South Bruce Peninsula council will consider if it wants to allow sea cans on some properties.
Sea cans are large metal shipping containers that are commonly found stacked on cargo ships, but they have been used for many different purposes especially in recent years.
People use them for storage, or some repurpose them to function as different types of buildings.
The question of sea cans came up Tuesday’s during a public meeting of council when an agritourism business came before council looking to have sea cans on the property among other approvals. Council was in favour of most requests, but the sea cans were a sticking point and that part of the request was separated from the rest and deferred.
Council has directed staff to come back with a report on sea cans in the municipality.
Treasurer and Clerk Angie Cathrae told council, at the moment, “Council’s direction to us has always been, ‘no sea cans’ ….unless you have it engineered and turn it into a building.”
Cathrae explained during the meeting, “For many years this council– and they’ve put it right in their zoning bylaw have said ‘no’ to sea cans and that has been staff’s marching orders.”
Mayor Jay Kirkland felt it’s a discussion that should be had for the whole of South Bruce Peninsula, commenting, “This application may be sparking that conversation and it’s been way too long for us to have that conversation. We’ve needed to have it in the past.”
He added, “I’m a firm believer that we need to do that and hear from the public on what they want to see and not see and council have a good discussion on it, not just right here today and not have all the information that wee need.”
Deputy Mayor Caleb Hull said, “Certainly when we’re looking at cost-effective ways of storing things on farm sites, cover-alls are great but our winters are pretty tough and it’s hard to rely on them and the damage that you can do when you’re storing stuff in there and it collapses.” Hull said he was supportive of sea cans for some uses but wasn’t prepared to have a fulsome discussion right then.
Kirkland added, “Is there a place for sea cans? I don’t know. Council has to have that discussion. Is there different types of zoning that sea cans should be in or not in, residential areas, I’m still of the opinion I don’t want a small lot with a sea can right on the lot line but that’s my opinion, but we’ll talk about that when this comes forward.”
Staff are aiming to bring the report back at the either next council meeting or one in the near future.
