interested in personal experiences of those who have built in an unorganized township ON

hello all,

I was hoping to hear from people who have built in an unorganized township in ON.

Ive always purchased land typically in places that had a governing municipality. zoning bylaw, property bylaw, etc so I am unfamiliar with the can and cannots of building in an unorganized township. I understand that since there is no regulating body in an unorganized township there really are no bylaws that govern property. the OBC still needs to followed when building a structure and probably the MNR would want some say(not quite sure on the extent, I know septic you do) but other wise is there any other form of government that would interfere?

I have a plan which would not fly in a governed municipality due to the stringent property standards. for example, using shipping containers as a fence/barrier  to enclose a secure area 100x100 feet sq.

I figure it would be possible as long as OBC requirement to support it with piers to carry the load would be followed.

can anyone provide some enlightenment as to the possible red tap I make be not seeing?

thanks

I'm in BC, but around here, the places without local enforcement, people figure they don't need to follow CBC... because who's coming to check?

Dillon, that literally made me laugh. The achilles heel of the department of making you sad. Here in the south we have a militarized agency smorgasbord. I have a friend who is tactically trained for the- get this- Consumer Product Safety Board.

We had a significant problem getting ammunition a couple years ago caused partly because federal agencies were buying so much. The idea with all the alphabet soup agencies here is not to catch everyone, more pour encourager les autres..

Hi Scott,

I haven't built in an unincorporated township, but I almost bought some land in one, so I've done a lot of research.  

What I found was that you need to follow the OBC, as you know, but that there's no permit required, so no inspection.  You're right that you need to get a permit for septic, but that's the only thing you need, though I'm sure you'd also be required to register any new well with the province.

What that means is that you can go ahead and build whatever you want and you'll not get any grief.  If the building's visible from the road, though, and if it's clear that you haven't built to the OBC, you may get a visit.  The office wasn't sure about that, but I'd try to keep any structures away from any access.   The caveat here is that, if you don't build to the OBC and someone gets hurt or killed as a result, you may need to defend your choices.  An unlikely scenario, but worth keeping in mind.

I really like the freedom in an unincorporated township.  There aren't any usage restrictions, so you can build a bunch of small cabins and rent them out or have a trailer park, etc.  You will still be subject to any noise or other bylaws, so your idea of using the containers may be considered an eyesore if visible to outsiders.  

You will need an electrical inspection if you want Ontario Hydro to hook you up.  The septic is going to be an issue in many UITs (unincorp...) as most are located on the Shield and have very little topsoil, let alone enough to pass a perc test for your bed.  You'd have to haul in 20ish dump trucks of sand, but you can always go with a composting toilet or a humanure system.  

Let me know if you have any other questions; I may be able to answer them.  By the way, I enjoyed you in Kids in the Hall.

Building on Unorganized Township on Manitoulin Island for the last year myself. They have a planning board that is harassing me about my temp RV as eating and sleeping quarters. 25k fine threatened.
https://youtu.be/9CDorL1DozA

Don't try a self build here. Big mistake.

I’m just starting out, so I will let you know.  Definitely going to watch this thread in hopes of more people sharing experiences.  

Since most building standards are common sense, I plan to follow standard codes where applicable, but hoping to be free to try some non traditional methods.  For instance I’m weighing options on using earth bags for constructing a workshop.