Dozens of trees were cut on public land. Now this Quebec businessman has a view

For weeks, Angus Culley has been an unofficial guide on Brome Lake, bringing friends aboard his boat to see a treeline that's become the talk of Knowlton, Que.

Creeping closer aboard Culley's pontoon, he points across the lake at the tops of some 90 trees — laterally cut seemingly in a straight line that's now level with the windows of a house located on the ridge.

He's among the residents saying the work was done entirely to improve the view of the home just behind the walking and cycling path. The home belongs to Pierre Beaudoin, chairman of the board of directors for Bombardier.

"People are generally aghast," said Culley.

"When someone goes and cuts the trees in a straight line across an entire island, you assume that the authorities or someone in authority has some say over what's