Lagoon City canal homes: what to check before you buy

Lagoon City is the canal community in Ramara Township, on the east side of Lake Simcoe next to Brechin. Instead of a beach lot, most waterfront homes here back onto a canal or lagoon with a slip or dock at the back of the property and a short run out to the lake. That layout changes almost every question a waterfront buyer asks, from what "frontage" means to who cuts the weeds.

This page goes deeper on the canals themselves. For taxes, schools and the wider township, see the Ramara area guide on rossmanteam.com.

Who actually owns and runs the canals?

The Township of Ramara owns and operates the canal system, and Township staff run the maintenance program. The Lagoon City Parks and Waterways Commission provides governance and oversight, sets program priorities and gives direction.

The Commission has five members: three community commissioners plus two Council representatives. It was created by a private act of the Ontario legislature in 1986 (Bill Pr11) and re-established by Township Bylaw 2001.50. Its job is to manage, maintain, regulate and control Lagoon City's private beaches, parks, canals, footbridges and footpaths. Lagoon City owners pay a levy for that work under the Township's consolidated levy bylaw.

The Commission meets on the second Thursday of each month, and meetings are open to the public. Agendas and minutes are on the Township's CivicWeb portal. If you are serious about a property, reading a few months of minutes is one of the quickest ways to learn what is on residents' minds, whether that is weeds, dredging, beach use or the levy.

What bylaws come with canal living?

A few Township bylaws apply specifically to the canals and Commission lands:

Bylaw or policy	What it covers
2021.86	Mooring of boats in canals and waterways under the Commission's control
2020.63	No dumping in the canals, including grass clippings, leaves and goose droppings
2014.56	No fishing from bridges
PW-01-18	Private beaches wristband policy (amended 2024)
PW-01-24	Use of Lagoon City private facilities, parks and the North and South Beaches

The beaches are private facilities for Lagoon City, not public township beaches. If guests or renters will use them, read the wristband and facilities policies first.

What happens with the weeds every summer?

This is the question Lagoon City buyers most often underestimate. Canals are shallow, sheltered and warm, so aquatic plants grow fast.

The Township's maintenance program has several parts:

• Aquatic weed harvesting cuts submerged plants along set routes to keep the canals navigable.
• Skimming removes floating plants, algae and debris.
• Clean Flo oxygenation sends microbubbles up from the canal bottom spring through fall to add oxygen, cut odours and help break down organic muck.
• Dredging removes built-up sediment where engineers identify a need. Projects are budgeted the year before and usually scheduled for early fall.
• Herbicides were discontinued starting with the 2025 season.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) regulates in-water work. Its requirements for the 2026, 2027 and 2028 seasons are:

• No in-water maintenance before July 15.
• Harvesting routes no wider than 10 metres.
• One harvesting pass per season recommended, unless weeds seriously impair navigation.
• Active fish rescue monitoring during harvesting.

In 2026, DFO approval did not arrive until July 21, and harvesting started that day. Harvesters work Monday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and routes can change with weed growth and weather. Owners are responsible for raking harvested weeds that collect at their own shorewall.

What should you check about the shorewall?

On a canal lot, the shorewall is your shoreline. Its condition affects safety, your dock or slip, and what you will spend in the next few years.

Lagoon City shorewalls are governed by a Township shorewall bylaw with its own permit process. That process has changed more than once and has been the subject of legal disputes, so get the current bylaw and application package from the Township before you plan or price any work. Where the property is in the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority regulated area, LSRCA approval comes first. Our guides to Lake Simcoe shoreline rules and docks, boathouses and permits walk through the approvals.

As a buyer, ask for:

• The age and material of the wall (steel, concrete, timber) and any repair history.
• Permits for any replacement or repair, and the final inspection.
• Any letters or orders from the Township or Commission about the wall.
• An inspection by someone who works on marine walls, not only a home inspector.

The Township also encourages shorewall planting with native species. A planted strip helps keep phosphorus out of the canal, discourages geese and needs no fertilizer. LSRCA lists native plants you can source.

Can you get from your slip to Lake Simcoe easily?

The canals open onto Lake Simcoe through the lake entrance, which is one of the harvesting route locations. From there, you are on open water on the east side of the lake. For routes, locks and launches, see boating on Lake Simcoe.

Depth is the practical limit. The Township's maintenance pages do not publish a target depth for the canals, and sediment, runoff and weeds all reduce it over time. Parks Canada also lowers Lake Simcoe every fall to make room for spring runoff. Before you buy, measure the water at the slip, and ask how a boat of your size handles the run to the entrance in August and October. A slip that works for a pontoon may not work for a deeper-draft cruiser.

Are Lagoon City homes on municipal services?

Yes. The Township owns two wastewater treatment facilities, and one of them, WWTP-201, the Brechin/Lagoon City Sewage Works, serves Brechin and Lagoon City. Water comes from the Brechin/Lagoon City Water Treatment Plant, and the Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA) operates the Township's water systems. In January 2026, the Province announced $30 million for Ramara water and wastewater work, including wastewater upgrades for Lagoon City and Brechin and upgrades to that water plant.

A few practical points:

• The owner maintains the sewer lateral and the private side of the water service past the curb stop.
• Seasonal owners can book a fall shut-off and spring turn-on at the curb stop through OCWA at 705-484-5600. Someone must be at the property.
• Because the community is on sewer, Ramara's septic re-inspection program generally does not apply to connected homes. If a property is not connected, ask why. See septic inspection programs.

Water and sewer are billed separately from taxes, so ask for a year of utility bills.

What about flooding, wind and ice?

Lagoon City sits low beside a very large lake, and spring 2026 was a reminder of what that means. LSRCA recorded a Lake Simcoe peak of 219.42 metres at Beaverton on April 26, 2026, just below the 1960 record of 219.48 metres, after about double the usual April rain and a fast snowmelt. Ramara's April 10 notice warned of storm surge and wave action, "especially on the northeast Lake Simcoe shoreline," and said sandbags are not supplied by the Township unless a municipal emergency is declared.

When you look at a Lagoon City property, ask:

• Did water reach the yard, the shorewall cap or the house in spring 2026?
• Is there a sump pump, a backwater valve and a generator?
• What does the insurer say about overland water coverage at this address?

Canals are more sheltered from wave action than open-lake lots, but the water level rises in the canals just as it does on the lake. Winter brings its own questions, including how ice affects docks and the shorewall and whether boats and lifts come out. See ice fishing and winter on Lake Simcoe.

How does Lagoon City compare with open-lake frontage?

Canal frontage is a trade-off. You usually get sheltered dockage, municipal services and a community setting, in exchange for a canal view instead of a big-lake view, a summer weed season and shared costs through the levy. Open-lake lots on the rest of the Ramara shore get the view and the swimming, along with full exposure to wind, waves and ice. The Brechin and Ramara shore guide and what drives Simcoe prices cover how buyers weigh those differences.

Short-term rentals in Ramara need an annual Township licence. If rental income is part of your plan, read the Ramara area guide for the details before you write an offer.

How Jordan can help

Jordan Rossman is a REALTOR® with Real Broker Ontario Ltd., Brokerage, working in the Orillia area since 2014. He can help you line up the Lagoon City questions that matter early, from shorewall permits and slip depth to utility bills and high-water history, so you know what you are buying before you firm up. Call 705-345-0797 to talk it through.