If you are thinking about buying a cottage in the Parry Sound or Muskoka region, or you\u2019ve recently purchased one, you may not know that there\u2019s a 66-foot stretch of land along your shoreline that might not be your property! It\u2019s called a shore (or shoreline) road allowance (SRA), and for some cottagers, it\u2019s a big deal. Let\u2019s have a look at this issue and how it may or may not impact your cottage purchase and enjoyment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The history of shore road allowances <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n While\nwe typically think of a road as a stretch of pavement or gravel for cars, in\nthis instance, \u2018road\u2019 refers to a section of land for public access. In the\n1800s, Crown land surveyors in our region marked off a 66-foot section of each\nproperty plot along the shore as a shore road. The initial intention was to\nallow for loggers, travellers, and waterway transportation companies to have\naccess to the shore, but cars and railways soon took over and it became a\nrather inconsequential issue. However, the past several decades have seen an\ninflux of cottages on our lakes and rivers, as well as increased use of\nsnowmobiles and ATVs along these public lands, resulting in new interest in\nthis unique property law. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What does it mean for you? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nmajority of cottage owners in our region have a shore road allowance in place,\nwhich is marked on their deed accordingly when they purchase the property. For\nmany, there is no direct or negative implication, and usually, they are\ngrandfathered in (non-conforming use) and can enjoy their waterfront, docks,\nand boathouses as usual. However, it becomes an issue from time to time when\nsomeone wants to sell the cottage, build a new dock or boathouse that doesn\u2019t conform\nto local legislation, or when there\u2019s a nuisance from public use of these lands\nfrom boats, ATVs, snowmobiles and so on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n