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Cottage Q&A: Inheriting the cottage and capital gains

By A-photographyy/Shutterstock

My brother and I were given title to the family cottage as an early inheritance from our elderly father in 2020. The cottage was built in 1990. Our father chose to designate it as his principal residence as of 1994 and paid the capital gains for the period between 1990 and 1994 in his 2020 tax return. If and when my brother and I ever choose to sell the cottage, which had an MPAC assessed value of $550,000 in 2020, would the starting value for the capital gain be based on that $550,000 amount, or on the 1994 value of $135,000 that our father used in his 2020 tax return?—Harry V., Catchacoma Lake, Ont.  

Neither value. The starting value for the tax calculation if and when you sell it will be the cottage’s “fair market value,” determined by the cottage’s sale price. That’s obviously not MPAC’s assessed value, and it’s not the historical FMV from 1994.

Getting an appraisal of the cottage’s value now if you don’t end up selling it for, say, five years, wouldn’t be useful. Market values are fluctuating, says Peter Lillico, a lawyer with Lillico Bazuk Galloway Halka in Peterborough, Ont. “The cost of the appraisal would just be money thrown away.” 

How to use a combination of trusts to pass on the cottage

But it wouldn’t be a waste to calculate the cottage’s adjusted cost base now. (Math equation time! The adjusted cost base = the cost base, a.k.a. the value as of the date of purchase or inheritance + the value of the capital improvements since the date of purchase or inheritance.) To find this number, you’d get a historical appraisal to establish the cottage’s 2020 value—the cost base—and add the money you’ve spent on any capital improvements since acquiring the cottage—a new roof or an expanded dock, for example. 

Then you and your brother “are loaded for bear,” says Lillico. The adjusted cost base is the amount you’d subtract from the sale price when you’re ready to sell in the future.

This article was originally published in the Sept./Oct. issue of Cottage Life.

Got a question for Cottage Q&A? Send it to answers@cottagelife.com.

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Cottage Life

Workshop expert-approved gifts for cottage DIYers

Courtesy Metabo, DeWalt, 3M

Our editorial team independently selects these products. If you choose to buy any, we may earn a commission that helps fund our content. Learn more.

We asked the Cottage Life workshop experts: what goodies are on your holiday wish list this year?

*As seen in the Winter 2022 issue of Cottage Life.

Courtesy Bosch

Oscillating multi-tool

Able to cut wood, metal, and drywall in tight spots with weird angles, oscillating multi-tools are handier than a pocket in a Kenora dinner jacket.—David Zimmer

Buy from Rona
$244

Courtesy 3M

Bluetooth-enabled earmuffs

I want 3M’s Bluetooth-enabled earmuffs, with 24dB noise reduction rating and high-fidelity speakers. Sanding is boring, but with these, I could listen to podcasts or a playlist.—Fiona McGlynn

Buy from Amazon
$69.99

Courtesy Metabo

Cordless Framing Nailer

Cordless nail guns are a major upgrade from their pneumatic predecessors—no more fighting with a compressor or an air hose! The Metabo HPT cordless framing nailer is a good all-around pick, but many tool brands offer cordless options.—F.M.

Buy from Rona
$399

Courtesy DeWalt

20V Max adhesive gun

I hate caulking—I can never get the smooth bead I hope for with a hand-cranked gun. A cordless caulking gun, like DeWalt’s 20V Max adhesive gun, could improve my results and make me happy.—Wayne Lennox

Buy from Amazon
$369.35

Courtesy MetMo

MetMo Grip

MetMo Grip is a British-made adjustable wrench that copies an innovative design not manufactured since 1930. Stainless steel, mesmerizing mechanism, super cool.—Steve Maxwell

Buy from Amazon
$84.89
$46.90

Courtesy Mark’s

Bifocal safety glasses

Instead of switching constantly between safety and reading glasses, bifocal safety glasses with an integral magnifying lower lens are a game-changer! The flow is back in my woodworking now.—Sean Ledoux

Buy from Mark’s
$17.99

Courtesy Lee Valley

Crook knife

A traditional tool in many cultures, crook knives are great for hollowing concave shapes, sculpting organic forms, and texturing surfaces in wood. I have a pine stump that I’m carving into an address marker; I want to try a crook knife instead of spoon gouges.—S.L.

Buy from Lee Valley
$36.70

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Cottage Life

How the Ontario gov.’s sweeping planning and development changes will play out in cottage country

Photo illustration by Taylor Kristan

For the past several years, Deborah Martin-Downs, who served as the chief administrative officer of the Credit Valley Conservation Authority, has been working closely with the Township of Muskoka Lakes to update the environmental protections in its land use policies. “The township has official plans that put the environment first,” says Martin-Downs, who also served for two years as the president of the Muskoka Lakes Association. The township’s latest official plan explicitly cites goals such as maintaining a “high level of protection” for lakes and natural heritage features. “Other cottage municipalities, such as Haliburton and Kawartha Lakes, have done similar things, because without the environment, they will have nothing to offer people.”

So, in late October, when the Ontario government tabled a far-reaching omnibus bill that not only scrambled much of the province’s land-use planning rules, but also struck at the heart of environmental protections—for natural features such as wetlands, as well as the clout of conservation authorities by removing their ability to weigh in on the impact of development proposals within watersheds—Martin-Downs’ radar began to ping. “What I read in this act is a total disregard for the environment,” she said about a week after it was tabled in the Ontario legislature. (Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities, many of which were established in the aftermath of Hurricane Hazel in 1954, are mandated to protect floodplains and block development on hazardous or ecologically sensitive areas within a watershed.)

The legislation, formally known as Bill 23, or the “More Homes Built Faster Act,” ostensibly aims to remove bureaucratic roadblocks that have, according to the government, allowed a housing shortage in the more built-up parts of Ontario to reach crisis proportions. House and condo prices have gone through the roof. New home starts aren’t keeping up with demographics. Rents have also skyrocketed. In order to close the gap and bring down the costs of ownership, Premier Doug Ford has said he wants to build 1.5 million new homes in a decade—an unprecedented pace of development. To accomplish this, his government has introduced legislation that effectively strip-mines the planning approvals system, removing conditions that have long rankled developers, such as consultation processes, high development charges and other fees, and regulatory requirements viewed as obstacles to growth. The problem? The new rules, mainly aimed at Ontario’s urbanized southern region, could also have far-reaching ecological consequences. The changes could affect the agricultural band surrounding the Greater Golden Horseshoe, as well as more rural regions, including the lake and recreational districts whose health depends on a range of environmental protections, from watershed conservation to rules governing phosphate loads in lakes.

In particular, the new bill removes barriers to sprawl, significantly curtails the ability of conservation authorities to protect watersheds, and eliminates third-party appeals of development applications, such as those from cottager groups. Municipalities across the province will find their planning departments facing increased pressure from the building industry to process development applications. And, as Martin-Down points out, the municipalities in rural areas are simply not equipped to handle the volumes; many don’t even have a professional planner on staff.

Planners and conservation authority officials have been studying the proposed laws since they dropped, and many say that it will be months before they have a firm understanding of what’s been put forward and how it fits into other reforms that have been set in motion, such as allowing more development in the Greenbelt around the GTA. But most agree that the act’s main impact will be a downloading of services onto ill-equipped municipalities, the neutering of the conservation authorities, the removal of opportunities for individuals to raise concerns about developments, and an erosion of standards that protect source water and limit flooding.

“I think it puts more of a burden on the municipality,” says Anthony Usher, a planning consultant who has advised many cottage associations, owners, and developers. He adds that the Bill 23 changes, as well as other planning policy reforms coming out of Queen’s Park, place a far greater onus on landowners and community associations to monitor what’s happening with their municipal councils. “Every one of those changes underlines the importance of local political action.”

Under the proposed new rules, the conservation authorities will no longer be allowed to provide municipalities with feedback on development applications, as has been common practice for almost two decades. Instead, it will fall to municipal planning departments to monitor any environmental risks.

Some conservation authorities have provided that kind of analysis to municipalities on a fee-for-service basis, often paid by the developer, so the fiscal burden for carrying out these kinds of studies now shifts to local councils—and by extension, taxpayers—which often don’t have the staff or in-house expertise to do environmental impact assessments. Furthermore, the government is proposing changes to wetland classification, and some may no longer qualify as provincially significant ecological zones. Nonetheless, they remain important environmental areas that could now face development pressure, says Tim Lanthier, the chief administrative officer of the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority. “They’ve put things into the act that expand the powers of a minister to override any regulations through a zoning order, so the stage has been set,” he says, adding that he knows of several wetlands and habitat zones within Grey Sauble’s catchment area that could be endangered. “Certainly there are some wetlands that are in contentious development areas that could be at risk.”

Usher points out that for wetlands, which help prevent or mitigate flooding and erosion, that are not designated as provincially significant, “the conservation authorities currently have some leverage to try to protect or influence their protection.” He says that if the changes pass, it will be solely on the municipalities to decide whether or not a wetland should be protected. “The conservation authorities will have little input on the planning process—they’ll be told they have to basically stick to protecting floodplains and pointing out hazard lands, and that’s it.”

The proposed changes will also significantly diminish the role of conservation authorities in protecting communities from flooding, agrees Terry Rees, the executive director of the Federation of Ontario Cottage Associations (FOCA), which has been working in recent years with Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry officials on an improved flood strategy. “We know from the insurance industry and the financial sector that we need to be much more diligent about where we allow people to build, and that includes keeping people away from natural hazards and watercourses,” he says. “Having less oversight and having more permissive building may lead us to having buildings and communities and infrastructure that are going to be at risk.”

Mark Majchrowski, the chief administrative officer for Kawartha Conservation, agrees. He points out that all this is happening at a time when cottage and rural districts, as well as conservation authorities themselves, have seen increased tourism. That dynamic will only increase with urban intensification.

“Green spaces are pretty important for development, and a lot of people flock to conservation area property,” he observes. “So conservation areas are an important element of our infrastructure as a whole.” Martin-Downs agrees: “If the pandemic told us anything, it is that people need a place to go for a walk.”

Another element of Bill 23 involves the suspension of third-party appeals and the elimination of the requirement to hold a public meeting—a move that seems aimed at restricting the ability of homeowner groups to slow development applications with appeals to the Ontario Land Tribunal. Under the proposed law, the OLT will no longer hear third-party appeals; if residents have concerns about a development, they’ll have to persuade the municipality to make an appeal on its own (which may not happen).

In lake areas, says Usher, very few applications make it to the appeal stage, and fewer make it to the OLT; most are approved by municipalities or resolved through negotiations between the parties. But by removing the right of appeal, he predicts that developers—both large and small—will have far less incentive to try to work out some kind of compromise with their neighbours.

Usher adds that there will be an indirect impact with the removal of the right to appeal, which raises the stakes for the municipal planners. “What does that mean for cottagers and for cottage associations that have lake plans and so on? Now, the municipal council is really the only decision-making point and the only check in the system.”

From her vantage point, Deborah Martin-Downs says that the new rules— which come hot on the heels of previous waves of planning reform laws promulgated by the Ford government—will merely make planning less predictable for residents, more costly for the municipalities, and riskier for the environment. “Confusion,” she says, “will reign for quite a while.”

John Lorinc writes about cities, climate, and clean technology. Follow cottagelife.com for updates on this story as it develops.

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Cottage Life

Ont. government extends private club’s deer hunting season to longest in Ontario

Photo by Shutterstock/William T Smith

Buried amongst a series of hunting regulation changes proposed last November by Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) was an amendment pertaining to two private islands off the coast of Georgian Bay, near Owen Sound. The amendment read: “Start the existing rifles, shotguns, muzzle-loading guns, and bows seasons in WMUs 83B and 83C on October 1.”

WMU stands for wildlife management unit. Ontario is divided into 95 of them. It’s how the MNRF monitors wildlife populations while doling out hunting licenses. A WMU’s hunting regulations can change based on the size of its wildlife population.

The designations 83B and 83C correspond with two private islands: Griffith Island and Hay Island, respectively. The amendment, pushed through by the provincial government, extended both islands’ rifle deer hunting seasons from 11 weeks to 13 weeks, the longest in the province. Far longer than the average two weeks designated to most WMUs in Ontario. In fact, on the mainland, only a quick boat ride away, the rifle deer hunting season lasts all of seven days.

So, why do two private islands need such a long rifle deer hunting season?

An astute reader of the Narwhal brought this fact to the attention of Emma McIntosh, the publication’s Ontario reporter. “[He] found out about it through his own networks and researched it for a couple of months before reaching out to me,” she says.

As McIntosh dug into the story, she discovered that Griffith Island is owned and operated by a private hunt club, one that has long-standing ties with elite North American clientele, including CEOs, sport executives, and politicians.

Former Ontario premier and Conservative Party member John Robarts served as the Griffith Island Club’s first president after its founding in 1973. In 2004, the Globe and Mail reported on a lavish hunting trip taken by Conservative Party members on Griffith Island, including a former minister of municipal affairs and a close advisor to the Ontario Premier at the time. The trip was paid for by Hydro One.

Today, the club has around 70 members, offering 22 rooms for overnight stays, a private chef, a sauna, a ferry service, and its own landing strip for small, chartered planes.

Ron McCulloch, a hunter who lives in the Georgian Bay area, worked as a guide on Griffith Island in 1996 and 1997. He remembers members travelling from all over Canada and the U.S. to hunt on the island. At that time, McCulloch says membership cost $50,000 to join, plus annual dues.

As a guide, McCulloch was responsible for leading two hunts a day. Staff at the club are responsible for managing the island’s wildlife population through breeding. Pheasant is the most popular hunting game on the island. The birds are kept in pens until it’s time to hunt, and then released into fields.

With no predators, few vehicles, and lots of space to graze, the island is also an ideal ecosystem for white-tailed deer. Some have been known to swim between the mainland and the island. Staff are responsible for tracking and managing the deer population, with strict rules around how many bucks can be harvested, requiring them for breeding.

“There’s a hell of a population of deer on that island,” McCulloch says. “There are a couple hundred deer.”

Considering the island measures a total of 2,300 acres, that is a dense deer population. According to the provincial government’s harvesting records, approximately 70 deer were killed on Griffith Island last year. A former club guide, who asked not to be named, says the island has so many deer that the club has difficulty meeting its WMU harvesting quota.

Hay Island, on the other hand, also privately owned, only harvested one deer last year.

In an email from the MNRF, a government spokesperson explained that this dense deer population is the reason for the longer hunting season. “The longer timeframe reflects the lower risk of an unsustainable harvest—these islands lack predators, and the longer rifle season supports a sustainable hunt and enables deer population management on the islands.”

The MNRF also pointed out that sections of northern Ontario have similar rifle deer hunting seasons due to their higher-than-average deer populations and lower human populations.

The Griffith Island Club echoed the MNRF in its own email response to the extension. “Griffith Island is a unique ecosystem by virtue of being an island with limited access. It was designated a separate wildlife management unit by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry many decades ago. As a result of this designation the ministry sets season lengths and harvest limits, as it does for all other WMUs in Ontario.

Experienced game and habitat managers monitor the health and viability of the deer population and provide the MNRF with relevant data so that the ministry can set the appropriate length of season to maintain a healthy population.

The island membership is comparatively small, there is little natural predation on the island, and left unchecked, the deer population would quickly grow to unsustainable levels, risking malnutrition, disease, and death,” the club said.

Mark Ryckman, the manager of policy for the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH), says this explanation checks out. The government’s goal is to balance wildlife populations with available habitat, he explains.

“Increasing harvest is open to debate, whether or not that’s the best option,” Ryckman says. “But it is the option that [the government] chose to go forward with. It’s also the cheapest, from the government’s perspective. All they do is allow every firearm type for the entire length of the season. That really doesn’t cost them anything. They just allow the hunters that do have that exclusive opportunity to harvest more deer.”

This doesn’t make the extended hunting season any less contentious, though. Ryckman says the OFAH has had concerns about both Griffith Island and Hay Island for the past 10 years. When the government opened the islands’ hunting extensions to public consultation, the OFAH made sure to comment.

“We don’t want to see hunting become a pastime or a recreational activity that is only available to the wealthy,” Ryckman says. “These are public resources managed by public servants using public tax dollars on behalf of all Ontarians, not just landowners, not just the rich. These are resources that should be available to all Ontarians.”

Optically, Ryckman acknowledges that an elite hunting club with ties to Canadian politicians getting an extended rifle hunting season doesn’t look good. But from a conservation standpoint, the OFAH has no concerns about the number of deer being harvested.

Hunters in the area don’t seem bothered by the club’s extended rifle season, either. “It makes no difference to me whatsoever,” says Craig Lalonde, a Georgian Bay hunter. “Ultimately, if it’s a private club, it’s kind of a closed environment. Nothing that happens there impacts me, or, in my opinion, what’s going on throughout Ontario.”

Greg Edwards, the president of the Georgian Bay Hunters and Anglers Association, says that from a conservation perspective, Griffith Island’s extended rifle season makes sense. “I don’t think it’s good to have that many deer all in one area, because they’re going to get interbred, and then you’re going to create some more problems,” he says. “So, it’s better to thin them out now, and then you’re going to have a better population of deer in the future.”

Whether one agrees with the club’s extended rifle season or not, it appears to be driven by a legitimate reason. What was troubling for McIntosh, though, who broke the story, was the lack of transparency from the government. The islands’ hunting extension was buried among a long list of amendments, and when McIntosh reached out to the government to ask about the extension, she was stonewalled.

“Private clubs are allowed to ask for things that they want or are allowed to enjoy things that are given to them by law,” McIntosh says. “But it really is a question of trust in people who manage our natural resources. And I think it is troubling when the people making those decisions are unable to explain what they’re doing, and even more so when they refuse to explain why they’re doing it.”

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Cottage Life

Buy the Way: This couple stretched their budget after a difficult medical diagnosis

Photo courtesy Jen Pogue and Warren Sonoda

The search: Toronto couple Jen Pogue and Warren Sonoda had been saving to buy property downtown. It had taken years—working in the film industry means that their income comes in on a job-to-job basis. Then, in early 2021, Jen was diagnosed with an incurable form of stage 4 metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. “With a diagnosis like that, it changes your priorities,” says Warren. It accelerated their property hunt, but the couple wasn’t impressed with what $500,000-$600,000 afforded them in the city. So, they expanded their search to cottage country. That summer, while renting on Lake Kennisis, Ont., they found a riverfront, three-season, A-frame for $499,000. “We offered $570,000 thinking, that’s competitive,” says Warren. It wasn’t—the property sold for $830,000.

The couple enlisted the help of realtor Carl Laudan, a former colleague. “Having someone who was a friend and a former filmmaker was a game-changer for us,” says Warren. “He understood what we needed and our situation, specifically as film people.” One night, Warren, who had become something of a realtor.ca savant, found a 1,100 sq. ft., three-bedroom cottage on Cordova Lake, Ont., listed at $614,000. Upon visiting the place, it felt right immediately. “We looked at each other and said, ‘okay, how do we make this work?’ ” says Jen.

The compromise: Comparable cottages in the area were going for $800,000—and competition was fierce. “On bid night, I was sweating out of places I didn’t know I could sweat out of,” says Jen. In a final push, the couple made an unconditional offer, and Jen wrote a letter to the sellers describing why they wanted the place. It worked— they got it for $777,000. Jen and Warren faced an additional hurdle to close. Because of their variable income, a traditional mortgage wasn’t an option. They secured financing through a B-Lender (an alternative lender, such as a non-traditional bank or a credit union) and by putting 35 per cent down.

the sunroom at Jen Pogue and Warren Sonoda's cottage
Photo courtesy Jen Pogue and Warren Sonoda

The silver lining: “Early on in my diagnosis, I learned to invent a safe, happy place in my mind that I could go to during anxious times,” says Jen. “Mine was immediately and vividly a cottage.” A year on, the couple still feel like the budget stretch was worth it. “When we bought the cottage, I didn’t know if I’d get to see what the summer sun looked like there,” says Jen. “The thought of dying before I had a chance to spend the money I had worked so hard for on something I loved is definitely what propelled me to go all in on our cottage.”

Broker advice: Mortgage strategies for freelancers

Having a variable income is common, and it won’t preclude you from applying for a cottage mortgage. “Anytime there’s a variance, lenders want to see an average of the last two years,” says Andrew Thake, a mortgage broker in Ottawa. If your average isn’t high enough, a broker can help you put together a financial plan. If you’re planning to buy in the next two years, “we could structure your tax filings around that purchase,” says Thake. That may mean not writing off as many expenses, but it will show the lender that you have the income. Plus, you can be saving and looking for a cottage simultaneously, even if you aren’t pre-approved yet. Mortgage brokers can also help you survey alternative lending (B-Lending) or private lending (C-Lending), in addition to exploring the best rates across traditional banks. “We know which lenders are going to be the right fit,” says Thake. And even if you start with an alternative lender, you’re not locked into that model. “We can help you even after you own the cottage to get you back to a traditional lender.”

Have you recently purchased a cottage in a unique way? Tell us about it: edit@cottagelife.com

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The 10 most popular dog names of 2022

Photo by Ignacy Sedlak/Shutterstock

Naming a new furry member of the family always takes a lot of work—first everyone makes a shortlist, and the rest of the time is devoted to convincing other people why your shortlist is best. In the end, it’s the names that mean the most to us, that we have a deep connection to, as well as the classics, that usually end up getting picked, as proved by Rover’s annual top pet name report. Here are the most popular dog names of 2022, plus a few other pet name trends:

Top male dog names

10. Toby
9. Winston
8. Teddy
7. Buddy
6. Rocky
5. Leo
4. Cooper
3. Max
2. Milo
1. Charlie

Top female dog names

10. Coco
9. Nala
8. Molly
7. Zoe
6. Lily
5. Lola
4. Lucy
3. Daisy
2. Bella
1. Luna

Rover also noted the fastest-growing pet names of 2022, including Julian and Harrison for dogs and Tiggy and Marbles for cats.

Food- and drink-related names are always popular choices, and this year was no different. Favoruite foods no doubt correspond with pet names, with Donut, Burrito, and Kimchi all being top choices. Gin, Merlot, and Cosmo hit high on the list of alcohol-inspired names, while Monster, Latte, and Boba rounded out the drinks category.

Pop culture also influenced our naming conventions. Elvis, Rhianna, and Mozart were trending musician-themed names; Eleven, Nori, and Saul were top TV show-themed names; and Rooster, Lupin, and Peter stole the spotlight in movie-related names.

Want to see if your pet’s name is on any of the lists? Check out the full Rover report here.

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Cottage Life

Cottage Q&A: Will a DIY fix solve my snow load problem?

By Shawn Hamilton/Shutterstock

I have been searching for a solution to the almost annual breaking off of my toilet vent stack on our metal roof due to significant winter snow accumulation. Yes, having the snow removed is the right thing to do. However, I offer up options to ultimately correct the issue: build a 24-inch iron A-frame, welded and mounted via screws to the metal roof above the stack; install an electric warming wire to promote melting thus avoiding the snow and ice buildup in the first place; relocate the toilet vent stack closer to the peak edge of the roof, or reroute it. Would one of these solutions be effective?—D.B., Masham, Que.

Sorry. We couldn’t get any of the building or roofing experts we talked to give your solutions a truly enthusiastic thumbs up. Plus, Paul Grizenko of PRS Roofing in Pointe-Claire, Que., suspects that your ice buildup vs. vent stack problem might be caused by heat loss through the roof, from either a lack of insulation, a lack of ventilation, or both. So anything else you try may just be a band-aid solution.

Insulation upgrades to keep your cottage cozy this winter

Still, out of all of your ideas, blocking the snow could be a workable option—though DIYing a structure yourself isn’t necessary. There are already a number of products designed to block snow and ice.

Snow has been falling off metal roofs since the dawn of the metal roof. “Metal is a slippery slope,” says Troy Ferreira, the technical director for the Canadian Roofing Contractors Association. He’d suggest a “cricket”: a diamond-shaped hump installed above the vent stack, intended to divert the snow. 

Grizenko, on the other hand, would suggest a snow fence: a set of horizontal metal bars bolted to the roof with L-shaped brackets. (The next time you’re walking into a shopping centre, look up: “You often see them mounted above the entrances,” he says.) 

Anything you attach to the roof should ideally be bolted to the rafters underneath. You’ll have to pierce the surface of the roof to install the bolts. No surprise: “This can result in roof leaks,” says Grizenko. “The solution is to use a combination of waterproofing, butyl tape, and UV-resistant caulking. It can be done, and it can work,” he says. But it still may not be “a forever solution.” 

How to deal with a leaky roof

Retrofitting a metal roof with any kind of snow guard or snow fence—whether you build it yourself or buy it—is tricky. The right strategy is going to depend on a number of factors, including the slope of the roof and the type of metal roof. You’re best to get the input of someone well-versed in metal roof attachments, says Ferreira; he recommends the folks at S-5!, a company that specializes in them.

Got a question for Cottage Q&A? Send it to answers@cottagelife.com.

This article was originally published in the Winter 2021 issue of Cottage Life.

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Cottage Life

Cottage Q&A: What’s wrong with the Scots pines?

By T.W. van Urk/Shutterstock

I noticed last autumn that the Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris) near my cottage were dying off. Any idea what could have been killing them?—Melanie Foord, via email

“It is definitely hard to say without seeing the trees,” says Steve Smith, an arborist with Bartlett Tree Experts in Calgary. “There are a few fungal diseases that can attack pines. The only one I know that seems to favour Scots pine is Lophodermium needle cast.” The needles develop yellow spots, then can turn brown and eventually fall off. Unfortunately, “the fungus is hard to identify on trees because the symptoms are similar to a lot of other tree problems,” says Smith. “We often need to send samples to our lab to confirm.”

Another possible contender is Diplodia pinea, a.k.a. Sphaeropsis sapinea, says Tracy Logan of Logan Tree Experts in Lakefield, Ont. It causes tip blight: you’d see short, stunted brown needles with black specks at their bases. “All two- and three-needle pines are hosts to this disease.” 

If a fungus was the culprit, it probably wasn’t entirely to blame. “The first thing I always go towards is environmental conditions,” says Matt Logan, also with Logan Tree Experts. “Too much water; not enough water; too much wind; too cold; poor soil composition…most tree stress is cumulative.” A strong tree may be able to survive an infestation. But not a tree that’s been weakened by multiple environmental factors.

Cottage Q&A: Can I save my dying tree?

It’s also possible that what you saw was normal seasonal needle drop, says Smith. “The needles on pine trees only last so long, and as the new growth begins to shade out the interior, the tree sheds some of the unproductive needles.” It can be more pronounced in years where the trees have experienced more stress, such as long periods of drought, which we had last year, says Smith. 

Cottage Q&A: Preventative tree maintenance ahead of winter

Don’t cry too hard for these possibly fungus-filled and stressed-out Scots pines. This tree isn’t native to Canada. The Ontario government introduced it in the early 1900s to help deal with soil erosion problems after consulting with European forestry experts. (Because…Canada had no forestry experts in 1925? Seems weird, but okay, government.) As is so often the case with an introduced species, after doing its intended job, Scots pine went rogue, outcompeting native trees and disrupting sensitive ecosystems.

Are we sad when trees die? Goodness, yes. Are we sad when this tree dies? Meh.

Got a question for Cottage Q&A? Send it to answers@cottagelife.com.

This article was originally published in the September/October 2022 issue of Cottage Life.

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Cottage Life

Don’t veer for deer: OPP urge drivers to watch for animals

Photo by Kalle Pihelgas/Shutterstock

Did you know November is high time for wildlife collisions in cottage country? More than 12,000 animal related-accidents occur each year in Ontario, with numbers peaking in October and November.

The Ministry of Transportation is drawing attention to the problem and urging drivers to be aware of animals with a new campaign called “Don’t veer for deer”.

If you can’t stop your car in time, “don’t veer for deer,” says Northumberland OPP Constable Rob Simpson. “Reduce your speed immediately, drive straight, and stay in the lane…Aim your vehicle towards the flank of the animal and try to graze the animal rather than hitting it head-on.”

It might be easier said than done, but swerving to avoid an animal can be more dangerous than not—there’s a risk of losing control of your vehicle, driving into oncoming traffic, or ending up in a ditch. 

The “Don’t veer for deer” campaign also points out to take extra precautions when driving 90 minutes before and after sunset and sunrise. “Statistically, it is one of the most popular times for a collision with wildlife,” says Const. Simpson. 

Be aware of larger animals as you drive further north. “There are a lot of deer collisions in southern Ontario. As you drive north, the animals scale up in size,” he says. “Fatal animal collisions occur most when your vehicle is striking a moose.”

How can drivers protect themselves?

“Reduce your speed,” says Const. Simpson. “When you obey the speed limit, especially during peak hours, it directly increases your reaction time and decreases the time it takes to stop your vehicle. This is the difference between getting into a collision and avoiding one.” 

Safety can become even more challenging when you factor in other drivers or winter conditions. In the case where a car is following too closely behind you, Const. Simpson recommends putting your indicator on, pulling over to the shoulder, and letting them pass.

When you’re faced with icy roads, Const. Simpson reminds everyone to drive according to the conditions and to reduce speeds when visibility is low. He says it is also crucial that drivers get snow tires for their vehicles. 

In an OPP news release from November 7, 2022, the Norfolk County Detachment shared a few more ways drivers can stay safe:

  • Make sure you are looking all ways. Deer do not often hit from straight on, but approach from the sides of the road. 
  • Deer travel in herds. If you see one, watch for more. 
  • Slow down. The slower your vehicle, the more you time you will have to react accordingly.
  • Watch for glowing eyes. 
  • Remove any distractions in the car so you can pay full attention to the road. 
  • Put your seatbelt on.

Categories
Cottage Life

A whole-home vacation rental for all seasons

We all know that summer is about time on or in the water, but what about the other seasons? Many vacation homes on Vrbo Canada are three-season properties or available year-round, and you can typically find a wider selection, lower prices, and shorter or no minimum stay requirements for bookings outside of peak travel months like July and August.  

For renters looking for the ultimate “together” experience during non-peak times, here’s what to look for and consider, season by season.

Fall

Whether you’re looking for a long weekend getaway or a week-long retreat, fall can offer many of summer’s top attractions and great cottage rentals at a fraction of the cost, particularly if schedules are flexible. Depending on the month and weather, some outdoor pools could still be open for the season, and lakes may be warm enough to swim in, or at least suitable for boating and fishing. 

For any shoulder-season rentals, be sure to read the listing carefully to see which of the listed amenities and activities will be available for your desired dates. You might have to message the host if you have specific questions about fall visits, especially if there aren’t many details, photos, or reviews online for the time of year you’d be visiting. You’ll want to find out, for example, whether there’s a heat source and heavy blankets for colder days, and whether there are great spots nearby for fall-colour peeping, fly fishing, or other activities that your family may enjoy doing together.   

Winter

There are fewer vacation homes available for rent during the winter, especially in and around cottage country and other rural areas. But families that book a cold-weather getaway can find great deals for cozy retreats with features such as outdoor hot tubs or saunas, indoor fireplaces and scenic spots on the property for winter hiking and snowshoeing. Just be sure to confirm the range of amenities and attractions that will be available for your family on your travel dates, both in and around the property. Consider asking whether most shops and restaurants in the area will be open, if there are public skating spots or tobogganing hills nearby, and whether the hot tub is operational year-round. 

If your family loves snow sports, it’s possible to find rentals in, or just minutes from, popular ski destinations such as Collingwood, Mont-Tremblant and Whistler. On Vrbo, you can filter search results specifically for vacation homes that are ski-in/ski-out, or close to winter activities like skiing and snowboarding.

Spring

Depending on the specific month, springtime rentals can be similar to ones in the fall in terms of benefits and potential limitations.There are vacation homes that offer, or are close to, activities such as cycling, fishing, horseback riding, tennis and golf—all activities that can often be enjoyed in early to mid-spring. Keep in mind as you do your search that smaller lakes and those with shallow water will typically warm up earlier in the year than larger, deep, or moving bodies of water.

Finally, before you book a spring cottage rental, ask hosts if they know the typical opening dates in the area for businesses and attractions. A larger city or town may be open year-round, while some smaller tourist areas may not kick off the season until the Victoria Day long weekend.

Want to embrace the ultimate “together” experience this season? Learn more about renting a cottage with the help of Vrbo.