What are the responsibilities of property owners regarding shorewalls?

Property owners in Lagoon City are responsible for:

• Construction and maintenance of the shorewall along their property abutting the canals, as outlined in Bylaw 2020.16, which was amended by Bylaw 2020.57
• Obtaining necessary permits from the Township and L.S.R.C.A.
• Undergoing Shorewall inspections as required.

Removable decks and patios are allowed but permanent structures are not permitted within the “restricted area” which is within 25 feet or 7.6 metres of the shorewall. This is to ensure there is no interference with the shorewall tiebacks. Before adding any removable decking or patio, please ensure your shorewall is in good condition.

View the Shorewall Procedures and Processes Information Package.

What permits are required for shorewalls?

Shorewall works require a permit from:

• the Township of Ramara Building Department at a cost of $75.00
• the – L.S.R.C.A. - Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority at a cost of $300.00.

Shorewalls are engineered structures. Bylaw 2020.16 contains engineered drawings for standardized shorewalls in Lagoon City. As a property owner you are required to hire your own engineer to sign-off on the works conducted on your shorewall. Often, contractors have their own engineer that they use on a regular basis for these cases.

What are the responsibilities of the LCPWC over shorewalls?

The Lagoon City Parks & Waterways (the “Commission”) has authority over the Lagoon City shorewalls through provincial legislation Bill Pr11 and Township of Ramara Bylaw 2020.16.

The Township has an easement over the first 10 feet of land from the shorewall, which allows the Commission to enter your lands to conduct shorewall inspections.

If a property owner does not construct or maintain the shorewall in good repair, the Commission may do repairs to the shorewall, at the property owner's expense. These charges shall be deemed as taxes and may be levied and collected by the Township.

The Commission will get a quote for the required shorewall works. The property owner will be advised of the works that will be completed by the Commission along with a copy of the quotation. The property owner will have the opportunity to make oral or written representation to the Commission as to the necessity of repair or cost of construction or repair of the property work. The Commission will consider any objection, confirm or vary the proposed work and advise the property owner of its decision.

What is the purpose of the Shorewall Inspection Program?

The Shorewall Inspection Program works to:

• maintain the existing shorewalls
• preserve the canals for the long term
• avoid future problems and costly expenses

What are the steps of the Shorewall Inspection Program?

Phase 1

Properties were inspected in 2016 by Tatham Engineering. From this inspection, residents received a report stating the condition of their shorewall:  good, fair, poor or not accessible.  It also identified any specific issues such as leaning/warping of wall panels or top cap; cracking/splitting of wall panels or top cap; exposed piles or tiebacks; erosion, etc.

The property owner is responsible for any repairs that are required, whether you hire a contractor and/or engineer, it is up to the property owner.  An engineer is required to sign-off on any permits obtained from the Township or the LSRCA.  Professional contractors often have their own engineer to sign-off on their works.

Properties were sent a letter with a September 5, 2020 deadline to submit a plan and a March 31, 2021 deadline for completion of works.

Phase 2 

The Township of Ramara's Chief Building Official has conducted initial inspections to determine the condition of shorewalls in Lagoon City. Inspections are limited to portions of the shorewalls and surrounding grade accessible from land and water. 

Property owners were required to remove all decking and structures from the 25 foot restricted area for the inspections. If a structure interfered with our inspection and we expect there is an unseen deficiency, the structure will have to be removed for us to complete a return inspection, at an additional cost. 

The results of the preliminary inspection will be mailed out near the end of October 2020, and will include notification if an engineer’s inspection will be required. The engineer’s inspection costs will be based on a per linear meter of shorewall.

The property owner is responsible for any repairs that are required, whether you hire a contractor and/or engineer, it is up to the property owner.  An engineer is required to sign-off on any permits obtained from the Township or the LSRCA.  Professional contractors often have their own engineer to sign-off on their works.

Shorewall Inspection Program Package

Inspection Program Overview dated October 23, 2017

Phase 1 Report prepared by C.C. Tatham & Associates, dated November 23, 2016

Phase 1 Inspection Presentation prepared by C.C. Tatham & Associates, dated November 10, 2016

What are the steps for Shorewall Repairs?

1. Contact a qualified shorewall repair contractor or engineer. Meet with a few to determine one who best meets your needs;
2. If you have a shorewall report from Tatham Engineering, review this with your contractor/engineer and obtain an estimate for repairs;
3. Decide with your contractor/engineer how you are going to repair/replace your wall. Bylaw 2020.16 contains standardized drawings;
4. If you choose an alternate method of construction, it will be required to be engineered by your own engineer; submit engineered drawings to the Township along with a $750.00 deposit for the Township's engineer review. Approval must be obtained from the Township's Engineer and the Lagoon City Parks & Waterways Commission;
5. Obtain any required permits from the Township of Ramara Building Department, Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority and any other permit that may be required. Your contractor or engineer may obtain these permits on your behalf;
6. Contact Ontario One Call 1(800)400-2255 and obtain locates before you dig;
7. Arrange for the construction;
8. Arrange for your engineer to sign-off on all permits issued by the Township and the L.S.R.C.A. in order to close the files.

When will my Property be Inspected?

Phase 2 of the shorewall inspection program is underway. The inspections are being completed by the CBO at no cost to the property owners. An engineers inspection will only be required for those properties noted by CBO. Inspections have began but are not yet completed. Those requiring an engineer's inspection will be subject to a charge on a cost recovery basis priced per linear meter inspected. 

Future Inspection Phases can be viewed here.