The fact sheet can point you in the right direction if you’re contemplating one of the following projects at your cottage:
As you plan to work in or near a public waterway you may need approval from one or more government agencies before you start your project. The red check marks in the table on the fact sheet indicate which regulatory agencies you should contact depending on the project you’re planning and whether or not your shoreline is on the Trent-Severn Waterway and within a Conservation Authority’s watershed. The check marks let you know whether you need to contact the Ministry of Natural Resources, Transport Canada, Parks Canada, the Conservation Authority or your municipality. In many situations, you will need to contact more than one regulatory agency. A key part of undertaking projects on your shoreline is working in cooperation with government agencies. They want to help you to complete the project to heighten your enjoyment of your waterfront while protecting fish and wildlife habitat and the quality of your lake. The fact sheet also provides you with the contact information for the various regulatory agencies within the greater Kawartha Lakes watershed region.
The "Best First Call" fact sheet is available at: www.foca.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/BestFirstCall_Final_2_000.pdf
About the Lakeland Alliance
he Lakeland Alliance works with landowners and partners to protect and improve the quality of the lakes and rivers throughout the Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton, and Bancroft. Residential development pressures and some urban landscaping practices have placed mounting pressures on fragile shorelines and water quality. Waterfront property owners are concerned about how these forces affect the natural environment. And they want tools to help them protect and enhance their aquatic resources. The Lakeland Alliance provides resources and education to help shoreline property owners protect the water quality of their lakes and rivers. The Lakeland Alliance is a collaboration of various government agencies and environmental groups. Kawartha Conservation and the Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Associations are members of the alliance.
Information from Fisheries and Oceans Canada that could also help you with your shoreline project
Fisheries and Oceans Canada has produced a series of measures to help you avoid harming fish and fish habitat when you undertake a project near water. (The advice applies to all project types.) The information will also help you to comply with the federal Fisheries Act. The measures address the following subjects:
For details about these measures, please visit: www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/pnw-ppe/measures-mesures/measures-mesures-eng.html
