Cottage Lot Program

The GRCA operates a cottage lot program at two of its major reservoirs: Belwood Lake, near Fergus, and Conestogo Lake, northwest of Elmira.

The program provides the benefits of a seasonal cottage close to major cities such as Toronto, Hamilton, Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph and London.

The GRCA holds title to the land, and leases lots to tenants for seasonal occupancy, between April 15 and November 15.

Proposed Consolidation of Conservation Authorities 

Please be advised that the Province has indicated that the proposed amalgamation of conservation authorities would not change the programs and services that conservation authorities currently provide. At this time, there are no direct implications for the GRCA’s current programs or services, and no decisions have been made. The GRCA will continue to work with the cottage associations on the renewal of the leases, which are set to expire in December 2027. Renewal discussions with representatives from each of the Belwood and Conestogo Lake Cottage Associations have already commenced. The GRCA will continue to complete its duties as the landlord, e.g., garbage collection, hazard tree management and road maintenance. If you have a conservation area membership for 2026 – it will continue to be valid. The GRCA will be able to provide more information regarding 2027 conservation area memberships once the provincial direction on the consolidation is released. It is expected that existing agreements and contractual obligations held by the GRCA, such as cottage leases, will be continued by a new regional conservation authority, at a future date yet to be determined.

Learn more about the proposed consolidation of conservation authorities, and the GRCA's official comments submitted to the Province. 

Purchasing and selling cottages

All lots are leased. However, it is possible to buy a cottage from an existing owner and have the land lease transferred to a new owner. Cottage sales are handled privately. Prospective buyers can request a copy of the lease from the vendor. Consult local real estate agencies for cottage listings. Prior to the sale of a cottage, the vendor must ask the GRCA to approve the transfer of the lease to the new tenant. Please contact the Property Administrator to submit the required documents in order to complete a consent and assignment of lease. Please be advised we require a minimum time period of two weeks to process an assignment of lease following receipt of all necessary items and information at our office. 

Property Taxes

Tenants pay their own property taxes. Each cottage lot and its buildings are assessed by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation. The GRCA receives tax bills from the Townships of Centre Wellington (Belwood Lake) and Mapleton (Conestogo Lake), remits payments to the townships and, in turn, prepares and forwards individual invoices to each cottage lot tenant for payment twice a year. 

Development on Cottage Lots

Tenants build and maintain their own cottages, outbuildings, docks, wells and septic services. Approval of the GRCA is required before removing, erecting or making significant alterations to any of these buildings and structures.

Please note the following documents may not be accessible to people with disabilities. If you have a disability and require a document in an alternate format, please contact us.

• Approval can be requested by completing a Site Development Application (261KB PDF) and submitting it either by email to cottagepermits@grandriver.ca or by mail to the GRCA Administrative Centre.
• A map and a site plan sketch showing the work proposed must be included with the application. For assistance with obtaining a map of your cottage lot please follow the Site Development Mapping Instructions (87KB PDF). 
• More information regarding cottage improvements is available in the Cottage Lot Site Development Policy (66KB PDF). Please direct any questions to the Property Superintendent.

Cottage Lot Services

The GRCA administers services such as garbage collection and road maintenance with costs passed on to tenants. Winter use is allowed for a limited period of time. The GRCA does not plough cottage lot roads. The GRCA does not test the reservoir water for water quality.

Cottage Lot Program Background

The Grand River Conservation Commission (a predecessor of the GRCA) built Shand Dam (Belwood Lake) and Conestogo Dam (Conestogo Lake) to reduce flood damages and ensure adequate water supplies to communities downstream of the dams.

Shand Dam was completed in 1942 and the cottage lot program started in 1945. There are 335 lots.

Conestogo Dam was built in 1958. There are 399 cottage lots.

To ensure that the use of the cottage lots is consistent with the reasons the dams were built, the GRCA has policies in place to manage pesticide use, shoreline development, boat ramp construction and other matters. The GRCA may, at its discretion, raise or lower water levels as may be required. Water levels in the reservoir are managed through a formal policy based on decades of operational experience.