After warning a Pinehouse trapper that his cabin would be removed, the Environment Ministry stepped in Feb 4, and seized the structure.
The cabin was deemed to be in an unauthorized area.
“The ministry has been attempting to work with a cabin owner in the Pinehouse Lake area since the fall of 2016, when his application to build on a popular recreationally used site was denied, and he was requested to select an alternative site. The individual chose to build on the unapproved location, restricting others’ use of the area, and resulting in numerous complaints to the ministry,” the Ministry said.
The cabin was located within an eight kilometer moratorium on the Key Lake road.
“This cabin is in a spot that is relatively popular. It is not a formalized campground with services, but many people launch boats and camp there. So, having a residence or a cabin right there was causing some issues,” said Chuck Lees, Assistant Executive Director with the Ministry of Environment’s Fish, Wildlife and Lands Branch. “When the road to the Key Lake Road was established, the community of Pinehouse and a number of northern communities put this in place. A moratorium on cabin development within eight kilometers of that road has been in place for many years.”
Lees said the moratorium has been in place for approximately three decades, yet the cabin has only been there for several years.
“In the past two years, the ministry has dealt with about a dozen cases of unauthorized structures, with most resolved voluntarily. Currently, only one case remains outstanding with compliance action pending,” stated the Ministry. Lees confirms that cabin too has location issues.
The Pinehouse cabin has had its contents forfeited.