Rights of Way guidelines
Contact us early in the planning process
While land owners have the right to use their property within right of way boundaries, they must do so in a way that doesn't put them or the public at risk, interfere with our operations, or contradict the ROW Agreement in place.
Contact us early in the planning process to make sure what you propose to do is safe, and to prevent costly delays or design changes to your proposal. The guidelines contained in this section are meant to help landowners and developers create proposals that meet all safety and operational requirements.
They should be read together with the Statutory Right of Way Agreement registered against the specific property. The Agreement is registered on the Title of the property and remains on the Title when the ownership of the property changes.
When developing next to power lines (whether there is a ROW registered or not) certain Canadian and International electrical standards and regulations must still be met. All proposed uses within a ROW must be submitted to our Property Rights Services group for review and approval.
If you have questions or require consultation on a proposal, give us a call at 1 800 667 1517 or email our properties helpdesk.
Need to print the Right of Way Guidelines. We have a printable version [PDF, 2.3 MB]
Who are these guidelines for?
In seeking to maximize use of their land along ROW, property owners rely on our safety guidelines and a set of recommendations for appropriate land use.
Local governments have the potential to develop and improve ROWs, so we provide supplementary planning guidance on the development of ROWs. These guidelines provide a basis for analyzing and approving land development located in close proximity to our works, and help communities plan for growth.
Good design is vital to proper development. Our guidelines provide awareness and clarity about the design constraints posed by ROWs.
Third parties - which can include private and Crown land lessees, independent power producers, loggers, recreational users, and other ministries – rely on these guidelines for guidance and approval of proposed uses for ROWs.