I'm making this post because I'm done with big talk that never turns into anything real. It's easy to tell a big story. Action is the loudest words. This is me acting.
I'm moving forward on a simple, practical fix: updating North Frontenac's definition so Tiny Houses on Wheels (THOWs) are clearly recognized and handled properly.
This definition already exists at the provincial level. North Frontenac does not need to reinvent the wheel or add extra hoops that make housing harder and more expensive. If the Township is serious about affordability, it makes no sense to force people into extra steps just to live here.
When rules are unclear, decisions drift into "it depends who you get" territory. That's not good for residents, and it's not good for staff either. A clear definition keeps things in-house, local, and consistent.
And it matters because the current experience has been messy for people trying to do this the right way.
I know people who set up THOWs and were forced to remove wheels and hitches. They describe the process as convoluted and expensive. In some cases, there was no clear by-law language saying a hitch had to come off. It was treated like an arbitrary decision. The end result is basically converting a THOW into a small house anyway.
That defeats the point.
A THOW costs extra because it's built to be towable. The wheels, the hitch, the chassis setup — that is the feature. If you're forced to remove the parts that make it what it is, the buyer is left asking a simple question: why did I pay for that feature in the first place?
This is also about local independence. North Frontenac isn't in a position to pretend we're going to solve housing by waiting for subdivisions. We need options that match rural reality. We need rules that respect practical affordable living, not rules that accidentally punish it.
That's what this definition update is about. Quiet, boring, practical progress — the kind that actually changes outcomes.