to reserve your compost bin,
contact the MRC at 819 826-6505 extension 21.
Municipalité Régionale de Comté
This training lasts one hour and is mandatory.
With a minimum of knowledge, you can make your
own compost and benefit from the many advantages
of this practice.
The HHW Collection
What can we do ?
Read the label before buying a product to
be shure that it’s really what you need.
What products can you bring in ?
Here is a list of products that can be brought in
on the collection day :
Only buy the amount required.
Read the instructions for use and disposal
of the product.
Use non-toxic substitutes available in stores or
that can be made at home.
For safe transportation
of products
Be sure that the containers are tightly closed
Label any products not in their packaging
:
llected
Alsothecs,ocomputers,
,
clo
ses, CD
eyeglas ords
c
re
l
viny
Place smaller containers in a box
Transport products in the trunk of your
vehicle
Go DIRECTLY to the drop off location
Do not mix any products
Avoid putting produtc in containers other than
their originalsa
Household products
Workshop products
Miscellaneous
Ammonia
Aerosol cans
Floor wax
Fondue fuel
Floor stripper
Drain cleaner
Spot remover
Lotion and perfume
Household cleaners
Oven cleaner
Small batteries
Furniture polish
Fingernail polish and
polish
remover
Antifreeze
Used oil
Car batteries
Kerosene
Glue
Glass cleaner
Car wax and polish
Brush cleaner
Paint remover
Alkyd paint
Paint solvent
Latex paint
Gasoline
Varnish
Pool chemicals
Shoes polish
Propane tanks
Photo development
Moth balls
Chemicals
Mosquito repellant
Battery
Compact fluorescent
Bulbs
Garden products
Chemical fertilizer
Grass killer
Fungicide
Herbicide
Pesticide and
insecticide
Rat poison
www.val-saint-francois.qc.ca
4
The green chronicle
Recycle
What is a hazardous product ?
Generally, a hazardous product has the following properties :
HHW
Corrosive a product which eats into and burns
material and skin. (ex. : battery acid)
Flammable a product which catches fire easily and
burns quickly. (ex. : turpentine)
Toxic
a product which acts a poison to living
beings. (ex. : pesticides)
Explosive a product which causes an explosion or
release of noxious gases. (ex. : aerosol can)
Take advantage of the Household Hazardous
Waste (H.H.W.) collection day organized by
your municipality. You can get rid of all household chemical products that you no longer need,
and do so in an environmentally friendly way.
Carelessness now may mean
serious consequences later
Whenever toxic spills are reported in the news,
the public outcry is deafening. So where is the
outrage when solvents are poured down the
drain, or old paint cans are thrown out? Even
though these habits both pose a threat to our
environment NO ONE SEEMS TO CARE…
Only household
Quantities will be
accepted
Many products found in our homes have these properties! They’re found in
our kitchens, bathrooms, workshops and garages. If we are going to use
these products in our homes, it is imperative that we learn how to dispose
of them safely.
The collection of household hazardous waste 2015
Where
When
Valcourt ville - Bonsecours
Lawrenceville - Maricourt
Ste-Anne-de-la-Rochelle
Racine - Valcourt canton
Saturday May 9th 2015 from
9 am at 3 pm
Parking lot at the Arena
in Valcourt
1111, Cyprès Boulevard
Windsor - St-Claude
St-Denis-de-Brompton
St-François-Xavier-deBrompton
Saturday May 16th 2015 from
9 am at 3 pm
To the Regional Eco-Centre at the
entrance of the Waste site
666, Keenan Road,
Melbourne Canton
Stoke - Val Joli
Richmond - Cleveland
Kingsbury
Melbourne canton
Ulverton
Saturday May 23rd 2015 from
9 am at 3 pm
Parking lot at the Community Centre
in Richmond
820, Gouin Street
Trained professionnals will be on hand to look after
your Household Hazardous Waste
For more informations :
www.val-saint-francois.qc.ca
SGMR
In collaboration with :
Société de Gestion des Matières
Résiduelles du Val-Saint-François
810, Montée du Parc Street, C.P. 3160
Richmond (Québec) J0B 2H0
Phone : (819) 826-6505
Fax : (819) 826-3484
sgmr@val-saint-francois.qc.ca
Recycle
Caisse du Centre
du Val-St-François
Th e gr een c h r on icle
5
Fire Safety and Moving
Most people move at least once in their
lifetime, and when you move it is important to think about fire safety. Once in
your new home you should make sure it
is well protected against fire.
Verify the smoke detectors
• Verify the fabrication date on the
detector. If it’s over 10 years old,
replace it or have the homeowner
replace it if you are renting.
• Put a new battery in each detector as
soon as you arrive (except for lithium
detectors).
• Make sure there is a detector on each
storey and in the hall near the bedrooms.
• Learn how to use it.
Have an evacuation plan
• Have an evacuation plan and a fire
drill with all the members of your family to try it out.
• Choose a spot where your family
would gather outside in case of fire.
Somewhere in front of the house near
the entry is preferable.
• Foresee how you will evacuate your
children, and any elderly or handicapped members of your family.
• Read the evacuation plan if renting
and locate the emergency exits.
Verify the carbon monoxide detector (CO)
• Install a carbon monoxide detector on
each storey if you own an oil stove or
furnace, wood stove, fireplace, a
device that runs on kerosene, oil, gas
or propane and if you store tools with
a combustion motor.
• Follow the manufacturer instructions
when installing your detector. The
audible alarm can be installed at any
height on the wall since CO spreads
evenly in the atmosphere.
Verify the heating appliances and
the electricity
• Have the chimney and heating
sources inspected as soon as you
arrive in your new home.
• Have the chimney swept on your
arrival, don’t wait for the Fall, because
the warm summer air combined with
creosote deposits causes corrosion of
the steel parts of the chimney and can
cause the chimney to block.
• Pile your wood away from the house
and only bring small quantities inside at
a time. Large quantities of wood inside
are dangerous if you do have a fire.
Also too much wood inside causes
moisture and often brings in vermin.
• Have an electrician verify your electric
panel.
Verify the portable extinguisher
• Choose a portable fire extinguisher
with versatile powder of type A, B and
C and a minimum of about 2 kg (5 lb.).
• Install in a visible place near an exit.
• Have it checked by a known company
that specializes in fire extinguishers,
ideally every 6 years.
Be careful with storage
• Do not put or use your BBQ on the balcony or under a window. Even when
closed, propane fumes can leak and
seep through the window representing
a significant risk to your family.
• Store hazardous products such as
propane, gasoline, paint thinner and
Test your smoke detectors by exposing
smoke from a candle you have lit and
then extinguished. If the detector doesn’t
work replace it or have the homeowner
replace it if you are renting.
New Project in 2015
Confidential Document Shredding Operation
Fraud Prevention – Shredding day, May 23rd
2015 in Richmond
Provincial Police – MRC Val-Saint-François
The destruction of personal information is
a key element to prevent identity theft. To
raise citizen’s awareness, and to promote
prevention, there will be a community
shredding day coming up where residents
of the MRC are encouraged to destroy
their confidential documents for free.
Police officers of the Provincial Police in the
MRC du Val-Saint-François, in collabora6
tion with the MRC du Val-Saint-François,
invite citizens to attend the shredding event
that will take place at the same location at
the Household Hazardous Waste event in
Richmond on the 23rd of May 2015.
From 9am to 3pm, citizens are invited to
the above mentioned location to drop off
their confidential documents which will later
be shredded in Sherbrooke. Your documents will be sent to Sherbrooke with a
police escort. This is a safe way to dispose
of documents containing personal informa-
T he green chronicle
pool maintenance products in their
original container, in a dry, well-ventilated area out of the reach of children.
• Do not store things too closely
together. A few drops of motor oil on
chlorine can cause a dramatic chemical reaction.
• Do not store more than 5 litres of flammable products inside your home and
not more than 30 litres in the garage
or shed
• Carefully read the labels.
Avoid stacking boxes and other objects
in the halls or on balconies and terraces
or outside under windows and along the
house inside a temporary automobile
shelter. These items can hinder or even
prevent an evacuation. Rent a storage
space designed for this purpose instead.
Piles of boxes can also attract arsonists.
If you move to a wooded area
• Make sure the opening of your chimney is covered with a special top to
prevent sparks from flying everywhere.
• Place the propane tank at a minimum
of ten metres from the house.
• Remove flammable vegetation from
ten metres around the house.
• Install a garden house long enough to
go all around the house, and keep
shovels, rakes and buckets on hand.
Get a set of sprinklers for the roof and
a ladder to get there.
When you move to a new municipality,
find out what their by-laws are on outdoor fires.
Fire Safety
MRC du Val-Saint-François
tion, such as banking or credit card statements or your tax returns of more than three
years (for an individual). By participating
you will prevent fraud by malicious people.
To take advantage of this free service, simply go to the Community Centre parking
lot in Richmond on the 23rd of May
between 9am and 3pm. You must have
proof of residency. A maximum of three (3)
standard boxes per person will be
accepted.
This event is for citizens of the MRC du ValSaint-François only.
Richmond Community Centre, Saturday
May 23rd 2015 from 9am to 3pm
Recycle
Working in lakes, rivers and streams
Before starting any work in a lake,
river or stream, get informed!
• Exit drain, regular drain, ditch
exit, etc.
Please note that any work in near or
around a lake, river or stream is
prohibited unless you have been previously authorized. Authorization is
required to dig (deviation, modification, canalization, creation, etc.) near
water.
Banks and shores: (*land that borders
water and spreads inland with an
area of 10 to 15 metres from the
water line). The following interventions
also require a municipal permit. :
A municipal permit is necessary to
construct/modify a waterway:
• Bridge, culvert, fording ;
• Cutting down one tree, deforestation;
• Filling in, (excavation, stabilisation,
etc);
All landowners, with lakes, rivers or
streams on their property, are obligated to remove any material that
may affect its flow such as:
• unstable banks;
• waste, branches, and other
nuisances;
• ensure that bridges and culverts
are of adequate size and that they
are not blocked and that they
are stable;
• Creating an access to a lake, river
or stream.
• Building a balcony, porch, or modifying a building, etc.
*** Please note that it is prohibited to
mow grass on water banks ;
*** In farm areas, it is permitted to
hay, but ploughing is prohibited
with a protective 3 meter section.
TO AVOID ANY
INCONVIENENCES
ASK YOUR MUNICIPALITY
Maxime Turcotte
Planning advisor
Farm plastic, Canton de Melbourne takes the lead!
• Store in a clean, dry place sheltered
from bad weather (snow, rain, ice).
• Pick up at the farm will be once a
month (dates to be determined).
• Someone must be available to help
place the plastic in the truck.
Last January Canton de Melbourne
started a new program. A pilot project to recycle farm plastic directly at
your farm, for all farmers in the Canton de Melbourne! This innovative initiative perfectly complements our
regional service of permanent dropoff at the Eco-Centre, which will be
available again starting April 29th to
all farmers who use plastic and are
concerned about their environment
Here is the simple procedure that the
Canton de Melbourne has recently
introduced to farmers in their municipality to encourage them to participate in the new project.
PILOT PROJECT IN THE CANTON
DE MELBOURNE
For the year 2015, Canton de Melbourne, in collaboration with the
Société de Gestion des Matières
Résiduelles du Val-Saint-François
(SGMR), invites all farmers to recycle
their farm plastic.
Recycle
Accepted
(3/4)
PROCEDURE TO FOLLOW :
• Only plastic from hay bales will be
accepted.
• The plastic must be free of all contaminants (earth, manure, twine,
debris, bags, rocks, etc.) only 3% of
dirt is tolerated.
• Use the method ¼ - ¾ e.g. use a
knife to cut the bottom ¼ that
touches the ground and recycle the
¾ upper portion that is clean and in
good condition (rolled if possible or
folded or as you are able).
Refused
(1/4)
It is very important to follow these
instructions otherwise the whole
cargo could be refused.
RESOURCE PEOPLE
Cindy Jones, Canton de Melbourne :
819-826-3555
Martin Lemieux, SGMR du Val-SaintFrançois : 819-826-6505 (23)
The green chronicle
7
REGIONAL ECO-CENTRE du
5
5
Open from April 29th to late November
BACK IN
2015
5
April 18th, May 2nd, May 16th,
May 30th, June 20th, July 11th,
August 1st, August 29th
September 19th, October 3rd
and October 24th
Manon Fortin, Martin Lemieux, Karine Bonneville,
Maxime Turcotte, Mélissa Nadeau, Sûreté du Québec
Nancy Atkinson (translation)
8
T he green chronicle
Recycle