Township of Lake of Bays to review Dark Skies By-law

The township hopes to align with Huntsville's dark sky by-law

Township of Lake of Bays Council agreed to review the Dark Skies By-law, in the February 10, 2026, meeting.

The motion was brought forward by Councillors Jacqueline Goddard and Nancy Tapley and according to the agenda focuses on protecting the natural night environment, which supports ecological health, reduces light pollution, and enhances residents' quality of life.

The agenda also notes that Huntsville adopted a Dark Skies By-law that came into effect in January 2026. Because Lake of Bays shares several lakes with Huntsville, aligning lighting regulations between municipalities was identified as a way to provide greater consistency for residents living around shared shorelines.

It adds that these by-laws generally aim to limit excessive or poorly directed outdoor lighting that can disrupt wildlife, interfere with night skies, and impact neighbouring properties. Measures often focus on fixture design, brightness levels, and directing light downward rather than outward or upward.

This direction signals an interest in modernizing lighting standards while balancing environmental protection with the practical needs of residents, businesses, and property owners across the municipality.

This step is part of a review process, not the adoption of a new by-law at this stage. The goal is to reduce light pollution and improve consistency with neighbouring communities.

Rather than immediately introducing new rules, Council directed the Director of Building and By-law Services to review the existing by-law, examine current lighting regulation best practices, and report back at a future meeting with potential updates for consideration.

By-law staff indicated that the by-law is already scheduled for review next year, and they’re currently reviewing other by-laws, such as property standards, pool fencing, and suggested it “can be put on the back burner” or replace one of the others with it instead.

Tapley said, “There are not many pools” and emphasized the importance of moving ahead with the Dark Skies review instead. 

She explained that Huntsville has a good Dark Skies By-law “and we should be on the same page… Our lakes are getting lighter and lighter.”

She also indicated that a focus should be on areas such as boat house lights, using sensor lighting for pathways as an alternative, turning lights off on sports courts when not in use, and educating the public about it.

Councillor, Mike Peppard, said they’ve “been talking about the issue for years… we need time to really tackle it.”

Once the review is completed, any proposed changes would be brought forward for Council's consideration at a future meeting, allowing further discussion before decisions are made.