Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

RANKIN INLET - Rankin Inlet's hamlet council is cracking down on illegal construction around town.

Owners adding porches, shacks or extensions onto their properties without a building permit can likely expect a visit from a local bylaw officer in the coming weeks, along with a hefty fine.

Rankin planning and lands administrator Chantal Maley holds up a stop work order, which residents can expect to get slapped with if they have been building without a permit. Hamlet council said they will be cracking down on building being done without the proper paperwork or contrary to the zoning bylaw. - Karen Mackenzie/NNSL photo

"There is way too much of this building going on lately," said council member Pelagie Sharp, who also sits on the lands committee. "We just want people to know that before you build anything - a porch, shed, garage - you should get an application."

The application for development permit is available from the hamlet office, and owners must also get the lot map from the Department of Community and Government Services and a green light from the fire marshal.

All this required under the hamlet's zoning bylaw.

The cost of the process ranges depending on whether it is a residential or business property, from $25 to $75.

Without it, owners could face a minimum $500 fine, with another $100 tacked on for every day the offence continues.

The lands committee, which also includes council member Harry Towtongie, has been meeting once or twice a week to keep up with the demands for new building permits around town.

"There has just been so many this year, and there are a lot of people that go through the right channels. We have a short summer so we try to do it as fast as possible," Sharp said.

"The town is growing and more people are buying houses and wanting to expand," Towtongie added.

Building must be done according to the municipal zoning bylaws. For instance a garage built too close to the road causes blind spots during winter blizzards, according to Sharp.

It could also narrow the roadways to the point that emergency vehicles may have a hard time getting through, she added.

"Two or three stop-work orders have been handed out in the past few weeks but there are quite a few more out there," she said. "Bylaw and planning and staff will be going out for a look around town for more."

Council also unanimously rejected a permit application at last week's council meeting for work which had already begun, and which exceeded the maximum variance without a permit.

Council member Hamish Tatty said he hoped the decision would be an "example of what will happen if people don't apply" for permits.