“It’s our prototype and it’s starting to look nice inside,” Nimens said, speaking to the CBC from inside the floating cottage. “It’s not nice on the outside because we’re not done yet,” he said. “And we had to start somewhere.” Nimens says construction began a little more than two years ago and moved shortly thereafter. He pulled the structure into the water for the first time about 18 months ago. Nimens spoke to CBC News from inside the houseboat he built from two container ships. (CBC News) But the construction has angered some residents of this community about 160 kilometers north of Toronto, who have expressed concerns about the safety of floating structures on waterways and their impact on the environment. Also at issue is the fact that the container ship has been designated a “vessel” by Transport Canada, meaning the structure is not governed by the Ontario building code or permits and is therefore not subject to municipal zoning. – meaning there is little local governments can do to regulate them.
Lake bottom
Niemens maintains that he is not breaking any rules. Now he’s building four houseboats for sale — and says he’s continuing with a plan to build more. Unlike houseboats, which have engines and can navigate themselves through bodies of water, these floating container ships cannot propel themselves and must be towed — some residents said the CBC is a concern for their safety. They also differ from other houseboats that are permanently moored in a marina and attached to a septic system and other utilities. Peter Koetsier, mayor of the adjacent Township of Georgia Bay, says he’s hearing “a lot of concern” from residents in his area about the structures. Those concerns, he says, range from the environmental impact if the Styrofoam that covers the bottom of Nimens’ house degrades to the construction’s wastewater management. “They are very concerned about the water quality, including the flotation that is breaking up…. We worry about gray water and black water. We are concerned about the use of the lands and areas around us without following any of the rules,” Koetsier told CBC Toronto. Nimen’s floating cottage has spats, large metal poles that drop down and anchor it to the bottom of the lake when it’s out in the water. As a vessel, it is allowed to anchor on Crown land for up to 21 days. Peter Koetsier is the mayor of the Township of Georgia Bay. He says he’s heard a lot of concerns from residents about the new type of houseboat. (Alexis Raymon/CBC News) Koetsier says he has heard concerns about possible damage to the lake beds. While the lakebed is managed by the province, in its municipality, specifically, zoning regulations give it the power to limit what people can build on the lakebed — for example, docks or boats. “So this particular structure as a lodge over the bottom of our lake is against our local regulations. Unfortunately, we also have to work in conjunction with the federal government, which controls the waters and rules around boats.” , Koetsier said. “We think they should be subject to … all the local community regulations, under the local property taxes that we’re going to pay for the emergency services that they may require.” An alternate angle of Nimens’ container ship including a deck, as seen on his company’s website. (Lotb.ca) In the town of Severn, Mayor Mike Burkett shares that view. “The federal government sees them as a vessel. Our hands are tied. There’s nothing we can do,” Burkett told CBC News, who added that he hopes all three levels of government can address these issues collectively. “We all have to work together. They are not listening to our concerns.”
View of the Cottagers
Some cottages also raise environmental and safety concerns. “There’s nothing right now that says how they’re going to be built, what they are, what their electrical systems are, what their plumbing is like, what kind of construction standards they have to have,” said Cheryl Elliot-Fraser, president of the association. Gloucester Pool Cottagers. “That’s a huge concern because if they move to any other lake, how do we know they’re safe to be there?” Cheryl Elliot-Fraser, president of the Gloucester Pool Cottagers Association is pictured opposite Nimens’ houseboat. (Alexis Raymon/CBC News) This time of year, the Trent-Severn Waterway is quiet, but cottager Dianne Bonnell says come summer, it’s packed with boats. In addition to the potential environmental concerns raised, there are concerns about the safety of the structure itself which has no way of navigating itself. “If something happens and the spades come off the floor or the bottom of the lake, they will float and there will be no way to avoid other boaters,” Bonnell said. The head of the Georgia Bay Association says with climate change bringing more variable weather to the region, safety is a real concern for many residents. “The fact that these units are not floating … they are not very stable in any kind of wind or wave action is a concern,” said Rupert Kindersley, a spokesman for the association. Dianne Bonnell has been part of the local community for decades and has concerns about the new type of floating container ships. (Alexis Raymon/CBC News) Another source of frustration, Bonnell says, is how difficult it can be for cottagers to get permits to build docks or boatyards — and yet these container structures can simply be placed on the water. “If this double standard is perpetuated, it will create a problem among those trying to comply with the rules and regulations,” Bonnell said.
Name of vessel
In a statement to CBC News, Transport Canada said: “Although most floating accommodation is not designed as a standard vessel with propulsion or engines, they are considered vessels — just like barges.” He confirmed that the Nimens structure meets the definition of a “vessel” and that department officials inspected it after concerns were raised by local residents. He said because it’s a pleasure boat it doesn’t need formal approval from Transport Canada. However, he said it is the owner’s responsibility to ensure that the vessel meets all applicable regulatory requirements. Transport Canada also said it is up to each municipality to decide whether it wants to implement municipal regulations. But a member of the National Recreational Boating Advisory Council questions how Transport Canada grants boat designations. “The process by which the permit is granted is perhaps a little too lax under the circumstances,” said Peter Frost, who sits on the board that advises Transport Canada on issues related to recreational boating safety. “They don’t seem to maneuver easily and sometimes need to be effectively pulled or pushed by a tug, which again seems to take them out of the real boat category in my mind.” A sign outside where Nimens is building four more houseboats in Severn, Ont. (CBC) As for Nimens, he says any future houseboats he builds will use Styrofoam to address one of the environmental concerns raised by local residents. As for the waste, it says it has a built-in incinerator toilet. while gray water goes into the lake, he says he’s working to buy stand-alone green septic tanks made in B.C. Nimens claims his homes are more sustainable than traditional ones because they don’t involve digging up land, disturbing the shoreline or cutting down trees. As for the outcry from two mayors and some residents, he said he hopes they will sit down with him and talk. “Anyone who’s upset or would like to discuss it with us, we’re more than happy to talk about what we’re doing.”
