Welcome to the Town of Yarmouth
On the Edge of Everywhere
Building & Renovating
Any building work in the Town of Yarmouth — from a shed or deck to a large new building — requires a municipal development permit. Find the application form, checklists, and related materials on our Permits, Applications, and Licences page.
If the Development Officer refuses to issue a permit, you may appeal the decision to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board.
Any subdivision of land (including adding or removing land from a lot) requires approval. For details, visit Subdivision Services.
Zoning confirmation
Request a signed zoning confirmation letter from the Development Officer if you need official confirmation of a parcel’s zoning. The letter certifies the zoning shown in the Land Use Bylaw for a specific date. Because the Land Use By-law can change, the letter represents a snapshot in time. Always check with the Planning and Development Office before you start any work.
Variance applications
If your proposed building or addition cannot meet setback or other rules in the pdf Land Use Bylaw(9.54 MB) , you may apply for a variance. Complete the variance application form and pay the $50 application fee. The variance application does not expire.
When a variance is approved, the Town sends notice to property owners within 30 metres of the subject property. Notified owners have 14 days from the day they receive the notice to appeal to Town Council.
If a variance is refused, the applicant has 7 days from the day they receive the refusal to appeal to Town Council. For a full outline see the pdf Variance Process document(116 KB) .
Legislative Authority
Here are the laws that underpin our Development Services policies:
- pdf (6.22 MB) pdf Land Use Bylaw(9.54 MB) pdf (6.22 MB)
- pdf Municipal Planning Strategy(9.00 MB) , Town of Yarmouth
- Municipal Government Act, Chapter 18, Acts of 1998
Keep in mind that the National Building Code is only a minimum set of standards. Our inspections are not a substitute for the care you would normally take if you were doing the work for yourself or when hiring a contractor to complete your project.
- pdf Assignment of Agent(185 KB)
- pdf Building/Development Permit Combo Application(375 KB)
- pdf Basic Deck Construction Details(786 KB)
- pdf Commercial Permit Process Checklist(205 KB)
- pdf Demolition Permit Process(134 KB)
- pdf Handrail Requirements(167 KB)
- pdf Private Stairs Diagram Code Requirements(114 KB)
- pdf Residential Permit Process Checklist(220 KB)
- pdf Subdivision Application(247 KB)
- pdf Subdivision Process Checklist(454 KB)
- pdf Variance Application (1.35 MB)
Heritage Property Act
The Heritage Property Act (HPA) of Nova Scotia was established to identify, designate, preserve, conserve, protect and rehabilitate buildings, structures, streetscapes, areas and districts that have historic, architectural, or cultural value. These features can be found in urban and rural environments – what matters is that they speak to us, and should be preserved for future generations.
In 1990, the Act was amended so that municipalities could establish heritage conservation districts. Under these auspices, the Town of Yarmouth has established a Heritage Property By-law and the Collins Heritage Conservation District. For properties located within the District, we may control alterations to existing structures, demolitions, and the design of new structures being built. To learn more about the HPA, please visit Nova Scotia Legislature.
Yarmouth International Airport
With private and emergency flight services available, the Yarmouth Airport includes a modern terminal building and combined services building, which houses a maintenance garage and vehicles used for clearing runways. The airport has two runways, two taxiways, and separate parking aprons for both commercial and general aviation. There are 4 RNAV GNSS instrument approaches, a VHF omnidirectional range/distance measuring equipment (VOR/DME) and a non-directional beacon (NDB).
IATA: YQI - ICAO: CYQI
Summary
| Airport type | Public |
|---|---|
| Operator | Yarmouth International Airport Corporation |
| Location | Yarmouth, Nova Scotia |
| Elevation AMSL | 141 ft / 43 m |
| Coordinates | 43.49 37N066.05?17W /43.82694N 66.08806W |
Runways
| Direction | Length (ft, m) | Surface |
|---|---|---|
| 06/24 | 6,000 ft, 1,829m | Asphalt |
| 15/33 | 5,000 ft, 1.524m | Asphalt |
Yarmouth & Acadian Shores
Yarmouth lies at the center of one of Nova Scotia’s most culturally significant regions – a place where English and Acadian cultures have coexisted for hundreds of years. The Yarmouth and Acadian Shores Tourism Association (YASTA) was created to showcase the best, brightest, and most wonderfully authentic experiences that the region has to offer. Learn more at YASTA.
