The Secret Nature of Lake Saint-Louis

I am now a man in my mid 80’s. I remember, as a pre-teen, in the early 1950’s, enjoying the summers at our cottage, with its natural well water, and rocky beach. From early Spring to late Autumn my family lived on a broad 3 1/2  mile widening of the St Lawrence River, called Lac Saint-Louis, about 20 miles south of Montreal. 

It is a beautiful lake. You can watch the sunset in the evenings, watch the rain pelt across it on stormy days, and of course, swim in it and boat on it. Lake Saint-Louis, despite its peaceful beauty, is large enough to have sudden, violent large storms with choppy water and large white-capped waves. The wind and rain storms come up suddenly and violently.

Every year on the first days of spring, when the icy cold waters are fed by the northern rivers, and the sun glows warmly off the quiet inviting lake, the lake shows its dark and dangerous side. Our side of the lake was safe, as its older residence knew the secret of Lake Saint-Louis. 

But across the lake in Pointe-Clair, where new residences were built beside inviting sailboat and canoeing clubs, every year an untrained new sailor would sail a sailboat or paddle a canoe onto beautiful Lake Saint-Louis and lose his life to its harsher and unexpected violence.

Lake Saint-Louis was unforgiving. The beautiful Lake almost caught me twice.