The Town of Bracebridge is looking at selling a strip of public shore land in front of 1083 Rainbow Lane to the property owner, and residents have until June 9, 2026 to weigh in before council votes. The proposal would close and sell part of the Original Shore Road Allowance, a 66-foot-wide piece of land next to the water, after the owner, identified as Payne, asked to buy it.
Bracebridge council will consider the by-law at its regular meeting on June 10, 2026. The town published a public notice on May 26, saying written comments can be sent to the Clerk at 1000 Taylor Court in Bracebridge up to the day before the meeting. The land is in Draper Ward, on Rainbow Lane, and includes Part 1, Plan 35R-28081.
These shore allowances date back to the late 1800s, when Crown surveyors laid out a 66-foot strip along lakes and rivers to give people access to the water. Many of these strips in the District Municipality of Muskoka are still owned by the town, and property owners sometimes have docks or boathouses sitting on them without clear title. If this sale goes through, the buyer would pay for surveys, appraisals, legal fees, advertising costs, and the purchase price, and the whole process can take six months to a year.
Waterfront property owners who do not own the shore allowance next to their land have another option: they can get a licence of occupation from the town, which costs between $500 and $1,000 a year. That way, they can legally use the space without buying it.
This is not the first shore road allowance sale in Bracebridge. The town has handled several similar requests in the past year, including at 1055 Rainbow Lane, Stone Gate Lane, and 1391 Stoneleigh Road. The nine-member council, led by Mayor Rick Maloney, will make the final call on this one after hearing from residents.
