| Animal Control |
| Cats |
| There is no pick up service for stray cats in the Township. The KW Humane Society will also not pick up stray cats from within the Township. Residents may deliver stray and injured cats to the Humane Society. Residents may also contact enforcement services to report an injured cat. In some situations enforcement services may arrange to have an injured cat picked up. |
| Dogs |
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You are required to purchase a dog licence/tag for your dog upon moving to the Township or within 21 days of becoming a dog owner. A dog licence is required for all dogs over the age of three months and must be purchased annually. All dogs must be vaccinated against rabies. Valid rabies vaccination certification may be requested with the annual licence application.
Dogs are deemed to be running At Large if it found in any place other than the premises of the owner of the dog, not on a leash, and not under the control of a responsible person. All dogs must be leashed at all times when they are not on the private property of their owner.
For more information, please visit our Animal Services page.
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| Farm Animals |
| The Township does not regulate farm animals. |
| Wildlife/Rodents |
| There is no pick-up service for nuisance or injured wildlife in the Township of Woolwich. The KW Humane Society will also not respond to wildlife calls. Resident may contact a private wildlife control company at their own expense to deal with nuisance or injured wildlife. |
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| Building Services |
| Accessory Structures |
| Building permits are required to build or place a prefabricated shed, garage, or other freestanding structure greater than 108 square feet on your property. |
| Cosmetic Improvements |
| Maintenance activities such as replacing siding, painting, roofing, and landscaping require no permit. |
| Decks/Porches |
| Permits are required before building decks or porches. For more information, please visit our Home Renovation or Construction page. |
| Fences |
| The Township has no general regulation for residential fences, except for those around swimming pools and corner lots. For more information, please see our Pool Fence By-law. |
| Interior Construction |
| Permits are required whenever new walls, doors, windows, bedrooms, hallways, or basement renovations are created. |
| Signs |
| The Township has a number of restrictions on sign type, size, design, placement, duration, and more. For more information, please see our Sign By-law. |
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| By-laws |
| Animal Control |
| The Township regulates the ownership and control of dogs within the Township and kennels. The maximum number of dogs permitted on any residential property is three. For more information, please visit the Animal Services webpage. |
| Firearms and Hunting |
| The Township regulates the discharging of guns or other firearms, air-guns, spring-guns, cross-bows, long-bows, or any other weapon within the Township. For more detailed information you can access the By-law on our website. |
| Home Based Business |
| If you are planning to operate a business within the Township, or relocate your business either in your home or to a building, please contact Planning staff to discuss requirements for a Certificate of Occupancy. This certificate is required for any new use or change of use on a property. |
| Noise |
| There is a By-law to regulate noise in the Township including the persistent barking of any domestic animal, amplified noise, and operating construction equipment. |
| Property Standards |
| The standards of occupancy and the maintenance of a property are regulated under the Property Standards and the Clean Yards By-laws. |
| Soliciting and Vendors |
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Vendor licences are required for the following activities:
- Temporary Salesperson
- Refreshment Vehicles (Food Trucks, Stationary Refreshment Vehicles, Food Carts)
- Drain Layers
- Firework Sales
For more information, please visit the Licensing section of the Applications, Forms, Licences, and Permits page.
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| Zoning |
| The Zoning By-law contains provisions that regulate the use, size, height, density and locations of buildings on property within the Township. |
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| Fire Services |
| Alarm Systems |
| No permits are required for home fire/burglar alarm systems monitored by commercial security services. Fines for repeated false alarms begin at $900. |
| Emergency Preparedness |
| The Town Sirens are used to alert residents of severe weather, gas leaks, transportation accidents, and chemical releases. If the siren sounds, residents are asked to go indoors and Shelter-in-Place. An Alert Message will follow advising residents of the specific concern and instructions. To confirm your phone number is in our system, please visit the Alert Waterloo Region website. |
| Extinguishers |
| Fire extinguishers are not required for single-family homes, but highly recommended. |
| Fireworks |
| Only small sparklers, snap caps, and party poppers are permitted. Fireworks, rockets, cherry bombs, etc. are prohibited. Fireworks display permits can be obtained for community events. For more information, please see our Applications, Forms, Licences, and Permits page. |
| Hazardous Materials |
| Corrosive, toxic, reactive, flammable and other hazardous materials for household use must be stored in a safe and secured manner. |
| Open Burning |
| Open burning is permitted in the Township with a burn permit. Burn permits can be issued for residential properties by completing a burn permit application. |
| Smoke Alarms |
| All residential buildings must be equipped with working smoke alarms on each level and in every bedroom. |
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| Municipal Services |
| Access to Township Property |
| You must obtain an access permit if you need to access your property through Township owned parkland, green space, or trails. Access is limited due to safety concerns for patrons of the parks and trails, underground services, as well as undue costs to repair damaged turf, trail bed, and plant material cause by vehicular traffic. |
| Archives |
| The Township maintains public records of all official meetings, building permits, site plans, finance, and other corporate records. |
| Council and Committee |
| Township Council consists of one Mayor elected at large and five Councillors representing three wards. |
| Non-Emergency Services |
| Rural North Division of the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) and the Township Fire Department are available for all non-emergency services such as crime prevention and fire safety education. |
| Police, Fire Emergencies |
| Rural North Division of the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) is responsible for patrolling the Township of Woolwich. The Township Fire Department manages fire services and Emergency Medical Services are managed by Regional EMS. |
| Property Assessment |
| The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) is responsible for placing a value on all properties in Ontario which the Township uses in the tax process. |
| Public Parks |
| The Township's public parks feature a variety of amenities and athletic facilities. Park hours generally follow daylight hours. |
| Recreation Programming |
| Our Recreation Community Services department offers programs for all ages throughout the year. |
| Reserving Park Facilities |
| Reservations for activity rooms, picnic shelters, courts, and playing fields must be made by calling the Township's Recreation Community Services department |
| Road Maintenance |
| The Township is responsible for maintaining local roads. The Region of Waterloo is responsible for maintaining all regional roads. |
| Salting/Snow Removal |
| The Township is responsible for clearing snow and ice from all local roads. Sidewalks in Elmira are cleared by a private contractor hired on behalf of the Township |
| Sanitary Sewer and Water |
| The Township owns and operates the local public water distribution and waste water treatment systems. |
| Water and Sewer Billing |
| Please contact the water and sewer billing division to set up your account at 519-669-1647 ext. 6018. Be sure to schedule a final reading prior to the closing date. An administrative set-up fee will apply and a deposit is required. After one year of regular payments, your deposit is returned. |
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| Traffic and Transportation |
| Abandoned Vehicles |
| Wrecked, dismantled, inoperative, discarded, unused, or unlicensed vehicles or trailers, except in an establishment licensed or authorized to conduct or operate a wrecking business, are not permitted under the Property Standards and Clean Yards By-law. |
| Boat, RV Storage |
| Parking of recreational vehicles, recreational trailers, or boats on private property is permitted so long as the vehicle, trailer or boat is fully contained within the permitted driveway width. The parking of any vehicle outside of the driveway perimeter is not permitted. Any recreational vehicle, recreational trailer, or boat are permitted to park on any Township road and are subject to the same parking regulations as all other vehicles. Any vehicle, trailer or boat that is 10 metres in length or more, are not permitted to park on any street within the Township. |
| Motorized Vehicles |
| Motorized all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and snow mobiles are prohibited from both local and regional roads as well as sidewalks. ATVs are prohibited from being used on Township trails. |
| On-Street Parking |
| Unless in an area otherwise posted, vehicles can park for a maximum of 24 consecutive hours at a time on any Township road. Restrictions apply on any road in the Elmira and St. Jacobs core commercial areas. |
| Overnight Parking Ban |
| Effective December 1st to April 1st, parking is prohibited on all Township roads and streets from 4:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. to facilitate winter road maintenance operations. |
| Parking Permits |
| The Township issues a limited number of parking permits for the Wyatt Street parking lot free of charge. The permit is valid until December 31st of each year and must be renewed at that time. For more information, please visit the Parking webpage or contact the Corporate Services department. |
| Parking Tickets |
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Parking tickets issued pursuant to any of the parking by-laws may be paid:
- at the Township Office by cash, debit,
- online, or
- by mail to 24 Church Street West, PO Box 158, Elmira, ON N3B 2Z6
More information can be found on the back of your ticket and on the Parking webpage.
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| Public Transit |
| Public transit is available from Waterloo to St. Jacobs and Elmira via the Grand River Transit System. |
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| Waste Disposal |
| Dumping into Sewers and Streams |
| Dumping into sanitary and storm sewers is prohibited under the Use of Township Property By-law. |
| Garbage Pick Up |
| The Region of Waterloo is responsible for garbage collection in the Township and operates several landfill sites across the Region. |
| Large Item Disposal |
| Items that cannot fit into a garbage bin are considered large items (couch, desk, mattresses). These items may involve some preparation, visit the Region's website for more information. |
| Lawn Watering |
| The Region of Waterloo has an Outdoor Water Use program that is based on staged water use restrictions that come into effect when there is a drought, or when drinking water storage runs low. |
| Major Appliances |
| Large appliances like fridges, washers are collected according to a large item collection schedule. Large item collection occurs weekly for the cities and monthly for the Township. For more information, visit the Region's website. |
| Recycling |
| Recycled materials are managed by the Region of Waterloo. Recycled materials are picked up in the cities weekly and in the Townships according to the Collection Calendar. |
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