Gimli eyes short-term rental regulations
Gimli is the latest municipality in the province to eye short-term rental regulations.
Diana Bristow grew up in the lakeside resort community of Gimli, with her great-grandfather being among the first to come from Iceland.
Though she lives in Ontario now, she hosts a short-term rental in her family cottage.
"It's been in the family for a long time," she said. "But because I live in Ontario, I'm not there all the time and I rent it out to people who would like to come back to Gimli."
Bristow may soon be dealing with new regulations when it comes to renting out her cottage.
The rural municipality of Gimli posted a notice on its website Monday announcing it will be developing a strategy to regulate short-term rentals.
"Like many municipalities across Canada, Gimli recognizes the need to regulate short-term rentals in the municipality to protect the availability and affordability of long-term housing to support the local economy, tourism industry, and available accommodation options," Coun. Thora Palson, chair of finance and administration in Gimli, told CTV News.
The move is not a surprise to Melanie Mitchell, the president and founder of the Manitoba Association of Short Term Rental Owners (MASTRO).
"Eventually every city and town in Manitoba, in the world, will have some form of regulation," she said, pointing to Winnipeg which recently voted in favour of bringing in new rules to the industry.
READ MORE: Winnipeg takes another step toward new short-term rental rules
"I think all short-term rentals should be regulated. It's just fair regulation is the keyword."
Mitchell said short-term rentals have a big impact on the local economy, with visitors spending on average $200 per person a night on restaurants, entertainment and other amenities.
"Every small business or larger business that exists in Gimli is affected by these regulations, not just the short-term rental industry."
Mitchell said she hopes Gimli's process in moving toward regulation is a collaborative effort with all sides involved.
While the process is in the early stages, Palson said the rural municipality is looking to hear from residents, adding community engagement is paramount to the success of the regulations.
"We are committed to informing and consulting with business owners, area residents and cottage owners to ensure the public's concerns and aspirations are reflected," Palson said, saying residents' input will help council develop the regulations.
"We really value the feedback of the community as we strive to develop regulations that strike a balance between the various needs of the community."
Bristow said she thinks it is great the rural municipality is doing public engagement as a first step.
"My hope is that they're not going to try and impose anything too restrictive because Gimli really relies on tourism and it's important to be able to keep that available," she said.
"We're already paying tax on the income and we do pay GST on the rent, so you know I don't think we're skirting what any other business locally would be doing."
She said she would be in favour of the RM charging a business fee to register short-term rentals in order to keep track of who is offering the service.
A survey for residents will be available both online and in print on March 30. The RM will also be hosting an open house on April 21 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Johnson Hall.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.