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Cottage Life

Renting out your cottage? These are the best bed and bath deals from the Amazon Early Prime Access Sale

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If you’re looking to guarantee a five-star review the next time you rent out your cottage, you’ll want to do everything you can to make your guests feel comfortable. A cottage renter might be a bit put-off by the sheets and towels you’ve had in your family cottage since 1973, which makes this the perfect time for an upgrade. Amazon’s Early Prime Access Sale has plenty of bed and bath deals that you can take advantage of to freshen up your space for your next set of renters (or your family might appreciate it too the next time they come to visit). And bonus: we can confirm all these options are 100 per cent mothball-smell free.

Looking to upgrade some other spaces around your cottage? We’ve got you covered for that too.

Amazon Prime Day deals to improve your cottage kitchen

Have fun all summer with outdoor gear from Amazon Prime Day

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Cottage Life

Halal mortgage company plans to expand to cottages in the next year

Photo by kenchiro168/Shutterstock

Rising interest rates have caused many Canadians to shy away from obtaining a mortgage. But that isn’t the case for the Canadian Halal Financial Corporation’s customers.

Thomas Lukaszuk, a former cabinet minister and one of the founders of the Canadian Halal Financial Corporation, says they’re still seeing dozens of applications filter in each week. “We launched this program on December 24, 2021,” he says. “On December 25, we had 167 applications filed.”

The reason for the Edmonton-based company’s ongoing success is that they’re catering to the underserved Muslim community.

Under Islamic law, Muslims aren’t allowed to accept or pay interest—the act is considered exploitative. That makes it difficult for a Muslim person to buy property. Financing options tend to be limited to traditional lenders, such as banks, who charge interest and use the money obtained through mortgages to invest in businesses that don’t align with Islamic tradition, such as cannabis shops and alcohol manufacturers.

As a result, many Muslims are left looking for an alternative. “Our clients are medical doctors, lawyers, people with very high incomes, but they’ve never had enough disposable cash to buy a house. So, either they’re renters, they have entered into informal arrangements with family members, they borrow money from each other, or they pool money until one family buys a house,” Lukaszuk says. “But it’s very laborious and extremely time consuming to do that.”

Looking to solve this problem, representatives from the Al Rashid Mosque in Edmonton, the first Mosque in Canada, approached Lukaszuk in 2019 to discuss the possibility of introducing mortgages that did not involve interest.

Lukaszuk had worked closely with the community during his time as a politician and had since been involved in building projects, familiarizing him with the mortgage industry. With over a million Canadians identifying as Muslim, it was clear to Lukaszuk that there was a need for trustworthy Halal financing.

Lukaszuk and his partner, John Stainton, a lawyer and businessman, spent the next two years working with the Al Rashid Mosque to iron out the details of acceptable financing. According to Lukaszuk, the group spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees, ensuring the mortgages could be upheld in Canadian court. The group even travelled to Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt—one of the oldest Islamic universities in the world that plays a key role in overseeing Middle Eastern banks—to receive a pronouncement saying that the company was 100 per cent compliant with Islamic law.

Other Halal financing companies do exist in Canada, but few are as regulated as the Canadian Halal Financial Corporation. Each financing contract is audited by a religious committee who certifies that the transaction is compliant.

When an application comes in, the Canadian Halal Financial Corporation calculates the profit it expects to make on the transaction. It then adds that number to the principal and divides the amount among a certain number of monthly payments. This way, the monthly payments don’t fluctuate as they would with interest rates.

The borrower must also pay a minimum of 25 per cent of the property’s market value or purchase price up front and show that they have good credit history and sufficient income to afford the monthly payments.

To ensure the transaction is halal, the company doesn’t allow any third parties to enter into the contract. “We are the lender, so there are no secondary contracts, and there are no insurances on our mortgages,” Lukaszuk says.

Rather than borrowing from banks, all of the money used for the mortgages comes from the Canadian Halal Financial Corporation’s own resources, including investments in pension plans and private wealth funds. Each investment is reviewed by a committee of Islamic finance scholars to ensure that it’s compliant.

Providing Halal loans has made a significant difference to the community. In 2012, Nadeem Rahman, a member of the Al-Rashid Mosque, moved his family from the Greater Toronto Area to Edmonton so that his kids could get a better education. With no Halal loans available, he was forced to rent.

“I searched a lot,” Rahman says. “I saw that there was an organization in Manitoba providing Halal mortgages, but not in Alberta at all.”

Rahman’s family was living in a neighbourhood close to the mosque and his kids’ school, but it wasn’t ideal. Rahman laughs when he says he always wanted a house with an attached garage. “The weather here is crazy,” he says, referring to the winters. “As you age, it’s very difficult to go out, clean your car, and then take your family out.”

When the Canadian Halal Financial Company launched, it opened doors for Rahman. He secured a mortgage and moved his family into a detached home with a double garage.

He’s thankful to the company, but he hopes it continues to expand, offering loans on other things, such as cottages, campers, and cars. “There are a lot of people who want to buy something, but they still can’t do it,” he says.

Lukaszuk is well aware. While the company deals primarily with principal residence mortgages, he says over the next year, the company plans to expand across Canada and start offering financing for all types of properties, including cottages.

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Cottage Life

Cottage Q&A: The best roof pitch for shedding rain and snow

By theapflueger/Shutterstock

We want to build a screened room off our cottage kitchen. What pitch of roof would be best? The cottage roof will slope steeply toward the screened room. We want to make sure rainwater will still drain properly.—Angling for Advice

It depends on the materials you use, the direction of the current roof, and whether the two roofs will intersect but, assuming that you build the screened-room roof correctly, the pitch shouldn’t matter. “People can do pretty much anything they want, as long as it’s built to Code,” says Steve Walker, the building official for Columbia Shuswap Regional District in Salmon Arm, B.C. Still, in general, “the more slope you can have, the better. The flatter it is, the more trouble it could be.” Snow, not rain, is usually the concern when it comes to roofs. If snow piled up on a flat roof melts suddenly, “you’ve got a swimming pool,” says Walker.

Get to know 9 different roof types

For shedding ability—rain, snow, ice, maybe Frisbees—Andrew Waddell of Waddell Custom Homes in Apsley, Ont., suggests a pitch of at least 4:12. (Remember geometry? This means the roof rises 4″ for every 12″ it runs.) But beyond that, “I would go with what looks best aesthetically,” he says. Some roof pitches can look unappealing depending on the design of the rest of the cottage—say, combining a low slope with a steep slope. And the pitch you pick could rule out a roofing material you want to use. (Asphalt shingles, for example, aren’t suitable for low slopes.) Money plays a role too: A steeper pitch may be better but, because it requires more materials and labour, it’ll probably cost you more.

Slope aside, if you’re concerned about getting the right roof, have a qualified contractor do the work.

Do I need to worry about snow load on my cabin roof?

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

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Cottage Life

Fenelon Falls to ban ATVs on a section of Victoria Rail Trail

Photo by Shutterstock/Locomotive74

ATV operators may have to change up their route when riding through Fenelon Falls, Ont. next summer.

During its September 27 regular meeting, the Kawartha Lakes’ city council, which oversees Fenelon Falls, voted to ban motorized vehicles along the Victoria Rail Trail between Garnet Graham Park and Northline Road. The ban would be in effect from May to November.

Ward 3 councillor Doug Elmslie and mayor Andy Letham brought the motion forward while discussing an updated version of the city’s Trails Master Plan.

“It’s not unusual for me to receive five or more complaints a day from people living along there about ATV usage, about noise, about dust, danger to children and pets and walkers and bikers,” Elmslie said during the meeting.

He went on to explain that the section of trail in question, a narrow two-kilometre stretch that runs along Cameron Lake, has become more populated over the last several years. At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic caused an uptick in ATV usage along the trail, resulting in safety concerns among residents.

Elmslie added that the town already has an alternate route in place that provides ATVs with better access to amenities, such as gas stations and restaurants. “We had explicitly given side-by-sides the option of travelling through Fenelon going up Cobourn Street, 121, and then either going to Superior Propane to access the trail or going along Northline Road and accessing it from Northline Road above,” he said.

Mayor Letham echoed Elmslie, saying: “This should be the easiest decision council’s had to make in the last four years. This is not a compromise. This is the best for both…It still gives [ATV users] access through Fenelon Falls. That’s really all they’re looking for, and it creates an area of safety and comfort for some of our residents living along the lake.”

Ward 5 councillor Pat Dunn opposed the motion, arguing that the detour would take traffic away from a few restaurants in Fenelon’s downtown core. He also suggested that the decision be pushed until after the October 24 municipal election when the new council would be seated.

Elmslie countered, pointing out that council was only voting to include the change in the updated version of the Trails Master Plan, and that the new council would have the ability to revisit the ban.

In the end, council voted against Dunn’s motion to delay, authorizing city staff to make the necessary bylaw changes to ban motorized vehicles along the Cameron Lake section of the Victoria Rail Trail.

The ban is one of several changes being made to the Trails Master Plan, a strategic document created in 2006 that outlines how trails in the area are maintained and used. As part of the plan’s overhaul, Claire Basinski, a consultant working for the engineering firm CIMA+, proposed a $7.2 million investment in Kawartha Lakes’ trail system over the next 20 years.

The funds, which would be raised through a combination of the Kawartha Lakes city budget and external funding, such as federal and provincial grants, and private donations, would be used to improve 11 trail areas:

  • Somerville Forest Tract
  • East Cameron Lake
  • Superior Road Trailhead
  • 3rd Concession of Somerville
  • Fenelon Falls Urban Area
  • Lindsay Urban Area
  • Bobcaygeon Urban Area
  • Emily Forest Tract
  • Pontypool Forest Tract
  • Bethany Area
  • Kawartha Trans Canada Trail.

Somerville Forest Tract, 3rd Concession of Somerville, and Lindsay Urban Area are expected to receive the most costly improvements with each budgeted at over $1 million in the 20-year timeframe.

“We really see this presentation and forthcoming information to be the final opportunity to consult and engage with yourselves and other stakeholders around what we hope to see as part of this master plan,” Basinski told council.

Changes to the Trails Master Plan started last year after council determined it needed an update. To ensure the views of all trail users were considered, city staff met with the Kawartha Lakes Parks Advisory Committee, the Kawartha Trans Canada Trail Association, the Green Trails Alliance, the Kawartha Lakes Snowmobile Club, and the Kawartha ATV Association.

Proposed changes include new trail signage, improved trail education, and outreach, and more efficient designs linking the trails.

Staff intend to present the completed Trails Master Plan to council early next year.

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Cottage Life

Alberta grapples with a virus killing both wild and domesticated rabbits

Photo by Pixabay/Susanne Jutzeler, Schweiz

Alberta is on the lookout for dead rabbits. The province has witnessed several cases of a deadly strain of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus known as RHDV2.

The virus has killed numerous rabbits over the last year, including five pet rabbits in Taber in May 2021, three young bunnies from a group of feral domestic rabbits—meaning they were either pets released into the wild or the offspring of pets—in northwest Edmonton in September 2021, and three colonies of feral domestic rabbits in Calgary between late August and early September 2022.

Previously, RHDV was only found in Alberta’s feral domestic rabbits, but among the most recent deaths was a wild mountain cottontail rabbit. The difference between wild and feral rabbits is that wild rabbits are native to the environment while feral rabbits come from stock once domesticated or imported from other countries. Wild rabbits were thought to be immune to RHDV, but the RHDV2 strain is infecting wild populations. This was the first wild rabbit found dead from the virus in the province, said Alberta’s Ministry of Environment and Parks in a report. The ministry wants to prevent the virus from becoming embedded in Alberta’s wild rabbit populations.

How to identify Canada’s 5 rabbit and hare species

Researchers first diagnosed RHDV in China in 1984. Since then, the virus has spread through Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Cuba, and some parts of Asia and Africa, the ministry said in an email.

In 2010, researchers diagnosed RHDV2, a new strain, among the European rabbit species in France. RHDV2 has since appeared in North America. Feral domestic populations of European rabbits were killed by the virus in Quebec in 2016, British Columbia in 2018, and Washington State in 2019.

RHDV2 has a mortality rate of 70 to 100 per cent. Once a rabbit is exposed, it can become sick within one to five days, and the virus will quickly tear through the rest of its colony. According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the virus is spread between rabbits through direct contact with infected saliva, runny nose and eyes, urine, manure, blood, and infected fur or carcasses.

Common symptoms include fever, loss of appetite, shortness of breath, groaning, blood spots in the eyes, frothy and bloody nose, and neurological symptoms, such as difficulty walking, seizures, or paralysis.

Beyond the wild mountain cottontail found dead in September, experts haven’t found the virus in any other wild rabbits in Alberta. But this doesn’t mean it won’t spread. Since the spring of 2020, the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico have experienced multiple outbreaks among their wild rabbit populations.

Arizona was the first state in the U.S. where the virus transferred from feral domestic rabbits to wild rabbits. In April 2020, a wild black-tailed jackrabbit and several wild cottontails were found dead from the virus.

“The virus escaped from captive and pet rabbits into adjacent feral populations of domestic rabbits as well as native wild rabbits and hares,” the ministry said. “The social nature and natural high density in populations of rabbits and hares facilitates viral transmission. All forms of rabbit haemorrhagic disease are highly contagious, with high mortality rates in susceptible species and populations.”

Environment and Parks’ Wildlife Disease Unit is monitoring wild hares, jackrabbits, and cottontail rabbits in the vicinity of outbreaks for signs of the virus. It’s also asked any members of the public to report sightings of groups of dead rabbits.

The ministry does stress that outside of rabbits and hares, RHDV2 is not contagious among humans, pets, livestock, or other animal species. But humans are helping to transmit the disease. By purchasing pet rabbits from questionable sources, not taking proper hygienic care of the rabbits and their enclosure, and abandoning pet rabbits in the wild, the virus can spread.

7 amazing facts about rabbits

To prevent further infections, the ministry suggests washing your hands, clothes, cages, and equipment between contacts with rabbits from different sources, only taking in rabbits from reputable sources, quarantining new rabbits away from existing ones for 30 days, using separate equipment for new or sick rabbits, and preventing all contact with wild rabbits, hares, and jackrabbits.

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Cottage Life

Canada-wide avian flu outbreaks cause wildlife centres to turn away some bird species

Photo by Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock

Avian influenza outbreaks are occurring across the country at an unprecedented scale, says the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Martin Appelt, the senior director of the agency says this the largest flare-up of avian flu Canada has ever experienced. “We are not used to seeing avian influenza outbreaks exploding Canada-wide like this,” says Appelt, noting that nearly every province in the country has identified cases of the disease.

The Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre in Winnipeg, Man. is one of many animal organizations that have acted to limit the spread of avian influenza. The haven has stopped accepting two species of bird, Canada geese and the blue-winged teal, which they say they’ve seen a high number of cases in. 

“Based on what was coming into the center and also the calls that we were getting in terms of symptomatic animals, we made the decision to protect the animals that we have in care,” says Zoe Nakata, a spokesperson for the centre. Nakata suggests people call animal control agencies or local wildlife rehabilitation centres if they witness anything unusual—like mass die-offs—out in the wild. 

While Canada has dealt with outbreaks of avian flu in the past, those outbreaks were contained to specific geographical regions, says Appelt. By contrast, this current explosion is being experienced across the country and globe. 

Large outbreaks of avian influenza are typically tied to the changing of seasons as migratory birds move across the globe. While Canada saw large increases in cases in the spring and fall, the current outbreak has been ongoing since Oct. 2021. “Normally—at least in living memory—we have not had outbreaks going through the winter, but last year we did,” Appelt says.

How to keep birds (and yourself) safe from avian flu

The CFIA is working with different levels of government, and members of the poultry industry to control the spread of the disease, says Appelt. 

One of the ways the CFIA has been attacking the disease is by identifying outbreaks and eliminating the infected bird population before the disease spreads further. The CFIA has killed 3 million domestic birds since the start of the outbreak in Oct. 2021, says Appelt. “This is not a disease that can be dealt with on an individual level.” 

The virus has proven highly transmissible due to the amount of infectious material in the form of bird excrement being produced, says Appelt. “I think of it as a massive aerial bombing that creates infectious resources that simply keep the disease going,” he says. Even if local outbreaks are handled, large amounts of infectious material remains to infect a new batch of animals and perpetuate the disease.

Now, Appelt says, the question is whether this current outbreak will dissipate. “Will this wrap up or is there now so much virus in the wildlife and in contaminated soil that we will see flare-ups continue? Nobody really knows at this point.”

Shayan Sharif, a professor at the University of Guelph who studies immunology and avian influenza, says it’s possible the outbreak could affect poultry supply chains, but it seems unlikely given the current pattern of transmission. 

“I don’t really think that consumers are going to notice a massive price rise over the span of the next few months unless we have massive amounts of transmission of this virus, especially from farm to farm,” Sharif says. “I think the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has really done a good job of trying to suppress the spread of this virus from one farm to another.”

To help limit the spread of avian flu, Sharif recommends owners of domestic birds limit their interactions with migratory birds and waterfowl. He also recommends against feeding live birds. 

This particular virus doesn’t seem to be spreading to humans, says Sharif. However, there is a concern that human transmission could eventually develop. “What we’re really concerned about is the potential for this virus to gain the ability to transmit itself from one human to another human, and then eventually cause some sort of a pandemic,” he says. “So we really need to make sure that we contain this virus and, in a sense, nip it in the bud.”

Avian flu showing up in mammals

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Cottage Life

4 upgrades that dramatically increase your cottage’s value and comfort

Your cottage might be a refuge for summer relaxation, but with the current state of real estate in Canada, even the most humble and rustic lakeside retreat has the potential to be an income property. That means that any upgrade you plan for your cottage has two benefits: not only will it make your weekend abode more comfortable, enjoyable, and easy to maintain, but it will also increase its value as an investment for you and your family.

 

To help you get the most out of your next cottage or home renovation project, here are four upgrades that can serve both purposes.

 

Cottage bathroom renovations

 

 

If you grew up spending summers at the lake, there’s a good chance your cottage bathroom had a moon carved into its draughty door. Which means that these days, just having indoor plumbing at the lake feels like a luxury. But since new cottage buyers might not have the same hearty spirit honed by late-night trips to the outhouse, upgrading your bathroom is one of the easiest ways to add comfort while increasing your cottage’s value. 

While a cottage bathroom renovation doesn’t differ drastically from upgrading your bathroom at home, there are some extra considerations for a vacation property. Where possible, choose natural materials that blend with the surroundings, and go with neutral fixtures that will be more trend-resistant. And since many cottagers plan to spend more time at the lake as they age, taller-than-standard toilets and grab bars may be a worthwhile addition. Modern toilets with built-in bidets can also help preserve your plumbing and septic system. To get your bathroom reno right, start with a plan based on your specific needs. Toronto-based Easy Bathroom can help you through every step of the project, from 3D rendering to adding fixtures and final touches. Learn more at easybathroom.ca.

 

In-floor radiant heating

 

 

Speaking of more comfortable bathrooms, there’s nothing cozier at the cottage—or at home—than in-floor radiant heating in a tiled bathroom, but that’s just the beginning. Radiant floor heating is the perfect way to add high-efficiency heating to any area of a cottage—especially if you don’t have ducts. Not only is it a more uniform source of heat, but it’s perfect for single rooms, whole homes, and applications like heating driveways, de-icing outdoor stairs and accessibility ramps, and preventing frozen pipes.

 

By combining an in-floor heating system with a programmable thermostat, you’ll have one of the most efficient, cozy, and maintenance-free heating sources available to Canadians, and by choosing radiant floor-heating from an Ontario-based provider like Heavenly Heat, you’ll be able to tackle the installation yourself with support from their helpful staff. Learn more at floorheatingsystems.com.

 

Cottage fireplaces

 

We all love summers by the lake, but for many cottagers, autumn is the true cottage season. The highway is sparse, the leaves are dazzling, and the black flies and mosquitoes are long gone. Even if your cottage isn’t winterized, you’re likely tempted to extend cottage season as deep into the fall as possible. And a fireplace is the perfect way to warm up on chilly evenings after embracing the fall colours on a hike.

 

Whether you prefer the smokey crackle of burning logs, the convenience of gas, or the clean flame of biofuel, no cottage is complete without a fireplace, and it’s a fixture that will certainly be on the wish lists of future buyers. And to really up the ante of both your curb appeal and your comfort, an outdoor fireplace can help you embrace your deck on crisp cottage nights when the bugs aren’t biting. The experts at Zoroast, the Fireplace Store, can help you plan a fireplace that’s perfect for your cottage. Learn more at thefireplacestore.ca.

 

Basement waterproofing

 

 

Some upgrades are features that you can sit back and admire. Others add to your enjoyment in more subtle ways, whether it’s saving you money in the long run, making your property more valuable, or simply preventing an emergency during the next unpredictable storm. For cottagers who’ve returned home after a rainy weekend away to find their basement flooded—or for those whose home is close to water—basement waterproofing is one of those upgrades that can protect both your property and your peace of mind. And in the worst-case scenario, GTA-based Direct Waterproofing specializes in foundation repair in addition to its waterproofing and sump-pump services. Learn more at directwaterproofing.ca.

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Cottage Life

What cottagers need to know about Hurricane Fiona financial relief programs

Photo Courtesy of Catherine Simms/Facebook

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced the creation of the Hurricane Fiona Recovery Fund. The fund includes $300 million that will be used over the next two years to aid those impacted by the post-tropical storm that hit Atlantic Canada and Eastern Quebec on September 24.

In a statement, Trudeau said that the fund will cover the costs of rebuilding businesses, fishing wharves, and other infrastructure not covered under the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA).

The DFAA covers 90 per cent of a province’s expenses following a disaster, including transportation, emergency food, shelter, and restoring or replacing uninsurable dwellings and items, such as books and furnishings. A province is eligible for the DFAA when its own disaster response and recovery program is spending over $1 per capita of the province’s population.

In the case of Hurricane Fiona, financial assistance through the DFAA is limited to those who have their primary residence in the affected province. This means cottagers and other secondary property owners aren’t eligible—unless they live in the province, and then the financial assistance would only apply to their primary residence.

Eligibility for the Hurricane Fiona Recovery Fund is still being ironed out, but it’s likely it will follow the same criteria.

“That is pretty standard for these kinds of programs, in our experience,” said Dan Bedell, a spokesperson for the Red Cross, which is handling the distribution of financial aid to residents in Nova Scotia, PEI, and Newfoundland and Labrador. “It is the case with these three [provinces] that we’re supporting…It’s for people who have been displaced from their primary residence, which means it’s the home that they live in either year-round or the most. It normally does not cover cottages, secondary homes, things like that.”

Nova Scotians whose primary residence is unlivable are eligible for $1,000 through the Red Cross. In Newfoundland and Labrador, households that were evacuated from their primary residence and returned by September 30 are eligible for $1,000, and households that were not able to return by September 30 are eligible for $10,000. In PEI, anyone with a primary residence in the province at the time of the storm is eligible for $250.

In Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, Bedell said you have to show proof of being impacted, but in PEI, “the only criteria [is] that you be a resident of Prince Edward Island at the time, and that you have some photo ID or something that confirms that you are who you say you are,” he said. “Just yesterday, for example, there were about 5,000 [PEI residents] that received an e-transfer. That was about $1.25 million just in one day.”

Each of the three provinces is also offering further financial assistance under the DFAA. Once again, only those with a primary residence in the province are eligible.

In Nova Scotia, the province’s Disaster Financial Assistance Program covers damage to a property owner’s primary residence, clean-up costs, and the loss of uninsurable items, such as appliances and furniture. Up to $200,000 per person is available for these repair and replacement costs. The province makes it clear, though, that insured or insurable items (even if insurance wasn’t purchased) aren’t eligible.

Newfoundland and Labrador has allocated $30 million to aid impacted residents and communities. It will follow similar criteria to Nova Scotia. And PEI has said that the amount allocated to impacted individuals will depend on each unique situation.

Those in need of serious financial assistance should document the damage with pictures and then apply for their province’s financial assistance program through their respective government’s website. Individuals have until January 31, 2023, to apply.

For those looking to apply for the funds being distributed by the Red Cross, Bedell said they can register online or call the Red Cross’ toll-free number at 1-800-863-6582. “As of this morning, we had registered through that process, and this is across the four Atlantic provinces, 30,729 households, which represented 65,613 people. And that number goes up every day as more and more people register,” he said.

As for cottagers, especially those whose primary residence is outside the Atlantic provinces, they’ll have to rely on insurance to cover any damages.

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Cottage Life

Short-term rentals a hot-button issue in municipal elections

Photo by GEMINI PRO STUDIO/Shutterstock

The regulation of short-term rentals is proving to be a popular topic of debate in many municipal elections in cottage country. Short-term rental regulation has been a hot-button issue in many areas of late and candidates are divided on how they would approach regulation.

In recent years, countless communities have implemented new bylaws to reign-in short-term rentals hosted on popular websites. Many communities have brought in licencing programs as a way to monitor short-term rentals and some have taken stronger measures such as implementing strict zoning regulations, demerit systems and setting limits for the number of licences available. These regulations have often been introduced to address concerns from residents about excessive noise and unruly parties. 

Due to the spike in cottage prices that has held steady, operating a short-term cottage rental is becoming an increasingly popular route to cottage ownership, and the influx of short-term rentals has made the cottage experience accessible to those who are unable to afford a cottage property. However in some communities like London, Ont. the vacancy rates for short-term rentals are much higher than long-term housing options like apartments, where there is a shortage. With local elections on the horizon, many current and prospective municipal candidates are weighing in with their takes on short-term rental regulation. Here is a glimpse at the conversations being had in three municipal ridings in Ontario. 

Selwyn Township

Candidates for Selwyn town council put forward their thoughts on short-term rental regulations in a Sept. 29 debate. The five candidates who spoke on the issue all supported short-term rental regulation, but disagreed on what measures should be put in place.

Brian Henry, a candidate for Smith Ward, was the lone speaker not to announce his support for a short-term rental licencing program. Henry suggested the township continue to implement an escalating fine for offending short-term rental operators. “There are only a handful of short-term rentals that are problematic within the area. Activating our bylaw office, fining the individuals, and hitting them in the wallet will definitely have an impact on the problem renters,” he says.

The other candidates all stated their support for a licencing system. Ennismore Ward candidate Gail Moorehouse pointed to the licencing programs in place in Prince Edward County and Huntsville as examples of what could be done in Selwyn. “I think what we’ve done is a Band-Aid solution,” Moorehouse said. “We are not addressing the problem.” 

Mary Coulas, Ennismore Ward hopeful, and John Boyko, candidate for Lakefield Ward, both stressed the need for public consultation on the matter. Boyko noted that many cottage owners rely on their rental income to afford their properties and argued that should be taken into consideration when implementing a licencing program. “We can’t put them out of their cottages by making these licences too expensive or the regulations onerous,” Boyko said. 

Niagara-on-the-Lake

Mayoral and council candidates for Niagara-on-the-Lake took on the subject of short-term rental regulations in a Sept. 28 debate. The topic emerged during a conversation on affordable housing, and candidates were asked directly about their support for regulation. 

Council hopeful Nick Ruller suggested the town look into the effects of short-term rentals on the availability of long-term rentals. “They are intertwined and there are direct relationships between the two,” he said. Likewise, incumbent councillor Wendy Cheropita suggested short-term rental bylaws could be a solution to unaffordable housing in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Short-term rentals have been beneficial for visitors and property owners, Cheropita said, but some “bad actors” have caused problems that need to be remedied through regulation.  

Allan Bisback, an incumbent councilor, argued that short-term rentals have a place in Niagara-on-the-Lake. However, Bisback stressed the need to differentiate bed and breakfasts (where hosts live in the property alongside their guests) from short-term rentals (which are often unhosted), a sentiment echoed by incumbent Gary Burroughs. “I actually think they improve the experience on Niagara-on-the-Lake,” said Bisback. “But I actually think we need to be very careful on how we categorize short-term rentals.”

Huntsville 

In a Sept. 29 debate, Huntsville mayoral candidates were asked for their thoughts on the town’s approach to short-term rentals. The town currently operates a short-term rental licencing program and enforces a four per cent Municipal Accommodation Tax. 

Candidate Nancy Alcock said she supports the existing licencing program but would like to review the town’s approach to commercial short-term rental owners. “If it means that we have more stringent penalties or a ‘one-strike and you’re out’ policy, then so be it,” she says. Candidates Stephen Hernen and Reuben Pyette-Bouillon took aim at “absentee operators” of short-term rentals. While Hernen called for a zero-tolerance approach to infractions for owners and occupants, Pyette-Bouillon suggested the town eliminate unhosted short-term rentals. “I’m all for Airbnbs, I think they’re a great opportunity, but I think they need to be owner-occupied,” Pyette-Bouillon said. Mayoral hopeful Tim Withey suggested Huntsville regulate the number of short-term rentals allowed in the town. “I see certain neighborhoods that have completely changed because there are so many of these short-term rentals in the neighborhood that the community fabric is gone and that’s something that I think shouldn’t happen,” he said.

Municipal elections in Ontario are set for Oct. 24. Here’s why you should vote.

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Cottage Life

Fatal plane crash in Hastings Highlands under investigation

Stock photo of Cessna 150. Photo by Gregory Rooken-Smith/Shutterstock

Around 5:45 p.m. on the evening of October 1, a self-built aircraft crashed outside Maynooth, Ont., a 30-minute drive north of Bancroft. The pilot, 51-year-old Jason Reynolds of Hastings Highlands, Ont., sustained fatal injuries during the crash and died that evening. He was the aircraft’s sole passenger.

Ontario Provincial Police’s Bancroft detachment was called around 9 p.m. when Reynolds didn’t return home. OPP searched the area, eventually finding the aircraft and Reynolds, who was pronounced dead a short time later.

Reynolds had been flying a small, self-built propeller plane known as a Super Bear.

On October 2, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada’s (TSB) Air Investigation Branch arrived at the crash site to gather information about the incident. The TSB said that it found aircraft wreckage approximately 160 metres from the end of a private airstrip.

“The aircraft impacted large trees before impacting the ground, and was destroyed,” the TSB said in an email.

The TSB has yet to release whether the crash occurred during takeoff or landing, and what caused the plane to crash into the trees.

“The investigation team is currently examining selected components of the aircraft and gathering further data,” the TSB said.