Members of the Aberfoyle Agricultural Society were shocked to learn, just hours before their annual fall fair was set to begin on Sept. 8, that several large tents required building permits and, in one case, engineer’s drawings.
Fair director Vince Klimkosz said he’s been arranging for tents to house exhibits and activities for the past 10 years – and no one has ever suggested permits or engineering were required.
“All of a sudden, (Friday) afternoon we get an email from the building inspector that he just happened to attend the property of the fair and that we had to get building permits; that the tents were erected illegally, we had to get engineered drawings,” Klimkosz told the Advertiser.
“It was just a big mess – like just before the fair. Nobody told us about it. We’ve never, ever had to do it. It was just sprung on us … it’s just awful what they’ve done.”
With the help of Burke’s Tent Rentals, which provided the tents, organizers were able to find an engineer to provide the requisite inspections and drawings, at a cost to the agricultural society of over $900 after taxes.
“Then we still have to pay $260 for the permits,” said Klimkosz.
While everything was completed on time for the fair to begin as scheduled, Klimkosz feels the concern should have been communicated to organizers earlier.
“Man, what a scramble on a Friday afternoon. It would have been nice if they would have told us several months ago that you need to have this, this and this … The fair’s happened there for over 150 years … Why do they have to tell us the afternoon before the fair?” he asked.
Puslinch chief building official Adam French said the requirements for permits and engineering are not township regulations.
“It’s in the Ontario Building Code,” he stated.
French explained any tent or group of tents covering over 60 square metres requires a permit.
“Once it exceeds 225 square metres, that triggers the engineering,” he added.
French said the site was inspected because of a complaint, although he declined to identify the complainant.
“It was brought to our attention that the tents were erected, so then we ask them to obtain a building permit,” he told the Advertiser in a Sept. 12 telephone interview.
Asked why organizers had not been advised earlier of the requirements, French stated, “We weren’t aware whether tents were going up or not; but once we were made aware then, yeah, permits were required.”
