West Quebec mayors accept plan to block entry to popular mine

The mayors of MRC de Papineau unanimously accepted a recommendation from Quebec's Ministry of Natural Resources Wednesday to put up barriers to permanently secure a former mine that had become popular with weekend adventurers.

PauletteLalande, the prefectof the MRC dePapineau, told Radio-Canada that barriers anchored in the ground will be placed at the entrance of the old quartz mine so that no one can get there.

Trenches will also be dug on the road leading to the mine to prevent vehicles from passing.

TheWallingford-BackMine, located approximately 60 kilometres northeast of Ottawa, has become a popular destination for paddlers, ice skaters, photographers and other explorers who are drawn to its turquoisewaterand imposing rock pillars.

"Those who want to go to the mine will be able to go to the barriers, but they will not be able to go beyond that,"Lalande said Wednesday.

"At the beginning, we were talking about dynamiting the mine, it's out of the question."

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Last fall, the province told the regional municipality, which includes the municipality of Mulgrave-et-Derrywhere the formermine is located, to either block the mine totrespassers or destroy it.

Nearby residents have complained about the traffic, noise, litter and other nuisancesgenerated by the steady stream of visitors who travel the winding private road to see the mine.

The municipality asked the province to come up with a plan, which Quebec's Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources presented at a council of mayors meeting Wednesday night.

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Papineau MP Alexandre Irac said in a statement Wednesday he was "satisfied" with the choice of the mayors.

The ministry plans to present the public with the details of its plan to permanently secure the former mine on Thursday morning.

Mine shuttered since 1970s

Closed since the 1970s, the Wallingford-Back mine was onceone of the largest producers of quartz, mica and feldspar in Canada.

Residents say previous attempts to block access to the mine have failed.

Supporters of the mine have lauded the site for its natural beauty, its importance to Quebec's mining historyand its potential as a carefully developed tourist site.