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Want to get elected to municipal office in the Laurentians? For one thing, you'll have to sail dock to dock campaigning, which has its benefits in the stunningly beautiful, lake-studded area north of Montreal.

Caron Czorny knows all about it. In 2005, she took on two opponents and won a four-year term on the District 5 council in the municipality of Wentworth-North.

But Ms. Czorny, 56, is only a part-time resident of the district. She and her soon-to-be husband, Michael Pepper, own a cottage on Lake Francis Xavier near Montfort; their main home is in Oakville, Ont., although she works in Montreal.

The gregarious and bilingual businesswoman got involved in cottage country government at the urging of some local people. Her fiancé adds that she "feels giving back and doing community work is very important."

She seems to take her council work in stride. Wherever she is, she uses the typical communication tools - her Blackberry, cellphone and the Internet. When she is at the cottage - which, she says, is about 10 per cent of the time - it obviously cuts into her relaxation time there.

But, as Mr. Pepper explains, "Caron is a people-person and she got to know a lot of people and she knew the issues, too."

Ms. Czorny, executive vice-president and chief operating officer of PEAK Insurance Services Inc., and Mr. Pepper, 63, president and chief executive of the Travel Industry Council of Ontario, bought the cottage after a March ski holiday in 2002.

They first saw the place while they were renting another cottage in the district. Coming upon it while snowshoeing near the lake, it was almost hidden by drifts of snow. Using an emergency phone number posted in a window, they managed to contact the owners, and by Easter a deal was struck.

The place is about 1,500 square feet, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, Mr. Pepper explains.

"It's a frame construction with aluminum siding, and had been rebuilt around the original cottage. We turned the lower level into a bedroom and bathroom."

Heat is generated by a wood-burning stove and some baseboard heaters. "It can be 30-below outside and the stove will give off enough heat that we have to open the windows," Mr. Pepper says.

During their first season as cottagers, the couple were greeted and feted. They formed friendships that were strengthened through reciprocal acts of support.

"When our neighbours' cottage burnt down, we loaned them our truck tent and they lived in it that summer," Mr. Pepper recalls.

"Then, when my boat sank, they let me know, and helped me arrange to have it towed and repaired."

A controversy over sediment seeping into Lake Francis Xavier from another lake (the issue is before the courts) prompted some local residents to approach Ms. Czorny and ask her to run for council, which is typically split about 50-50 between full-time residents and part-time cottagers.

With their jobs and the cottage, the couple clearly travels a lot. While he works in the Oakville area, she goes to Montreal on Mondays and stays the week. On weekends and in summer, they often go to the cottage.

Ms. Czorny estimates that she spends about 15 hours a month on her council responsibilities. There are monthly meetings, which run from 7 to 10 p.m., but those days start at 4 when the caucus meets. "There's prep time and then the driving ... to get there," she adds.

There are plenty of issues dealt with - from illegal docks to garbage collection to providing services such as fire trucks, which are mandated by the provincial government.

"How to fund services is always a huge question," Ms. Czorny explains. "You can only tax people so much. There are a lot of retirees who own property there and that has to be taken into account."

Her constituents don't hesitate to call when, say, their road hasn't been plowed. "There are a lot of phone calls," Mr. Pepper says, adding that some area residents don't "really appreciate the amount of work she puts into her role as councillor."

Wentworth-Nord Mayor Andre Genest says Ms. Czorny's contribution "is very much appreciated. She works by conference call and other ways, since she is often far away. Our area is 155 square kilometres with 105 lakes and ... only 2,000 houses.

"People who come here and build are very concerned about the quality of the water and other elements," the mayor notes. "They have a big investment and they are willing to pay for it. Sometimes we have big debates.

"Property owners who have lived here all their lives would like to see a bit more development," he says. "Newer people would like to be the last ones to come here and build."

Ms. Czorny and Mr. Pepper obviously love the area. They often run together on an old CN railway line - renamed the Aerobic Trail - adapted for use as running and biking track, and in the winter, they snowshoe and cross-country ski.

In Montfort, there is a community centre - a one-time church that is used for local functions. One scheduled for this summer is the wedding of Ms. Czorny and Mr. Pepper.

"We will have about 90 guests," she says. "During the ceremony, the pews will face one way, and after that we will all go outside where, during the cocktail hour, we will be entertained by a fellow from La Chute who plays the fiddle. Then we will go back inside where everything will be rearranged for a dinner."

While they recently purchased a three-bedroom condo suite in Naples Fla. - which may become their alternate getaway in retirement - they are still struck by the natural beauty of their Quebec retreat.

"We have a wonderful view across the lake," Ms. Czorny says. "We can sit at our place and watch the moon across the water as it rises above the Laurentians."