Building on the North Channel is simpler than you think — and at Trader's Pass, you have the freedom to do it exactly the way you want.
No municipal building permit. No staged inspections. No occupancy certificate. Building at Trader's Pass requires just three straightforward approvals — and we can walk you through every one of them.
Issued by the Manitoulin Planning Board. Confirms your build meets zoning requirements. Straightforward and well-established.
Issued by Public Health Sudbury & Districts. Required before breaking ground. Your septic contractor handles the application.
Issued by the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA). Your licensed electrician pulls this permit as part of the standard electrical installation.
Hydro One service is already at every lot entrance. The provincially maintained road is in. Your home site is surveyed, staked, and ready. Three permits and you're breaking ground.
Whether you have a contractor you trust, want experienced hands on site from day one, or are looking for a proven design to build from — there's a path that fits the way you like to work.
Jordan Davie lives at Trader's Pass full time — not a contractor you call and wait on, but someone who is already here, who knows this land, and who has a personal stake in seeing every build done right.
Davie Construction specializes in site preparation and concrete foundations — the two most critical and technically demanding parts of any waterfront build. Getting the foundation right in northern Ontario, on a shoreline property, matters more than anything else that comes after it.
Above grade, Jordan acts as your construction manager — coordinating and overseeing all trades at a flat 10% fee applied to construction materials and coordinated labour. No general contractor markup. You pay trade rates, Jordan manages the build.
Talk to Us About Your BuildYou own your lot outright. There are no restrictions on who builds your home. If you have a contractor you trust, a builder you've worked with before, or a prefab supplier you've been researching — bring them. That's your right as a property owner.
Trader's Pass has no builder approval process, no preferred contractor requirement, and no supply agreements that tie your hands. Hire the team you want, build the home you've been imagining.
What we can tell you is what three permits you need, who issues them, and how straightforward the process is. The rest is entirely up to you.
Ask Us AnythingTrader's Pass has partnered with Barndo & Co. — Ontario's leading barndominium design specialists — to give buyers access to a full library of permit-ready, customizable home designs engineered for northern Ontario conditions.
Six featured models are available at Trader's Pass, from a compact 595 sq ft waterfront cottage to a 3,341 sq ft statement home. Every plan is a starting point — fully customizable to your layout, finishes, and budget. And if none of the featured models fit, buyers can choose from 60+ plans in Barndo's complete collection.
All plans are BCIN-registered and Ontario Building Code compliant. Detailed pricing coming soon.
See the ModelsYour lot is yours from the day you close. Come and enjoy it as land. Sit at the water's edge. Plan your build at your own pace.
There is no deadline to begin construction. No pressure to start building by a certain date. You hold your home site, pay your property taxes, and build when the time is right for you.
We simply ask one thing: once you begin exterior construction, we ask that you complete the exterior finish within two years. That's it. One straightforward standard that keeps the subdivision looking its best for every owner.
No HOA. No monthly fees. No maintenance corporation. Your ongoing cost after purchase is your annual property tax — typically $300 to $400 per year on vacant waterfront land.
"Come and see it this summer. Walk your lot. Stand at the water. You don't need to have a building plan in hand to own a piece of the North Channel."
— Rob Bell, Trader's Pass
The minimum dwelling size at Trader's Pass is 592 square feet — and that's enough to live well on the North Channel.
A smart, compact waterfront home — designed well and built right — can be an extraordinary place to spend a summer, a retirement, or a life. Build small now and expand later. Build small and keep it simple forever. The choice is yours.
What matters is the 300 feet of North Channel in front of you, not the square footage behind you.
Trader's Pass has partnered with Barndo & Co. — Ontario's leading barndominium design and build specialists, headquartered in Fenelon Falls. Their steel-clad homes are engineered for northern Ontario conditions: durable, efficient, and designed to perform on the North Channel for decades.
All plans are BCIN-registered, permit-ready, and Ontario Building Code compliant. Six models are featured at Trader's Pass — from a compact 595 sq ft entry model to a 3,341 sq ft statement home. Every model is a starting point, not a fixed spec. Layouts, finishes, bedrooms, and features are all customizable to suit your vision and your lot.
Don't see exactly what you're looking for? Buyers at Trader's Pass have access to Barndo & Co.'s complete library of 60+ permit-ready designs. If it exists in their collection, you can build it here.
Detailed pricing coming soon — contact us to be the first to know
Whether you have detailed plans or just a dream and a budget, we're happy to talk through what building at Trader's Pass looks like for you.
Get in TouchManitoulin Island Waterfront Property Guide
I put together a resource guide for anyone considering waterfront property on Manitoulin Island.
What's in the guide? →
