Land survey plans

Can I obtain a survey of my property from the City?

No, the City of Temiskaming Shores does not have land survey plans for sale or distribution.

Where can I go to get a copy of a survey for my property?

The answer depends on the type of survey plan you need.

Registered plans of subdivision are the plans approved under the planning act that create buildable lots that conform to zoning. They can be purchased from the Service Ontario, land registry office located at 375 Main Street for a nominal fee. Modern subdivision plans will show lot dimensions and survey "monumentation" (bars) but do not show buildings or other improvements on the property.

Reference plans are essentially plans of survey that are "deposited" in the land registry office and are used to illustrate parcels of land, or "parts". The "parts" may or may not represent buildable lots. Similar to plans of subdivision, reference plans will show property dimensions, survey monumentation and may show the location of fences in relation to the boundaries but generally do not show buildings or other improvements on the property. Reference plans can also be purchased from the land registry office for a nominal fee.

The other major class of legal survey plans is the surveyors real property report, formerly known as a building location survey or simply survey certificate. These plans show lot dimensions, survey monumentation, buildings, garages, decks, pools and other major improvements to the property as well as easements, rights-of-way and other property interests. This type of survey is typically sought after by homeowners when fencing or planning improvements on the property. These survey plans are prepared by an Ontario land surveyor under contract with the property owner and copyright is retained by the land surveyor who performed the survey. Unlike plans of subdivision and reference plans which are available from the land registry office, surveyors real property reports are not kept on file in any public registry system including the land registry office, at the City of Temiskaming Shores or anywhere else. If you are aware or suspect that your property was surveyed sometime in the past, it is best to contact the Ontario land surveyor who performed the survey for further information.

The service Ontario, land registry office in Temiskaming Shores is located at 375 Main Street (downtown Haileybury). Plans of subdivision, condominium plans, reference plans and land title documents can be obtained there for a nominal fee.

A listing of Ontario land surveyors licensed to practice cadastral (legal) surveys can be found in the yellow pages under "surveyors - land" in the local telephone book.

Association of Ontario Land Surveyors

For more information about surveys and plans and the survey profession in general, please contact the Association of Ontario Land Surveyors in Toronto at 1-800-268-0718.