Do you need to get a permit to build a fishing hut on the ice in winter?
No, you don’t need a permit. But, in Ontario, south of the line between Wawa and Kirkland Lake, you do need to register your hut. You can do this for free, by phone or in person at your local ministry office. You will be given a registration number, which you must display on the side of your hut, in numbers at least six centimetres in height.
The ministry requires registration so that it can track down hut owners in case of any problems, such as garbage left outside or a hut not removed from the lake by the appropriate date. Abandoned huts become environmental and navigational hazards when the ice breaks up. Ministry dates for removal range from March 1 to March 31, depending on how far north you are.
