The Municipality of Hastings Highlands held its Regular Meeting of Council on September 16, 2026. Council tackled critical rural land-use decisions, building permit updates, emergency services, and community economic initiatives.
Below is an extensive breakdown of the decisions, background details, real estate impacts, and local perspective from the September 16 agenda and official past minutes.
🪵 Topic 1: The Proposed Maynooth Wood Festival
Summary of Decisions
Council received a delegation from Steve Wilkins representing the Bancroft Area Stewardship Council (BASC)regarding a proposal to launch the Maynooth Wood Festival at the community Loggers Field. BASC requested that the municipality, as the landlord of Loggers Field, collaborate with BASC (the tenant) to host an annual festival celebrating woodcrafting, forestry heritage, sustainability, and local economic growth.
The Big News/Controversy: Why It Matters
Loggers Field was originally secured and developed through community drive and municipal cooperation. BASC's proposal leverages proximity to downtown Maynooth to boost local business revenues. Bringing new festivals into Maynooth helps revive the local artisan and timber culture while generating tourism dollars.
The Real Estate Impact
Community Vibrancy & Tourism: Dynamic local events enhance Maynooth’s reputation as an artistic hub, driving buyer interest for nearby residential properties and small businesses.
Property Impact: Increased recreational infrastructure and active community spaces in Maynooth support long-term property values and make surrounding acreage listings attractive to out-of-town buyers.
The Local Perspective
Forestry, woodworking, and outdoor stewardship are deeply ingrained in the lifestyle of North Hastings. Reutilizing Loggers Field for forestry-based gatherings reinforces regional identity while respecting the surrounding natural environment.
📐 Topic 2: Zoning Bylaw Amendment R-2026-005 (Cross Country Road / Monteagle)
Summary of Decisions
Council passed Bylaw 2026-035 to amend Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw 2004-035 for Part of Lot 21, Concession 8, Monteagle Township (1077 Hybla Rd / Cross Country Rd). The zoning changed from Marginal Agriculture (MA) to a site-specific Special Rural Residential (RR-143). This satisfies Condition 9 of Provisional Consent File B101/24 from Hastings County, recognizing a reduced setback from an unlicensed, adjacent Mineral Extractive (MX) zone and formalizing the 2.06-hectare severed lot size.
Staff Report Highlights
Planner: John Jardine.
Lot Frontage: 121.92 metres on Cross Country Road (a year-round municipal road).
Policy Compliance: The proposal complies with the Provincial Planning Statement (2024) and Minimum Distance Separation (MDS) guidelines. The database shows no active pit licenses, and the front yard setback of 20 metres maintains a 103.2-metre distance from the MX zone.
Agency Feedback: Hastings Highlands Interlake Land Use Planning Committee reviewed the file and noted no environmental concerns.
The Real Estate Impact
Severance Approvals: Finalizing site-specific zoning allows newly created severance lots to be fully building-permit ready.
Property Impact: Turning vacant land into buildable rural residential parcels increases available housing stock and inventory in Monteagle Township.
The Local Perspective
Ensuring compatible land use between historical aggregate/extractive zones and new rural homes protects residential quiet while preserving existing municipal road infrastructure.
🏹 Topic 3: Zoning Bylaw Amendment R-2026-010 (Hunt Camp on Herschel Forest Trail)
Summary of Decisions
Council passed Bylaw 2026-036, amending the zoning for Lot 16, Concession 11, Geographic Township of Herschel, from Marginal Agriculture (MA) to a site-specific Special Limited Service Residential-144 (LSR-144). All Environmental Protection (EP) areas remain unchanged. This site-specific exception allows for a 34' x 50' seasonal, 3-season hunt camp on a 100-acre parcel surrounded by Crown land that does not front on a publicly maintained municipal road.
Staff Report Highlights
Planner: John Jardine.
Site Details: Land is accessed via Herschel Forest Trail (unopened/unmaintained). The proposed building sits in an existing clearing with no plumbing, heated by wood fireplace.
Natural Heritage: Located in a Deer Yard (Stratum 1) and within 1,000 metres of the historic, abandoned Peever graphite mine. Planners determined the small seasonal scale poses no environmental risk, avoiding the need for a full Environmental Impact Study.
Agency Feedback: No public or agency objections were received.
The Big News/Controversy: Why It Matters
Developing off-grid acreage or hunt camps without public road frontage requires specific municipal zoning exceptions under Limited Service Residential rules. Buyers must acknowledge that the municipality does not provide road maintenance, snowplowing, or emergency access guarantees on private or Crown trails.
The Real Estate Impact
Unserviced Acreage Values: Proving that hunt camps can be legally permitted on unmaintained trails preserves high demand for large recreational tracts, hunting parcels, and off-grid acreage across the Haliburton and Hastings Highlands borders.
Property Impact: Proper LSR zoning protects property owners by securing legal build rights for recreational structures while shielding the municipality from road maintenance liabilities.
The Local Perspective
Hunting and wilderness recreation are core lifestyle elements in rural Ontario. Allowing seasonal usage while protecting Environmental Protection zones around waterbodies keeps local ecosystems intact.
🏚️ Topic 4: Dormant Building Permits & Ultimate Limitation Period Policy
Summary of Decisions
Council accepted the report from Chief Building Official Martin Cox and adopted the Dormant Building Permits and the Ultimate Limitation Period Policy. CBO Martin Cox is now authorized to implement this province-wide best-practice framework (developed jointly by OLMCBO and OBOA) to handle historical, uninspected, or open building permits.
Staff Report Highlights
Context: Open, dormant building permits created years or decades ago present liability risks and administrative backlogs, as structural components are often finished and enclosed.
Legal Alignment: Guided by the Limitations Act, 2002 (15-year ultimate limitation period) and key case law (Huether v. Sharpe, 2025 ONCA 140), the policy dictates that an unclosed file alone does not create indefinite municipal liability.
Policy Framework
0 to <5 Years Inactive: Proactive municipal follow-up, potential site inspection within 12 months, or permit revocation under Section 8(10) of the Building Code Act.
5 to <15 Years Inactive: No proactive municipal enforcement. If an inspection is requested during real estate inquiries, finishes may need to be exposed or a qualified professional engineer retained.
15+ Years Inactive: The municipality will not conduct inspections or initiate enforcement. Buyers/sellers are advised to retain private qualified consultants to evaluate the structure independently.
Revoked Permits: No further municipal inspections. A brand-new building permit is required for any further work.
The Real Estate Impact
Title Search & Closing Guidance: OPEN building permits are a frequent hurdle during real estate transactions! This policy provides clear answers for lawyers, buyers, and sellers handling old permits on rural properties.
Property Impact: Buyers looking at homes with older permits over 15 years old will need private home inspections rather than expecting municipal building officials to sign off on legacy construction.
🚨 Topic 5: Automatic Aid Agreement with Madawaska Valley
Summary of Decisions
Council enacted Bylaw 2026-037, authorizing a renewal of the Automatic Aid Agreement between the Municipality of Hastings Highlands and the Township of Madawaska Valley, repealing former Bylaw 2023-025. The agreement runs concurrently with the term of Council through 2030.
Staff Report Highlights
Fire Chief: Bryce Robinson.
Scope of Service: Madawaska Valley Fire Department provides first-response exterior structure fire suppression, vehicle, and grass/brush fire response to designated boundary properties in Bangor Township (including properties along Wigry Lane, Parchers Road, Barrymere Drive, Ohio Road, Perrier Road, Highway 517, Coulas Road, Schweig Road, and Mullen Road).
Dispatch & Transfer: Emergency 9-1-1 calls go to Belleville/St. Catharines dispatch and transfer automatically to Renfrew Dispatch. Madawaska Valley arrives first on scene due to geographic proximity, transferring scene command to Hastings Highlands Fire Department upon their arrival.
Billing & Rates: Services rendered are billed at current Ministry of Transportation (MTO) rates.
The Real Estate Impact
Insurance Rates: Automatic aid agreements guarantee rapid first-responder deployment to remote or border properties.
Property Impact: Guaranteed fire response coverage directly protects homeowner insurance eligibility and reduces premium costs for waterfront and rural property owners along the Hastings-Renfrew border.
📊 Topic 6: Building Department Monthly Activity (To August 31, 2026)
Summary of Decisions
Council received the Chief Building Official's monthly activity report detailing construction metrics up to August 31, 2026.
Key Statistics
Permits Issued: 81 permits issued YTD (compared to 125 in August 2025).
Construction Value: $10,977,467.40 generated in construction value (compared to $20,070,340.30 in August 2025).
Permit Revenue: $153,283.01 collected in permit fees and compliance letters.
Housing Creation: 13 new dwelling units created YTD (including single-detached, additional dwelling units, and recreational dwellings).
Breakdown: 23 accessory structures, 23 sewage/septic systems, 22 residential buildings, and 10 demolitions.
The Real Estate Impact
Construction Trends: While total construction value has adjusted compared to the record high in 2025, residential development and septic installations remain steady across Hastings Highlands.
Property Impact: Strong investment in residential additions, bunkies, and septic replacements highlights ongoing owner reinvestment in rural and waterfront real estate.
🛠️ Topic 7: Operations Department Report & Road Works
Summary of Decisions
Council accepted the August 2026 Operations Report submitted by Operations Manager Denver Mayhew, detailing road maintenance, ditching, and infrastructure care.
Operational Highlights
Brushing & Tree Clearing: Completed on Williams Lake Rd, Hillsview Rd, Scott Line Rd, Dwire Rd, and Brethour Rd.
Culvert & Ditching Upgrades: Culverts replaced on Graphite Rd, Hillsview Rd, Hybla Rd, and McAllister Rd. Beaver grates cleared on Papineau Lake Rd, Lake St. Peter Rd, and Greenview Rd.
Landfill Operations: Material grinding for construction/demolition waste commenced at East Lake waste site. Winter sand hauling completed for sand domes at Musclow/Greenview and Highway 62.
📑 Summary of Decisions from Previous Council Minutes (August 5, 2026)
To maintain complete coverage of municipal proceedings, here are the key resolutions adopted during the August 5, 2026 Council meeting:
Williams Lake Road Widening (Bylaw 2026-034): Passed a bylaw accepting the land transfer of Part of Lots 9 & 10, Concession 1 (McClure Township) from Wendy Keating for municipal road widening.
Asset Management Plan: Accepted the 2026 Annual Asset Management Progress Report presented under O. Reg. 588/17.
Community Grants Review: Approved continuing the Miscellaneous Grant Program for funding requests under $500 and directed procedural updates for requests over $500.
25th Anniversary Clock Unveiling: Authorized planning for Hastings Highlands' 25th-anniversary commemorative clock event.
Joint Election Compliance Audit Committee (Bylaw 2026-031): Established the joint committee for the upcoming 2026 municipal election.
📞 Call To Action: Partner With Your Local Expert
Navigating municipal bylaws, zoning amendments, open building permits, or severance conditions requires local experience and clear answers. Whether you are buying a waterfront cottage on Papineau Lake, looking for off-grid acreage in Herschel, or selling a home in Maynooth, I am here to help you make informed decisions!
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