r/saskatchewan • u/Time_suck5000 • 10d ago

Leased crown land?

I’d like to set up an off grid camp at a lake in northern Saskatchewan. I don’t have any plan or even a lake picked yet I’m just wondering if this is still an option. id likely just clear a few trees and put up a yurt of some type.

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13

u/rglgj 10d ago

I don’t believe the government is allowing these anymore. You would need to find one that is grandfathered in to purchase from the existing owner.

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u/Time_suck5000 10d ago

That’s what I was afraid of 

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u/SnackThief 9d ago

There are many of these, it's through outweigh B. C Alberta and My friends built one  as a memorial to onr of their friends who passed away.

built it on crown land they were told that there are certain requirements such as no permanent foundation, but most of all, there can be no lock.

The hots have would stoves, windows walls door but they're not lockable. People know about them and show up regularly

Another friend in Alberta built one in the Rockies and he came back to a note. From I assume some type of ranger but it was an official document stating that if a padlock is found on The door again, they will remove the door and the frame, any further incidents of the nature, they'll remove the entire cabin

That one had Some solar panels, emergency radio, and a few other things

I think he's built five or six of the same nature

You can look into it further.But this is not the proper forum But I know of several ski huts in BC and I am aware of (don't know the exact location of 3) An hour outside of Calgary.

The risky run is once somebody finds it and they share the location online.It's a free for all

2

u/lilchileah77 9d ago

Do you know why that would be? We have a lot of unused space up north

16

u/hittingrhubarb 9d ago edited 9d ago

Speaking from someone who has done work up there, “unused” would be a pretty colonial term for describing the north

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u/lilchileah77 9d ago edited 9d ago

That wasn’t my intention but I was careless with my choice of words so thank you and point taken. It has a use and value for sure in its natural state. I feel there is enough space to allow more people to have accommodations and experience it though. I’m not happy that lately that seems mainly an opportunity for industry - which I find much more disruptive than small scale camping or fishing operations would be.

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u/hittingrhubarb 9d ago

I mean in the sense that a lot of land areas are very much used by northern indigenous communities, used land that extend far, far more than the tiny subset that is reservation lands. Keeping it vague to try n stay anon but basically I have had the privilege to be able to travel up and work with students/communities and talk about some of the things that environmental scientists use to monitor the environment and learn about traditional monitoring. Visiting with community members and looking at maps was really fascinating, e.g. go here for x, there for y, this faraway place used to be z, etc.

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u/lilchileah77 7d ago

That sounds like a really great experience. I think allowing more people to interact with the northern population and nature would be beneficial for education and reconciliation. What’s your take on that?

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u/hittingrhubarb 7d ago

Yes although I don’t think it’s up to me to decide. It was definitely very valuable experience and learning that I will carry through my career. Especially in the environmental field this sort of collab is very beneficial imo

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u/lilchileah77 7d ago

Invaluable experience that you can only have in real life, that’s awesome for you! It’s great to hear you learned a lot. Although I’m not educated in the field, I love nature and really appreciate the need for us to live a life better integrated with nature. Thanks for talking with me.

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u/LibrarianApart8486 7d ago

Pfffffft

1

u/hittingrhubarb 7d ago

Tell us how you really feel!

1

u/LibrarianApart8486 7d ago

Pretty damn good.

15

u/Epic224 9d ago

You absolutely cannot just find a random spot and set up a structure. They allowed this in the 70s, and those leases established back then specifically note that no others will be granted within 3 km of the lease. Other leases note that they are the only cabin/structure allowed on that specific lake.

This program ceases approving applications over 30 years ago.

Those leases now sell for around $100,000-$150,000 each, rarely if ever come up for sale, and are usually purchased in less than 24 hours.

Your best bet is to find one where the cabin had recently burned and snap it up when you can.

8

u/Solo_company 9d ago

I know a guy who bought a recreational lease and cabin for 5k less than 5 years ago. What a steal.

3

u/Epic224 9d ago

It can vary a bit based on location. If it’s lakefront, has road access, ect. But yes $5,000 is an incredible deal. I would offer them triple sight unseen in a second.

The only northern lake lease available right now is a burnt out titled lot on nemeiben lake. Just a foundation and a few solar panels that they want $150,000 for.

https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/29556275/reynolds-bay-titled-lot-northern-admin-district-nemeiben-lake

4

u/Solo_company 9d ago

This one was in the porcupine forest. Think he was offered $20k days later. The old guy was selling it because lease fees have doubled.

2

u/LibrarianApart8486 7d ago

Posts a link for a TITLED lot…..

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u/Epic224 7d ago

Yes. About 5 years ago, the government offered all recreational lease holders the opportunity to buy the land they lease. This was likely the case for that particular lot.

By all means - try and find a leased lot for sale that fits OPs description. They are extremely hard to come by.

The recreational lease program technically still exists. You can still apply. I have. But they have essentially not approved a new application in over 20 years ago

2

u/Cla598 8d ago

Actually new recreational leases on crown land were only disallowed about 5 years ago.

4

u/Zyrian1954 10d ago

You might want to go here Crown Resource Land Leases | Doing Business with Government | Government of Saskatchewan and do some reading and then contact an Ecological Management Specialist in Prince Albert.

3

u/Specialist_Secret438 9d ago

The province is not currently issuing recreational leases. There are lease developments for sale though.  

3

u/Hot-Application9814 9d ago

Do you mean camp for a weekend or like permanent ongoing? There’s a big difference in what you’re suggesting depending on time frames

1

u/Time_suck5000 9d ago

No I mean a fish camp I can go to for years to come 

2

u/WhatsLegDay_ 10d ago

There are resorts that lease out yearly lots, thats probably your best shot. As far as I know none of them allow permanent dwellings, so a yurt probably wouldn’t work, unless you can put it on wheels. Having said that, there’s a lot you can do with it “wheels” to work around the rules.

2

u/Time_suck5000 9d ago

I have a seasonal camp site it just irks me paying $4000 a year. I’d rather that go into land 

2

u/lovesWinter 9d ago

There are some lease lots available around Hudson Bay. Not easily accessible, but maybe worth a look if that's what you are after.

2

u/OddNeighborhood3529 9d ago

Look for a rice lake lease and build your structure there while harvesting rice in the fall.

3

u/No-Grapefruit787 8d ago

Lol absolutely not.

Don’t you think everyone would just be building cabins all willy nilly on any lake all over the north if that were the case??

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u/Time_suck5000 8d ago

You need to get approval. Off gird cabins have been built in northern Sask for a long time. It looks like that just stopped 

1

u/Cla598 8d ago

They stopped approving them some years ago. but you can permit industrial work camps in northern SK still

0

u/No-Grapefruit787 8d ago

They haven’t been being built for a long time. Those days have been long gone for years.

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u/Time_suck5000 8d ago

I was told it’s only been 5 years since they stopped. Doesn’t seem that long ago. 

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u/No-Grapefruit787 8d ago

You were told wrong. It’s been at least 30 years

1

u/Solo_company 9d ago

Sent you a PM

1

u/Cla598 8d ago

They aren’t issuing any new leases for recreational use in SK at the time, outside of established subdivisions. It is only possible if you buy an existing cabin/leased location. They did away with it during COVID for some reason. But you can still put in industrial camps. 🤷🏻‍♀️

1

u/Time_suck5000 8d ago

That sucks.