The zoning by-laws touch many aspects related to the development and land planning:

• zoning
• lot subdivision
• construction
• permits and certificates
• construction permits
• urban planning committee
• minor derogation
• architectural integration
• comprehensive development programs
• municipal works agreements

Here is a list of the works requiring a permit or certificate of authorization:

• Building construction;
• Building addition or transformation;
• Building repair;
• Building demolition;
• Building displacement;
• Septic installation;
• Tree cutting;
• Sign installation, modification, or repair;
• Pool installation;
• Work was done on the shoreline of a lake, river, or littoral zone;
• Cadastral operation (subdivision);
• Usage change for an immovable;
• Road construction;
• Access to your property from the public road (culvert);
• Well drilling

Cost and delay for permits

Construction permit 

Before undertaking a construction, transformation, or addition project you must first obtain a permit from the building and environment inspector.  The permit request must be made on the forms provided by the municipality.

Here are the documents you must submit to obtain a construction permit :

• site planning
• plans, elevations, sketch, cross-sections, and all that is required to clearly understand the project
• cost estimate of the project
• new single-family dwelling declaration (if necessary)
• certificate of location

Other documents may be required depending on the type of project and the location.

Certificate of authorization for the repair of an existing building

Before repairing an existing building you must first obtain a certificate of authorization from the building and environment inspector.  The permit request must be made on the forms provided by the municipality.  The following document must be submitted :

• a plan or sketch of the site, dimensions, and nature of repairs;
• plans, elevations, sketch, cross-sections, and all that is required by the construction by-law including the usage of the land and building;

Other documents may be required depending on the type of project and the location.

Certificate of authorization for other purposes

Before demolishing or displacing a building, putting up or repairing a sign, installing a pool, doing work by the shoreline or near the lakeside, changing the purpose of a building, drilling a well, building a street, you must obtain authorization from the inspector.  The person who wishes to obtain authorization must submit the following:

• identification of the owner or his/her representative
• identification of the present and future land use;
• a plan to scale;
• identification of the person or entrepreneur responsible for the work, an estimate of the duration, and an estimate of the time interval during which the work will be done.

Other documents may be required depending on the type of project and the location.

Authorization for septic installation

Before installing a septic installation you must first obtain a certificate of authorization from the building and environment inspector. The request must be made on the forms provided by the municipality.  The following documents must be submitted :

• percolation test results proving that the land is suitable to the proposed septic installations, this is required for the modification of an existing system and for all new systems;
• site planning to scale showing the septic installation site, the well, the building being serviced, property limits, any watercourse nearby, neighboring properties, and the distance from their well

Certificate of authorization for tree cutting

If you wish to cut more than 10% of the commercial wood of an area of 5000 m2 or more per year, or cut trees near the shore, you must obtain a certificate of authorization to that effect.  The request must be made on the forms provided by the municipality.  The following documents must be submitted :

• name of the contractor doing the wood cutting or person having the rights tp cut and the name  of the forestry engineer having approved the work, if necessary;
• location of the land and description of the work for which  the authorization is requested
• a forestry prescription concerning forestry works when available
• in the case where there is cutting of more than 20% of the commercial tree of a land per year, a management plan prepared by a forestry engineer.

Tree planting

The planting of poplar, aspen and willow is not allowed withing six (6) meters of the roadside limits.

Shoreline protection and buffer strips 

Vegetation control near a lake or watercours:

«Any intervention to control vegetation, including cutting grass, brush clearing, tree cutting, is forbidden near any lake or watercourses on a 5 meter buffer strip, measured from the high water mark, when the average slope is less than 30%.  The buffer strip has a 7.5 meter depth when the slope is more than 30%.»

Despite this, it is allowed to cut a strip of 2 meters of grass around a building that existed before the by-law was adopted.

Want to learn more?

The use buffer strips

Lot subdivision

Before any cadastral operation wether including roads or not, you must obtain a permit from the building inspector.  The request must be made on the forms provided by the municipality.  The following documents must be submitted : 

• plan of the cadastral operation before they are submitted to the ministère des Ressources naturelles, cadastral division;
• a promise to transfer any roads to the municipality include in the cadastral plan

Other documents may be required depending on the project or location.

Temporary garages

Between October 15^th and April 15^th, it is allowed to install a maximum of two (2) temporary car shelters for a maximum of two (2) cars per property.  Outside of that period, the car shelters are not allowed.

Garage sale

Two (2) garage sales per year are authorized on municipal territory. There must be no encroachment on public road, and signs must be placed on your property only. It is forbidden to obstruct the visibility of motorists and pedestrians by displaying merchandise or putting up signs. No permit is required, but you must notify the municipality before holding your garage sale.

Note

The municipality has adopted a by-law concerning architectural integration for the Massawippi valley sector.  This by-law concerns construction and tree cutting.  If you have any projects in that sector, you may have to respect certain criteria.

If you wish to consult the zoning by-laws they are available at the Town Hall which is open from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 and from 1 to 4 p.m.