With the warmer weather comes the opportunity to start work on your property and shorelines. But, before you begin, it’s important to obtain the necessary work permits in order to avoid potential fines. Permits help ensure that activities include considerations for the environment, other users, and neighbouring landowners.
By law, you must get a work permit from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) for certain activities on Crown land and shore lands before any work can take place. If your property is in Clearwater Bay or Shoal Lake, you need a work permit, as these areas are covered by Restricted Area Orders. You can find the guidelines for these areas attached below.
For more information on Crown or shore land regulations, including what work requires a permit and how to apply, visit https://www.ontario.ca/page/crown-land-work-permits or contact your local District Office.
For Crown and shore land:
Activities that need a work permit:
- build a new erosion control structure or change the dimensions of an existing erosion control structure
- the placement of fill on shore lands (infilling lake or river bed , or building an erosion control structure) for any other purpose
- create a new dredge or expand an existing dredge
- construct a building or structure, except for building(s) registered for mining purposes
- construct or place a structure or combination of structures that are in physical contact with more than 15 square meters of shore lands (e.g. docks with large cribs)
- construct a road, except where constructed under the authority of the Crown Forest Sustainability Act
- construct a trail, except when constructed under the authority of the Crown Forest Sustainability Act or for mineral exploration purposes
- construct a water crossing, such as a bridge, culvert or causeway, except when constructed under the authority of the Crown Forest Sustainability Act
- remove native aquatic vegetation along the shoreline of Georgian Bay, Lake Huron and on the Canadian Shield
- if you conduct activities subject to exemptions but cannot follow the rules
Activities that need online registration:
- undertake minor road maintenance (defined below) on public land
- place a registered ice fishing hut on the ice
- install a water line, service cable or heat loop for private residential use
- remove a dock or boathouse that does not involve dredging
- construct or place structures that are in physical contact with 15 square meters or less of the shore lands fronting your property (e.g. docks, single-storey boathouses)
Activities that may be exempt if you are able to follow the rules as laid out in the ministry’s regulations:
- construct buildings on a mining claim
- dredging shore lands previously dredged
- maintain, repair or replace erosion control structures on shore lands
- relocate rocks on shore lands
- remove invasive aquatic plants
- remove native aquatic plants
For more information and next steps visit https://www.ontario.ca/page/crown-land-work-permits