In Okotoks just south of Calgary, you're looking at $600K minimum to be able to dangle your toes from your own private jetty in a 12 acre pond, sorry, lake. One street away from the lake takes you down to $400K. Of course, only the people in the nice big houses get to see the lake from their windows. Lake access is $500/year for the big houses, $250/year for everyone else - no one outside the development even has the option of buying their way in, although they can get access as guests. The lake is man made and of course filtered and aerated - they even have a little zamboni to smooth the ice for winter skating.

How much does it cost to buy lake access property in other Canadian cities?

Not really a city, (but then is Okotoks?) but if you just want a regular old waterfront property near Belleville / Trenton area (pop (90k combined) in SE Ontario, a couple of hours from TO, without the aeration or the zamboni, you can pick up waterfront starting in the $150k range for a 4 season fixerupper. If you want a nice house overlooking the bay (the posh bit) you are in the $400+k range up into the millions, but there are no fees for actually accessing the water (other than the mandatory boat license), and you can take your yacht a bit further than the other side of the lake. Cottages up north on a lake are $100k and up. Obviously your property tax is going to be a function of the value of the property though.

Typically there are no fees for using municipal boat launches here, but the private marina near me charge $5. Municipal overnight docking fees at the marina in Trenton are $1 per foot per night, or $27 per foot for the season.

Your pond in Alberta is expensive by Ontario standards! I guess its supply and demand, we got loads of water here!

Iain

It's a feature of life here - apart from the Bow river, which is ice cold and flows very fast straight from the mountains, every other major body of water close to Calgary is man made. Property up at Sylvan Lake is ludicrously expensive, likewise out by Lake Newall.

Lakes within Calgary are required to be fenced - even if you live in the community, you still have to pay the fee.

Well we live on Molega lake, we started out with a cottage but ended up building a house. The lot we bought was orignally $12,000 but we got it for $10,000 less $200. for the perc test. We were pleased. Lake lots are now running about $15-20,000 they are 1 acre lots. the house cost us $170,000 and that was 5 yrs ago. Land in Nova Scotia is on the rise as there are many from the USA and Ontario that are buying it up. Especially ocean lots.

Lakeside lots here start around $200K minimum .... then architectural controls usually require you to build a big house.

Well, you guys are darn lucky to live where you do.....in paradise - I won't even get into how much ocean front property costs (I know.....still not as expensive by UK standards).....but ridiculous by Canadian standards.......

Planning to buy lakefront property......sounds great to me...the boys will love it I'm sure.....

I don't have the sort of dosh to pay $200K+ for a lakeside lot - $600K for a lakeside house probably looks good to someone in the UK, until you start to think about the ongoing maintenance costs, lake fees, additional property taxes, etc, etc.

Plus there's all the bugs you get living next to a lake ....

We're thinking about building a house with lake access - a few streets from the lake, we don't have to build a huge house with a triple garage, we're allowed siding instead of stucco and our lake fees will be lower because we don't actually overlook the lake.

I remember watching my oldest kid playing hockey on Lake Sundance - I wondered if the people in the huge lakeside houses realised that they would clear hockey arenas in the middle of the lake in winter when they shelled out for them. Lakes can be busier in Jan/Feb than they are in summer.

[QUOTE=Glaswegian]I don't have the sort of dosh to pay $200K+ for a lakeside lot - $600K for a lakeside house probably looks good to someone in the UK, until you start to think about the ongoing maintenance costs, lake fees, additional property taxes, etc, etc.

Plus there's all the bugs you get living next to a lake ....

What...you don't think that bugs travel......let me tell you about the deer flies in Winnipeg in the summer - whether on the lake or lake access.....

We're thinking about building a house with lake access - a few streets from the lake, we don't have to build a huge house with a triple garage, we're allowed siding instead of stucco and our lake fees will be lower because we don't actually overlook the lake.

Sounds really great to me - and the boys being such avid hockey players will have a great time.....and for "good old dad".....some exercise playing hockey with them

I remember watching my oldest kid playing hockey on Lake Sundance - I wondered if the people in the huge lakeside houses realised that they would clear hockey arenas in the middle of the lake in winter when they shelled out for them. Lakes can be busier in Jan/Feb than they are in summer.[/

I bet they can - although in Winnipeg, we did have a summer cottage on Lake of the Woods.....but dad/brother always build a rink - don't know why....guess just to lazy to drive all the way to the cottage!!

QUOTE]

Have you seriously considered moving to another province? If you love being on a lake so much it might make sense? Alberta sucks in that regard.

Who need a yatch, just a little power boat will do I didn't realise the prices were that cheap Iain, I have got to start eating bread now, to be able to afford this boat.

What is the story with bringing your own seadoo, and launching it round that way?

At the risk of encouraging you to come around my way, its simple. Bring it, launch it!

The costs I quoted were from the City of Quinte West web site, I believe there is probably a map showing the boat launches. Otherwise the main place for the bay of Quinte would be in Belleville either at Myers Pier or Herchemer Avenue, just S of Hwy 2, either side of the "big" hospital. I think you are a bit familiar with that area? Not sure of the fees in belleville, but I dont ever recall anyone collecting fees at the launches. IMO its nicer than Trenton for messing about on the water, with fewer navigational issues (eg shallow spots)

Iain

It comes down to one simple fact .... I'm in IT and I could actually get a job in Calgary

Alberta isn't perfect, but I can pay the mortgage here.

As for living by a lake - I grew up on the Clyde in Glasgow and I like the idea of filtered, aerated water.

I guess the answer to my original question is that houses with lake access aren't so much of an issue in provinces with more abundant natural open water?

Both my Mom and brother live on a lake in Ontario. When god dealt the cards with respect who gets the lakes in North American, Ontario got all four aces.

We just found our potential lake was next door to a class II landfill - we'll pass on this round.

I dont know about that. Corkys lake in NS looked pretty damn fine to me, and then there is Lake Moraine in AB, and then isnt SK supposed to be land of the ten thousand lakes, or is that Wisconsin? Ontarios lakes are pretty nice,dont get me wrong, but I dont think we have the market cornered. But then I'm not a Canadian, so what do I know! Oh, hang on a sec, I AM a Canadian, I just wasnt born here