Iqaluit proposes licensing, zoning for cabins on city lands
Councillors show support for 5-year lease, 1 cabin per person framework
Iqaluit residents, at a date to be determined, will be able to voice their opinions on a new proposed bylaw outlining how people can obtain licenses to build cabins on municipal land. (File photo)
Land-use permits and zoning could be part of a plan to regulate the construction of cabins on the city’s municipal lands.
Iqaluit city councillors voted at Tuesday’s planning and development committee meeting in favour of a proposal to amend the city’s general plan and zoning bylaws. The changes would establish areas on municipal lands where people could apply to build a cabin or seek a permit to continue occupying an existing cabin.
The vote was unanimous, although councillors Sam Tilley and Simon Nattaq were absent from the meeting.
“This is a responsibility that the city has ignored for a long time,” said Coun. Romeyn Stevenson, after a presentation of the proposed plans from Mathew Dodds, Iqaluit’s director of planning and development.
“This, no matter what we decide, is going to be unpopular with some people.”
Iqaluit council implemented a moratorium in 2020 on construction of new cabins. Since then, the city has discussed, but has yet to implement, a policy to allow and regulate the building and occupation of the structures which residents use for recreation and enjoyment of the land.
Meanwhile, people have continued building cabins despite the moratorium, leading some councillors to describe the result as an “absolute mess.”
Building in the city typically requires a development permit and co-operation with zoning bylaws. While there is currently no policy to govern cabin construction on municipal lands, they can be built on Inuit or Crown lands through a separate permitting process, under the jurisdictions of Qikiqtani Inuit Association and the federal government, respectively.
The proposed bylaw amendments outline areas in the city that would be rezoned as “cabin zones,” largely near the city’s boundaries and waterfronts.
There is a special distinction for “legacy” cabins which are already built and would require the city’s approval to be classified as such.
The proposed new rules also require a maximum 25-metre radius site area. Also, new cabins would have to be located 250 metres from other cabins and 30.5 metres from designated trails, lakes and waterways. These rules, however, would not apply to legacy cabins.
Councillors agreed that cabin land-use permits should last five years, after debating whether they should remain in effect for 10.
They also agreed that one resident could apply for one permit, rather than two or unlimited permits.
City council will still have to vote the proposal through second and third readings before the changes are approved.
However, before that happens, a public hearing where residents will be able to voice their concerns will take place at a date to be confirmed.
“I look forward to the public consultation phase of this,” said Coun. Kyle Sheppard.
“I imagine there’s going to be a lot of engaged people, and I’m very curious to hear their feedback on what’s being proposed.”
“This, no matter what we decide, is going to be unpopular with some people.” – Councillor Stevenson.
I think people are already unhappy, probably with the fact that the City has taken 5 years just to get to this point. Not even at public consultation yet. No wonder people are building cabins anyway. It is a mess, and council has allowed it to be that way.
From 2020, Stevenson said, “there’s so often issues that come up in the summer, we talk about in the summer … and then come November we stop talking about it”. Yep, and here we are in 2025. There was a motion passed in 2020 that this issue become a standing item in the committee until it was resolved. That didn’t happen.
Brewster brought up concerns about city land cabins becoming a thing for transients to exchange and price locals out, Sheppard said, “If we want to limit resale value, if we want to limit the value of that land, if you want to make it free for certain people, we have the opportunity to do that”. I don’t see any of that under consideration.
Please remember that your Chair of the Planning and Development Committee is making $30,000 per year.
Sounds like NIMBY.
Or did we do that to ourselves by littering camping/hunting areas then just leave garbage every where.
Why is it Nunavut ( Out Land),we can’t even get a piece of it.
You are welcome to the part that is Inuit-Owned Land. It is a very common misconception that the entirety of Nunavut is Inuit-owned. Each municipality has its own town lines drawn around it, those lands are owned by the municipality.