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The Lake Mempremagog Monster is Dead

by Scott Wheeler

Much has been written in the last several months about a mythical lake creature named Memphre' that is said to lurk in the depths of Lake Memphremagog, but please bear with me and allow me to share my thoughts. First of all, anybody who knows me knows that I believe Memphre' is little more than a concoction of an over active imagination. No pictures of the lake creature that is said to lurk in Lake Memphremagog has ever been taken, although some people point to pictures of waves most likely generated by a boat as evidence of the creature's existence – a creature that is said to look like a huge dinosaur.
Yet, this is a free country. We have the right to believe what we want.. Quite honestly I'd love to have somebody show me "true evidence" that a creature larger than a swimming moose does exist in the lake. I consider myself to be a person who tries to get down to the bottom of an issue. But how do you get to the bottom of a story about a creature that leaves no evidence. Is the lake creature one of a kind? If so, it must be millions of years old. That seems doubtful to me. Or are there a handful of lake creatures romancing and reproducing in the lake?

This summer I met a man who might just be able to give us some serious answers about whether a lake creature lives in the lake, or whether it ever did. That man was Dr. Daryl Walsh of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Dr. Walsh was in the region studying the possible existence of a lake creature in Lake Memphremagog. Dr. Walsh is not your "typical" doctor. He has a doctorate’s degree in parapsychology, or in other words, he studies paranormal happens whether it be hauntings or the possible existence of mysterious lake creatures. He has written two books relating to his extensive research. Those books are, Ghosts of Nova Scotia, and Ghost Waters: Canada’s Haunted Seas and Shores. His work is now the basis for the Canadian television series, Shadow Hunter.

Lake MemphremagogScott Wheeler (left) and Dr. Daryl Walsh (right)

First of all, I think I know what most people are thinking. "A doctor of parapsychology? What kind of nut is he?". Well, quite honestly before I met Dr. Walsh I thought the same thing. I might not totally agree with everything Dr. Walsh says, but he certainly isn’t a nut or some bumbling ghost buster want-a-be. The doctor is very serious and methodical in his research. He spent several days around Lake Memphremagog, both in the U.S. and Quebec, researching the possible existence of a lake creature. During his stay, he interviewed residents, some who claimed to have seen the creature, and others who scoffed at such a fairytale creature. In addition, he studied the history of the region, and the history of the purported sightings, to help him better understand the region and how, if there isn’t a creature in the lake, how the idea could have arisen and why such a myth continues to perpetuate itself. He also studied the lake, from everything from its dimensions, depth, and temperature and compared the environment to what is known of the environment that was needed to sustain life for a variety of prehistoric creatures similar to the one people claim to have seen in Lake Memphremagog.
Returning to Canada, Dr. Walsh used his research to form a conclusion about whether a lake creature does, or even could, live in Lake Memphremagog. With all respects to those who want to believe that a creature lurks in the lake, I hope his findings can finally put an end to the silly arguments once and for all. Maybe then we can learn to appreciate Lake Memphremagog for what it is - the gem of the Northeast Kingdom, not for a mythical lake creature. The following his Dr. Walsh’s conclusion that he has filed with the Centre for Parapsyhological Studies in Canada:
Lac Memphremagog is a small, cold lake which freezes over during winter. For those facts alone we can determine that there is no plesiosaur in the lake. Plesiosaurs were an aquatic reptile which was warm blooded and breathed air from 265 million to 65 million years ago. Even if we were assume for a moment that they survived the Great Extinction of 65 million years ago, the lake would have to have 20-100 creatures to have a minimal breeding population. Thus, like Loch Ness, if there was such an animal in the lake, we would already have more than enough evidence of their existence.
From surveying recorded accounts, speaking with local people, and viewing video of the alleged monster, it is only possible to conclude that the idea of Memphre is a social construct, born of Native mythology and tradition and kept alive by local people for fun and tourism potential. Memphre is not universally recognized as being 'real' to the people who live around the lake. It has the air of a favorite mascot. The general view is that if there is anything biological in the lake at all, it is a giant Eel or Sturgeon. Most of the sightings are of boat wakes that do strange things on their own, without any input from Memphre. Therefore, no further investigation is suggested.
So, those are Dr. Walsh’s findings. In other words, it’s okay folks, you can go back into the lake. After all, if you really believed such a creature lurked in the lake, would you really want to swim in it? I sure wouldn’t. Come to think about it, monster or no monster, I wouldn't want to go in the lake at this time of the year.