Section 4.1 of the cottage lot policy requires that all cottagers complete a property survey. The survey is intended to confirm where the property boundaries are, and ensure that all cottage lot structures are on the lot. Where existing cottage lot structures are not located within the current lot boundaries, some adjustments may be made at the time of the survey to try and include them in the final cottage lot boundary. The final cottage lot boundary will be established during the survey according to instructions issued by the Ministry. Where necessary, the Ministry will instruct the surveyor to adjust the lot boundaries to capture previously approved cottages and sleep cabins. Further lot “shifting” may be permitted to capture other ancillary structures or sewage systems, but the lot cannot increase in area or frontage to accomplish this, and therefore there is the potential that some ancillary structures or sewage systems may remain off lot.
The survey will require two parts: a Crown Land Reference Plan (will show the lot lines) and a Surveyors Real Property Report (will show the size and location of structures in relation to the lot). Survey instructions will be sent to all cottagers who apply for 2022 occupational authority. You cannot initiate your survey until you have the specific instructions from the Ministry and your surveyor has obtained permission from the Ministry to begin the survey.
A separate fact sheet for surveys has been prepared and is posted on the toolkit. Please refer to the Survey Fact Sheet Algonquin Cottage Program.
It is important that cottagers hire a surveyor and have their survey completed as soon as possible. Although cottagers have until March 31, 2022 to complete all eligibility requirements (including the survey), the property survey is required to determine whether any cottage lot structures or sewage systems are located off lot, and require removal or relocation onto the cottage lot. The survey will also confirm the exact footprint (area) for all structures which will be used by the Ministry to determine if a reduction in ancillary structure footprint is required (see section 2, Resizing, Relocation and/or Removal of Existing Structures). As such the survey should be done early enough to allow cottagers time to deal with resizing or removal of cottage lot structures as necessary to meet eligibility.