The Weekend Place You Draw Yourself: Building a Getaway on Colpoys Bay
Picture Friday night at a place you designed yourself, with the bay in front and the escarpment behind.
What should you know before building a weekend place near the water on the Bruce Peninsula? Know the setting, know who owns the shoreline and know which permits come before the first board goes up. Here is what that weekend can look like, and how to get there with clear eyes.
Friday, before
For most people I meet, the weekend place starts as a feeling on a Friday afternoon. The week has been long. The calendar is full. Somebody says, "Imagine if we had somewhere to go."
Some buyers want a cottage that is already finished. Others want to choose every window, every porch board and the exact spot where the morning coffee happens. If you are the second kind, a building lot near the water is where the story begins.
Friday, after
Fast-forward. You pull in after dark, open the door and hear nothing at all. You know where the light switch is because you chose where it went. The bags can wait until morning.
That is the promise of building your own getaway: a place that fits the way you actually spend your weekends, with no compromises left over from someone else's plans.
The setting does the heavy lifting
Mallory Beach is north of Wiarton. Ontario Nature describes Colpoys Bay as an embayment of Georgian Bay and places its Malcolm Bluff Shores Nature Reserve on the bay's north shore, with lower access at the end of Mallory Beach Road. The local residents' association calls the calm waters of Colpoys Bay perfect for swimming, boating and fishing.
The Bruce Trail runs through this landscape too. The Bruce Trail Conservancy calls it Canada's oldest and longest marked footpath, with more than 900 kilometres of main trail between Niagara and Tobermory.
Wiarton covers the practical side of a weekend. The Town of South Bruce Peninsula lists free boat launching at Bluewater Park, and the privately owned Wiarton Marina on Bayview Street. Groceries, hardware and a coffee on the way in are all close.
Saturday, the way you planned it
Saturday starts slowly. A walk to the water before anyone else is up. A paddle if the bay is calm. A trail in the afternoon, then dinner on the porch you sketched months ago. Sunday comes too fast, and the drive home already feels like the countdown to next Friday.
When the water is across the road
Many lots near the bay sit on the inland side of a shore road. Before you fall for a lot like that, ask one question: who owns the land between the road and the water?
In Ontario, many shorelines have an original shore road allowance. The Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula, next door, defines it as a road allowance along a body of water, held by the municipality for public access, environmental protection or other municipal purposes. The Town of South Bruce Peninsula has its own by-law and application process for anyone asking about road and shore road allowances. Knowing the answer up front shapes your expectations about docks, paths and access.
Five questions before you build
What will the town allow? Confirm zoning, setbacks and building permit requirements with the Town of South Bruce Peninsula. Permit applications, including septic permits, go through its online Cloudpermit system.
Is the lot inside the Niagara Escarpment Plan area? The Niagara Escarpment Commission says landowners in its Area of Development Control need a development permit for certain work, including new single dwellings. Check its interactive map first.
Does the conservation authority regulate any part of it? Ask Grey Sauble Conservation whether the lot falls within a regulated area.
How will water work? Plan the well with a licensed contractor. Grey Bruce Public Health notes that Public Health Ontario tests private well water for bacteria free of charge.
How will you use it in winter? Ask how the road is maintained in winter, and decide early whether your weekend place is a three-season escape or a year-round one.
The Waterfront Truth Checklist I share with buyers covers shoreline, septic, well and road access, so nothing surprises you after you sign.
Come walk Mallory Beach with me
If you are ready to design your own Friday nights, call or text me to book a private walk of the lot on Mallory Beach Road. I will bring the Waterfront Truth Checklist with me.
One day, Friday traffic will be the part you barely remember. You will remember the first Saturday morning you stood on your own porch, looked across the bay and thought, we built this.
LT 166 Mallory Beach Road, South Bruce Peninsula, Ontario
To book a private walk of the lot, contact Jessica Hastings-Lesperance, REALTOR®, The Terri Hastings Real Estate Group, LPT Realty, Brokerage, at 519-379-8876.
Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently under contract with a brokerage.
About the author
Jessica Hastings-Lesperance is a REALTOR® and co-owner of The Terri Hastings Real Estate Group, LPT Realty, Brokerage, with offices in Port Elgin, Owen Sound and Wiarton, Ontario. Raised with real estate, she helps buyers and sellers find homes that fit the way they want to live. She is a speaker, writer and three-time #1 bestselling author. Learn more at jessicahastingslesperance.ca.