Man argues current Building Code is overkill for small, simple structures
Christian Gammon-Roy
Tribune
The misfortune of Cache Bay resident John Ridge has been stirring up a lot of attention and public reaction, especially after he was forced out of his home and locked out by police and town officials on May 14. Ridge has been facing pressure from the municipality to make his tiny home compliant with town by-laws and the Building Code, and was given notices by municipal officials that the place was deemed unsafe to occupy. The town initially noticed Ridge’s home in September 2025, as the resident had only applied for a permit to build a shed and not a permanent residence. While they issued several compliance orders starting last fall, they waited until this month to take drastic action, boarding up the building and prohibiting its use until the structure is made compliant. Ridge has since garnered a lot of sympathy after posting video updates of his situation on Facebook, saying the government has basically made him homeless.
On Friday, May 22, Ridge took the time to answer some questions and explain why has not complied with the municipality’s requests. Walking up the property to meet him, the first thing you notice is a large pit with cement blocks and other remaining parts of the house that once occupied the property. When Ridge bought the place roughly 3 years ago, he explains, there was the husk of a house that had burned, and that pit is what remains of the foundation. At the end of the driveway is a 2-storey garage, and to the left of the garage, on a raised stone patio, is where Ridge’s tiny home sits. On the side of the structure, a drainpipe sticks out, going back into the foundation of the old house, sitting on cinderblocks to keep the pipe level. This, Ridge explains, is the drainpipe for his water.
When Ridge bought the property in the Summer of 2022, he initially lived in the upper portion of the garage, but says he needed to find a safer alternative with no stairs as he suffered from seizures. The idea of building a tiny home, and having everything within reach and on a single level, was ideal for him, and so he set out to do just that. Ridge decided to get a shed structure, and then he began converting it into a functional home for himself and his dog.
Ridge says his problems began just last year, when the lots neighbouring his property were sold by a builder. “As soon as he showed up and started clearing the lot, within 20 minutes, he pulled up the water line, and as soon as he pulled up the water line, that triggered the building inspector to come out,” he recounts. He watched the municipal staff as they checked the water lines, which eventually led to his property, and that’s when the building inspector noticed what Ridge had built. “The day that he came with the water line problem, he said that ‘you can’t be doing what you’re doing here,’ and he left. The next day, he came back with the fire department, and he put the notices up,” Ridge recalls.
The notices in question are still up, stuck to the side of the building. The first one is an “Order to Remedy Unsafe Building,” dated September 26, 2025. A second page outlines the issues, stating that “Owner has added the following components to the shed,” with a list of the things that Ridge built to turn the structure into a home: “Wood stove; Plumbing fixtures (shower, toilet, double kitchen sink and clothes washer)” and so on. The document also states that “a building sewer pipe starting from the shed was installed above ground on the west side of the structure and connected to the existing drain located in the demolished dwelling”, and that “electrical service was installed from the garage to the shed,” with the “service pipe laid on exterior ground.” The town also states that the water runs through “a white poly pipe (…) on ground exposed to freezing”. They also note that inside the shed, there is electrical wiring for lighting and outlet plugs, with an “open junction box immediately below kitchen sink with exposed wires.” The inspector also lists that he “did not notice a smoke or a carbon monoxide detector inside the shed.”
Finally, the notice orders that Ridge remove all of the modifications that make the structure a home, and return it to being a shed, as allowed by his building permit. “This shed shall not be used as a residence to live in,” the notice states.
Another notice was added on December 3, 2025, this one stating that the “remedial actions required in the Unsafe Building Order” were “not completed or undertaken in the specified timeframe.” As far as Ridge is concerned, that notice is not entirely correct, as he points out that the wood stove was removed, and that he was using electric heaters this winter, meaning that some action was undertaken. However, Ridge points out that the bulk of the items stem from what he sees as deficiencies in the provincial Building Code itself, and his defiance of the orders is motivated by his desire to see things change.
As far as Ridge is concerned, the provincial rules don’t “add up for this size of building.” If he could have his way, he says that they would get an engineer to look at the building he has now, and assess its safety and function based on the fact that it’s a single floor, tiny home, and not a regular full-sized house. Ridge believes that for the size and occupancy level, his specs already exceed safety requirements.
In fact, Ridge had hoped that the province would have acted by now to adapt its code for small structures, seeing as the government seemed eager to promote alternative housing. “Doug Ford made an election promise that he was going to help people put multiple buildings in their backyard to help their elderly parents, their adult autistic children, or other people that need daily assistance. So, as I bought this building I thought ‘alright, Doug Ford said he was going to do that, so by the time I get this up and done, he’ll have done it. That never happened,” he decries. While there are some rules surrounding minimum sizes for tiny homes according to the provincial government’s website, Ridge still argues that the specs outlined in the Building Code are overkill for a building so small, and this needs to be urgently addressed by the Ford government given the current housing crisis.
CAO says he has tried to work with Ridge
While Ridge hopes that the public attention he’s getting can shine a light and get the attention of the province, changing provincial legislation remains a long process. Until that happens, the fact remains that Ridge’s home is not up to current Building Code specs, and according to West Nipissing municipal CAO Mike Pilon, the municipality been patient in trying to fix that, and has no choice but to act. As he explains, the Chief Building Official (CBO) has a duty to enforce the Ontario Building Code, and even council has no authority to interfere with that process. “It’s a statutory position, which mayor and council have a say in the hiring, but they have no ability to have influence or effect on their work,” Pilon explains, adding that they also can’t pick and choose who to enforce the rules on, as that would be corruption.
In this case, the problem stems from the fact that no permit for a house was ever filed. Instead, Ridge filed for a 16’ by 16’ shed. “If you’re building a home, you need to provide a design plan along with your application for a building permit. Our Chief Building Official reviews all of these plans, makes sure that it’s all up to spec, all up to code. He stamps it, the homeowner then has the ability to start the construction. Throughout the construction, a building inspector will go in and will continue to assist the homeowner or the builder with making sure that the work is being done appropriately, and inspect on a regular basis, to eventually approve occupancy. In this case here, none of that was ever done,” Pilon outlines.
On top of not having the proper permits, the CBO has outlined that some parts of Ridge’s home are not compliant with the Building Code and constitute a safety risk. Pilon stresses that the Code is designed for occupant safety and the safety of other community members. However, Ridge still refuses to comply. “He has been steadfast with the municipality, and me in particular because I’ve been in contact with him and have been trying to assist him with the fact that he thinks his structure is safe and this is what he needs to be able to live and be safe, but at the end of the day he just believes that the Ontario Building Code shouldn’t apply to him for some reason,” Pilon surmises.
Despite that, Pilon says he continued to work with Ridge in hopes of achieving compliance. After the December notice went up, advising that the building was unsafe to occupy, Pilon says that he made the decision to not evict Ridge quite yet. Instead, he set up a meeting in February “to meet with our CBO, and to meet with the officials that could have some effect on assisting him. We provided him with a number of options, we provided him with exactly what the process should be, we provided him with all of the applications, the fees, everything. All of the information was there. He agreed that he was going to move forward with these pieces.” Pilon adds that since Ridge seemed cooperative, he decided to let him stay the winter in his home, not wanting to evict him in the cold. “End of March, we were expecting some movement on this, and there was no action whatsoever,” Pilon states.
According to the CAO, Ridge was made fully aware of every follow-up action the municipality was going to undertake if they had to escalate, including going to the property and boarding up the place as they did a few weeks ago. He says that he and the CBO went to the property and reminded Ridge that eviction would happen, and told him they would give him time to clear out belongings if he needed. “We had boxes, we had the mobile crisis unit and the OPP available nearby, we had someone from LIPI. He became very agitated and argumentative; police had to be called to calm things down. He was very aggressive but eventually complied and left the area,” Pilon recounts, adding that they then boarded up the building, and put a lock on it. The lock has since been removed.
“You need a driver’s license to operate a vehicle on our public roads, you need insurance, you need to register a vehicle. This is the exact same thing. It’s a piece of provincial legislation you have to come in line with, or else there are some consequences. We don’t want to be the bearer of those difficult consequences, but we do have a responsibility. The liability remains with the municipality once we know this kind of situation is occurring. We have to act, we can’t turn a blind eye,” Pilon insists, pointing out that the liability could cost taxpayers.
Pilon also notes that Ridge has already been a burden on taxpayers when it comes to the water line that the municipality had disconnected previously. “We noticed that the water line was reconnected, and I can tell you as of today that service has been capped because Mr. Ridge is not paying for those services. Why should the residents of the municipality have to subsidize his will, and his failure to comply? Why is Mr. Ridge now looking to be treated differently than any other resident in the municipality of West Nipissing when he is a landowner? He owns that property, and he has a fiduciary and judiciary responsibility to be in compliance with provincial legislation as well as municipal expectations,” Pilon argues.
When asked about his willingness to take those steps toward compliance, Ridge maintains that he is willing to do so. However, his idea of compliance doesn’t include blindly following the specs outlined in the Building Code, but rather assessing the reasons for those specs, and proving that his design is just as good or better. He brings up insulation as an example, arguing that his, while not compliant to the code, can still sustain proper temperatures in the winter. “That will be an argument that I win,” he insists.
Unfortunately, arguing with the Building Code is unlikely to produce the results the CAO is seeking. While Pilon admits that Ridge has some good points, particularly about housing affordability, the municipality is stuck having to enforce the current Code as well as municipal by-laws, and that will mean escalating even further if Ridge continues to not comply. “Our next process in our escalation is to essentially go in and remove all the plumbing, and all the issues that are not in compliance with the original permit,” Pilon warns, meaning essentially reverting the home into a simple shed.
The issue of cost is at play, but it’s also a question of principle for Ridge. “I’ve got money, but I don’t want to waste it,” Ridge answers when asked if one of the deterrents is the cost of permitting, hiring an engineer to redraw plans and applying for a minor variance for his zoning. Pilon corroborates that. “He has told me repeatedly that it’s not about the money. He feels that government is overreaching on this piece, that he shouldn’t have to comply with provincial legislation, and that the work he’s done to bring this cabin to his living standard is adequate,” the CAO says. Indeed, Ridge’s argument is that while he may not be following the letter of the Building Code, he is following the spirit of the Code, which is about maintaining safety, insisting that his home is perfectly safe.
West Nipissing Mayor Kathleen Thorne Rochon was asked about the requirement for a Minor Variance. The current municipal zoning by-law does not allow for homes the size of Ridge’s, roughly 255 square feet, thus the homeowner must request an exception to be reviewed by the town’s Committee of Adjustment. However, the mayor assures that the new zoning by-law, set to be adopted this year, has no minimum square footage rules, which means tiny homes will simply have to comply with the provincial minimum of 188 square feet, set out in the Building Code. Under the upcoming by-law, Ridge’s structure would comply and not require the extra step. However, these new rules won’t be in place for several more months as council is now just reviewing the drafts.
In the meantime, it seems both Ridge and Pilon continue to talk, with neither holding any personal grudge, they both assure. In fact, Pilon mentions this week that he is pleased to see Ridge get help from other community members so that he and the municipality can reach some common goals. “I had a productive meeting with him just this afternoon,” Pilon says hopefully. “To be honest, I’m looking for a guy like Mr. Ridge to lead by example on this point, because he has some good points when we talk about the affordability of housing.” The CAO adds that he’d like to see Ridge be successful, and set the trend for tiny homes in West Nipissing, “but he needs to do it within the confines of the law.”
