Mulgrave-et-Derry campground alarms residents

Abigail Chénier, special to the West Quebec Post

Lalièvre Nature, a branch of Terrains Lalièvre, opened their inaugural rustic camping sites earlier this year in Duhamel and Mulgrave-et-Derry, two communities in the MRC de Papineau. 

“We couldn’t refuse it,” says André Harvey, mayor of Mulgrave-et-Derry.. “[The campground] was authorized under the territorial zoning, as it’s a ‘recreational tourism’ area.” Harvey also indicated that this project fit under a larger vision for the area, one that was in place long before he entered office in September of last year. The question wasn’t if the campground should exist, he said, but what rules should be put in place to protect the area, as there were no municipal regulations for campgrounds before this.

With approximately a dozen out of 22 possible sites open on Lac-la-Blanche, Mulgrave-et-Derry, Lalièvre real estate director Pierre-Marc Beaulieu stated that they were “very proud” of what they accomplished this year, despite concerns expressed by residents throughout the season.

Although many residents say they don’t have any issues with a campground in theory, they are worried about the consequences it could have if not done properly and safely. “My concerns are not about the existence of the campground itself, but about how it is being operated,” says Misha Kropp, who lives on the Lac-la-Blanche waterway. “Public safety, environmental protection, traffic, waste management, and respecting the Municipality's own planning documents should all be priorities.”

“It’s such a volatile area,” says Mulgrave resident Stephen Berndt. “Human activity could devastate the lake.” Berndt, having worked for the Ministry of Natural Resources as a park warden for over 10 years, points out that it’s not only pollution that has to be worried about, but also cross-contaminants from other lakes. “It’s avoidable in a small, contained lake.” He also points out that the campground is located in a pine forest, where fires could easily get out of control. Not only would these incidents affect the flora of the area, but the fauna as well. There have been increased bear sightings in the area, and it has been claimed that quantities of fish have decreased since last year, but whether that relates directly to the campground is unknown. As Berndt points out, many simply buy a tent and camp, without realizing the specific needs and characteristics of the area in which they are planning on staying. It’s crucial, he says, to have education, enforcement, and security for projects like this to work.

This, however, is exactly what Lalièvre and the municipality seem to have in mind. With an extensive list of rules on Lalièvre’s website and special directives during wildfire seasons, both of which were tested and worked on throughout the summer, Beaulieu says in a statement for Lalièvre that their primary goal is to “give back access to the territory in a safe way.” So far, both he and Harvey seem to think that this is exactly what has been done.

Even though many of the hiccups have been resolved, such as the issue of uncollected garbage that arose in late July, residents still aren’t completely at ease with the idea. There are worries surrounding unsafe parking on the 315, which some speculate could one day leave someone seriously injured. Furthermore, many claim the undertaking of this project lacked a certain level of transparency. Despite having been in the works, at both the corporate and municipal levels, since the early months of 2026, residents were informed only a week before the site’s opening on June 19, many by a panel posted outside the campground on Route 315. Many residents felt it came out of nowhere. According to Sandra Miller, the project was raised at a citizen’s meeting on June 13, where Harvey indicated it was “almost a done deal.” Miller, who says she’s all for the campground and giving families the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors safely, agrees that communication could have been better handled, suggesting that there could have been a townhall meeting. “It is a small municipality [...] and most people just want to be informed and their voices heard,” she says. When asked if he would consider holding such a meeting before the municipality renews Lalièvre’s permit for next year, he indicated that there was no need. Both he and Beaulieu wanted to stress to concerned residents that if there were any serious issues, to submit formal complaints to either the municipality or Lalièvre directly, and they would do their best to resolve it in a timely fashion.

For anyone interested in staying at one of these sights, they will be open until halfway through October. Beaulieu is confident they will reopen next year for the summer of 2027.