The Ontario Landowners held their annual Spring Meeting at the Cobourg Legion on Saturday April 26, 2025.
This event is always well attended and this year we were not disappointed.
The Legion facilities are always accommodating. The refreshments in the morning and afternoon were hot and tasty. The lunch was excellent with meats, cheese, bun, salads and dressings.
This year we had a different format for the day. This year we started our first Informational seminars for education purposes. Our members have been telling us they are being overwhelmed with rules, regulation and by-laws. It is becoming more difficult to know where property rights start and end.
Our educational seminars on Saturday covered Crown Land Patent Grants and the power they do have for Private Property.
How to research historical evidence and prove you do own your property. Some original Crown surveys of the 1800’s are more accurate than surveys today with all the fancy electronics. Know where to start the survey is important … it starts with historical records then look for the monument.
Provincial Policy Statement … is not Provincial Law. This is a huge topic and one where you may be wasting and/or losing a substantial amount of money for severances, studies that may not be required and a host of other policy rather than legal requirements … which is it? Policy or Legal … find out … ask the question … What does the law say?
Seach and Seizure. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Section 8. How far can a by-law officer go without a warrant to enter property or your home. The attitude of by-law officers and municipal staff is a theme of “do what we tell you or get fined”. The people have the right to question municipal elected officials, staff and what their authority is on private property.
The ongoing removal of property rights by regulation is becoming excessively invasive and certainly questionable as to whether it is lawful. Tree Cutting By-laws are just plain stupid, along with Clean Yard By-laws and a most irritating by-law about not being allowed to have a trailer, tent trailer, camping trailer etc. on your land for recreational purposes. This needs to change and as we enter the camping season, we will give this a priority.
The OLA has decided to begin an ongoing series of legal seminars to teach people what their rights are and how to approach government with complaints of excessive regulations.
What is the difference between Policy and Law. Most people do not understand that a municipal policy is not Law and not enforceable if there is a law the overrides the policy. It is a policy by which the municipality guides their employees. What the law says trumps a policy even though employees will say you can’t do that … it’s is not our policy.
If you do not know what your property rights are … then you have no property rights. The OLA will address this problem by educating the people as to what their rights are.
Keep watch for our first upcoming seminars. We will be using Zoom and onsite seminars as combinations for education.
As part of our education seminars, we will show you haw to make delegations to council and the office of the Minister or their departments with issues of a complaint. The Ombudsman office does not handle all Ministries but for those Ministers they do have authority we will show you how to make a complaint to them.
Knowledge is your power to protect your rights … learn how to use your knowledge … or lose your rights.
Jeff Bogaerts
President
Ontario Landowner Association