Sale of Watopeka camp: a project strongly denounced by the citizens

The potential sale of Camping Watopeka in Windsor in the Eastern Townships to special interests raises strong opposition among the venue’s regulars, who fear losing access to this public space.

The promoters would like to acquire about twenty acres of land in the park to develop an expansive campground.

Many of the citizens who used to frequent the place, however, are not in favor of this $3 million project.

These lands are coveted by the owners of Hatley Camp. They want to set up a camp there with hundreds of pitches, and build dozens of chalets there.

Except that since 2010 the municipality has been running the small camp site on the banks of the Watopeka River. Over time, residents have developed an attachment to this public space, which is frequented in winter and summer.

Part of the cycle path would have to be moved if the campsite passed into the hands of private developers, and part of the riverbanks would no longer be accessible to residents, as the citizens vehemently denounced.

If elected officials rejected from the outset the possibility of holding a referendum on the matter, the project is still in its infancy.

Wishing to be reassured, Mayor Sylvie’s office also indicated that the paths to the Parc historique de la Poudrière would not be affected by the project. Wetlands and river strips will also be protected.

After Domtar ceded the land for recreational purposes to the city in the 1950s, the paper mill still held easements there.