 |
Home  Infocentre Guidelines & Factsheets The Dock Primer
The Dock Primer
The approval process begins with you. Makes sense; it is, after all, your
dock. With the map of your shoreline and your wish list of shoreline desires
spread out on the kitchen table, use what you've learned about dock shapes
and types from Sections 2 and 3 to look for solutions. How will a dock work
here? Perhaps it would be better at the opposite end of the shoreline? Based
on the terrain - both submerged and above-water - what type of dock is best
for both you and the environment? What shape of dock will best accommodate
your wish list of activities? Make copies of your original site map and let
members of the family explore different solutions. When a consensus has been
arrived at (through democratic
process or dictatorial rule), the next step is to get approval from whatever
government agencies might take an interest in your proposed dock.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has the responsibility to protect fish habitat
anywhere in Canada. And since shoreline alterations can affect the life and
times of a fish, your dock falls under the jurisdiction of the DFO. Naturally,
this being Canada, the provinces have also got into the act (the Fisheries
Act, to be specific), as have regional Conservation Authorities. Perhaps it
doesn't need saying, but when it comes to getting approval for any kind of
shoreline work it's always best to start at the bottom and work up. So in Ontario,
your first stop for approval should be the local Conservation Authority, or
Parks Canada office, then the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), and finally
the DFO. You may not have to talk to each of these agencies separately. For
instance, some Conservation Authorities or Parks Canada office may handle the
entire process on behalf of the others, or the MNR may do it all, but the only
surefire way to find out is to ask (see the
contact information). It's also important to remember that some municipalities
now require building permits for dock construction, so you'll need to check
there too.
The size, shape, and location of your dock - or perhaps even whether you can
have one at all - will all come under review by the powers that be, so don't
be surprised if you're asked to make some changes. But making adjustments at
this stage - when your dock is still in erasable pencil on paper - is much
easier and more economical than altering the finished work. And, of course,
fines have yet to be imposed for nonconforming plans (at least at the time
of this writing).
Begin the mapping and designing process in the summer when you can accurately
assess current and proposed waterfront activities. Present your plan to government
agencies in the winter or late fall when those in charge of approvals have
the time to look at your proposal and suggest alternatives should there be
a problem. Waiting until spring to talk to the government gang could result
in long delays before your plan is even considered, and don't expect much personal
attention.
By getting all the paperwork taken care of when the lake is frozen, you could
be building your dock in the spring and sipping lemonade on its deck by summer.
Having a shoreline map, photos, and a well thought out plan eases a bureaucrat's
job (and they're all overworked, remember), which in turn will definitely improve
the odds of getting a timely "okay" to proceed.
And no lemonade tastes sweeter than that sipped from a deck chair on your
own dock, while your mind drifts with the breeze. Now, let's see...maybe
an L-section
attached to the end would just be enough to get the chair out into the sun.
That's the other thing about docks - when construction stops, invariably
the wish list begins anew.
|
