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unofficial consolidation, the official version is held by the municipal clerk.
BY-LAW NUMBER 2026-36
THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF RIDEAU LAKES
BEING a by-law to regulate and provide for the safety of properties and to
regulate long-term storage of vehicles, trailers and boats.
WHEREAS the Council of The Corporation of the Township of Rideau Lakes has
the authority under the Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c. 25, to pass by-laws for
the health, safety and well-being of persons; the protection of property; and
respecting matters of nuisance, yard maintenance, and the parking or storage of
vehicles on private property;
AND WHEREAS Sections 8 and 9 of the Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c. 25
authorize municipalities to govern their affairs as they consider appropriate and
to exercise powers to enhance the health, safety and well-being of persons and
the protection of property;
AND WHEREAS Section 10(2) of the Municipal Act provides municipalities the
authority to pass by-laws respecting:
(a) Health, safety and well-being of persons;
(b) Protection of persons and property;
AND WHEREAS Section 127 of the Municipal Act authorizes municipalities to
require the cleaning and clearing of yards, including waste, debris, wrecked or
dismantled vehicles, machinery, trailers and similar materials, buildings,
structures, and objects that are unsafe or unsightly;
AND WHEREAS Section 128 of the Municipal Act authorizes municipalities to
prohibit and regulate publicly undesirable or nuisance-related activities on private
property;
AND WHEREAS Section 131 of the Municipal Act authorizes municipalities to
regulate or prohibit the parking, standing or storing of motor vehicles on private
property without the consent of the owner of the property;
AND WHEREAS Section 445 of the Municipal Act, 2001 authorizes
municipalities to repair, secure, or demolish buildings or structures that are in a
dangerous or unsafe condition, and to recover the costs incurred in doing so from
the owner of the property;
AND WHEREAS Council considers it necessary to regulate buildings and
structures that are damaged, deteriorated, partially collapsed, or otherwise
unsafe in order to protect public safety and prevent nuisances within the
Township;
NOW THEREFORE the Council of The Corporation of the Township of Rideau
Lakes enacts as follows:
SECTION 1 — DEFINITIONS
1.1 Rubbish means any discarded, abandoned, or unwanted material of any
kind, including but not limited to household refuse, food waste, packaging, paper,
plastics, scrap materials, spoiled goods, broken or unusable items, yard waste
not stacked or contained for disposal, and any other debris that may create an
unsightly, unsafe, or unsanitary condition.
1.2 Excessive Vegetation Means long grass, weeds, brush, clippings, or other
plant growth that is unmanaged, overgrown, or accumulated in a manner that
may promote fire risk, harbour pests, or create an unsafe or unsightly condition.
1.3 Scrap or Junk Material Means discarded, dismantled, unused, unlicensed,
inoperative, or non-restorable vehicles, trailers, machinery, tools, tires,
appliances, equipment, or any part thereof, excluding materials lawfully stored as
part of a licensed or permitted business and maintained in a safe and orderly
condition.
1.4 Unsafe Storage Means the storage or keeping of materials, products,
substances, or equipment in a manner that poses a risk of fire, explosion,
collapse, chemical reaction, or other danger to persons or property.
1.5 Hazardous Substance Means any combustible, flammable, volatile, caustic,
explosive, or otherwise dangerous substance that is not stored, contained, or
handled in a safe manner.
1.6 Unprotected Hazard Means any pit, excavation, precipice, deep water, or
similar condition that is unfenced, unsecured, or otherwise unprotected against
risk of injury or accident.
1.7 Boat means any vessel designed for navigation on water, including personal
watercraft, whether stored on a trailer or on blocks.
1.8 Front Yard means the area extending across the full width of a lot between
the front lot line and the nearest wall of the main building or structure.
1.9 Long-Term Storage means the placement, parking, or leaving of a vehicle,
boat, trailer, indoor furnishings or property maintenance equipment in
substantially the same location for a period exceeding six (6) consecutive
months.
1.10 Owner includes the registered owner of the property, a lessee, tenant,
occupant, or any person managing or controlling the property.
1.11 Trailer means a vehicle designed to be attached to and drawn by a motor
vehicle and intended to transport property, equipment, or recreational units.
1.12 Vehicle means a motor vehicle as defined in the Highway Traffic Act,
including cars, trucks, vans, motorcycles, recreational vehicles, and off-road
vehicles, whether operable or inoperable.
1.13 Damaged or Unsafe Building means a building or structure that, by reason
of damage, deterioration, partial collapse, neglect, exposure, or other condition,
poses a risk to public safety, creates an unsafe or hazardous condition, or
constitutes a nuisance, regardless of the cause of such condition.
1.13 Nuisance means any condition, activity, or thing that, in the opinion of a By-
Law Enforcement Officer, negatively affects the health, safety, well-being, or
reasonable enjoyment of property by persons, or poses a risk to public safety,
including but not limited to conditions that are unsafe, unsightly, offensive,
obstructive, or likely to cause injury, damage, or disturbance.
SECTION 2 - GENERAL PROPERTY MAINTENANCE
2.1 No owner or occupant of any property shall cause, allow or permit any
building, yard lot or grounds to be or remain in a condition contrary to the
requirements of this by-law.
2.2 Every property in the Township of Rideau Lakes shall be kept in a safe
condition consistent with surrounding properties, and shall be free from any
unsafe condition, nuisance, or hazard, including but not limited to the presence
of:
(a) Rubbish, garbage, waste, or debris;
(b) Excessive growth or accumulation of vegetation;
(c) Unsafe storage of materials or substances;
(d) Scrap, junk, or unused materials, including vehicles, trailers, or equipment;
(e) Unprotected hazards or excavations;
(f) Damaged or unsafe buildings or structures;
(g) Unsafe storage of combustible, flammable, or hazardous substances.
SECTION 3 - DAMAGED OR UNSAFE BUILDINGS
3.1 No owner or occupant shall permit a damaged or unsafe building to remain
on a property in a condition that is unsafe, unsecured, or constitutes a nuisance.
3.2 Where a By-Law Enforcement Officer determines that a damaged or unsafe
building poses a risk to the health or safety of any person, or constitutes an
unsafe condition or nuisance, the Officer may issue an order requiring the owner
to do one or more of the following:
(a) Secure the building against unauthorized entry;
(b) Remove loose, unstable, or hazardous materials;
(c) Fence, barricade, or otherwise protect the area;
(d) Clean and clear debris from the property;
(e) Repair, remove, or demolish the damaged or unsafe building,
where necessary to eliminate the unsafe condition or nuisance.
3.3 An order issued under this section shall specify the time within which the
required work must be completed.
3.4 Where an owner fails to comply with an order issued under this section, the
Township may carry out the required work and recover the costs in accordance
with Section 445 of the Municipal Act, 2001, including recovery in like manner as
municipal taxes.
SECTION 4 — REGULATION OF LONG-TERM STORAGE IN FRONT YARDS
4.1 This Section applies only to lands located within Settlement Areas, as
defined and designated in the Municipality's Official Plan, as amended from time
to time.
4.2 No owner or occupant of a property shall permit the long-term storage of any
vehicle, boat, trailer, indoor furnishings, or property maintenance equipment
within a front yard for a period exceeding six (6) consecutive months.
4.3 The following constitute long-term storage:
(a) A vehicle, boat, or trailer not moved from the front yard for six months or
longer;
(b) Any trailer or boat stored on blocks or supports in the front yard;
(c) Any similar condition indicating non-active use.
4.4 Exemptions:
(a) Vehicles parked on an established driveway;
(b) One licensed and operable personal-use vehicle stored temporarily for less
than 60 days;
(c) Items expressly permitted under the Zoning By-law.
4.5 The Officer may require the owner to relocate the item to a lawful area of the
property or remove it entirely within a timeframe specified in an order.
SECTION 5 — RESPONSIBILITY FOR BLOWN MATERIALS
5.1 The owner of every property shall be responsible for the rubbish, garbage,
waste or other debris which has blown, drifted or otherwise been transported
from his property including the collection and removal of the rubbish, garbage
waste or other debris as directed by a By-Law Enforcement Officer or Peace
Officer.
SECTION 6 —- INSPECTIONS
6.1 Any By-Law enforcement Officer or Peace Officer, or any person acting on
the Officer's instructions, may at all reasonable times and upon producing proper
identification, enter onto any property for the purpose of inspecting the property
to determine whether there has been a contravention of this By-Law.
SECTION 7 - ORDERS AND ENFORCEMENT
7.1 An officer who finds a contravention of this By-Law may, in addition to any
other legal remedies or enforcement proceedings available to the municipality,
make an order directing compliance with this By-Law and may require the order
to be carried out immediately or within such time as is specified in the order.
7.2 The order shall be served by personal service or registered mail on the owner
of the property as appears on the last revised rolls of the municipality, and any
other person whom the officer believes is contravening this By-Law.
7.3 The order shall contain sufficient information to specify the nature of the
contravention, its location, a description of the work required to bring the property
into conformity with this By-Law, and a statement that failure to comply with the
order within the time specified shall entitle the municipality itself or by its
contractors or agents to enter onto the property without further notice ford the
purpose of performing the work set out in the order and otherwise bringing the
property up to the standards prescribed ;by this By-Law and recovering all
expenses incurred in so doing by action or in like manner as municipal taxes.
7.4 Notwithstanding the foregoing, if upon inspection of a property, an officer is
satisfied that the property poses an immediate danger to the health or safety of
any person, the officer may perform or cause to be performed at the owner's
expense such remedial repairs or other work necessary to terminate the
immediate danger.
7.5 Every person who fails to comply with an order issued under the provisions of
this By-Law, or who contravenes any other provision of this By-Law is guilty of an
offence and on conviction is liable to a minimum fine of not less than $500.00
and not more than the maximum fine of $5,000.00.
7.6 If an owner or occupant of a property fails to comply with an order issued
pursuant to this By-Law, the Municipality shall have the right to enter onto the
property without further notice and to carry out such work as to otherwise bring
the property up to the standards prescribed in the order at the expense of the
owner, and the municipality may recover the expense of performing such work by
action or in like manner as municipal taxes.
7.7 Any owner or occupant of a property, who has been served an order, may
appeal this order, or any part thereof to the Council of The Corporation of the
Township of Rideau Lakes.
7.8 Any owner or occupant of a property who is appealing an order, or any part
thereof, to Council must do so within twenty-one (21) days of receipt of the order.
SECTION 8 —- OFFENCE & PENALTIES
8.1 Every person who contravenes any provision of this by-law, is guilty of an
offence.
8.2 Penalties shall be imposed in accordance with Sections 425, 429 and 434.1
of the Municipal Act, 2001, including fines for continuing offences, special fines
and AMPs.
SECTION 9 — ADMINISTRATION
The provisions of this by-law shall be administered by the By-Law Enforcement
Officer of the Township of Rideau Lakes.
SECTION 10 — SHORT TITLE
This By-Law may be referred to as the “Safe Property By-Law’.
AND FURTHER that this By-Law repeals any previous contravening By-Laws,
Resolutions, Motions or Actions of Council — 2006-85.
Wf, be yead a first and second time this 1 day of April, 2026.
Ae ME dor ks
Clerk
ayor
Rayer oN J Mary Ellen Truelove
time and finally passed this “day of Apdcil , 2026.
“™M eth plore —
Mary Ellen Truelove
Clerk