Iqaluit council approves bylaws for cabin zones, licensing

Three bylaws dealing with cabin licensing and designated areas for cabin construction received final approval from Iqaluit city council Tuesday night.

The approvals follow years of debate on council over how the city should regulate cabin construction on city lands.

Two of the changes involve amendments to the city’s zoning bylaw and general plan. They outline which areas are considered zones for new cabin construction, as well as “legacy” zones for cabins that are already built. The areas for both new construction and allowable existing cabins are mostly on the outskirts of Iqaluit, away from the core.

An amendment to the lands administration bylaw details how residents can legally build a cabin by obtaining a licence from the city. Those licenses give cabin owners a five-year lease on the plots they occupy.

Mayor Solomon Awa, speaking after council, encouraged residents to contact the city if they have questions about where they can build.

Assigned areas and licensing ensures cabin building is regulated like any other construction in the city.

“If you want to build a house, you need a permit. And if you want to build a cabin, you also need a permit,” Awa said.

The need for cabin regulations in Iqaluit came to a head in 2020 when council placed a moratorium on construction. Before that, cabin building was not monitored or managed by the city.

In 2024, city staff were working on a new policy to regulate cabin building. At the same time, people were still building cabins despite the moratorium.

In April this year, the city requested public feedback on proposed amendments for licensing cabins and establishing cabin building zones, but received no responses.