Do I need a locate to replace fence posts in Kanata?

Yes, replacing fence posts requires digging, and Ontario's Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, 2012 requires a locate request before any digging, including pulling and resetting individual posts. This applies in Kanata the same as anywhere else in Ottawa.

The locate request goes through Ontario Dig Authority. Their guidance says a request is required for any project that breaks ground, regardless of size or depth. Ontario Dig Authority does not mark the lines itself; each utility sends its own locator. The Act requires a locate request, and Ontario Dig Authority asks for it at least 5 business days before you dig. A standard request can be made no more than 30 days before the dig, and the service is free.

Whoever digs is the excavator under the Act. If you hire a contractor, the contractor is the excavator and is responsible for submitting the request. If you are doing the work yourself, that responsibility is yours. Either way, it is worth confirming in writing who is submitting the request before the job starts.

One thing to ask about: privately owned lines running from the house to a garage, shed or other structure on the property. We found no statement from Ontario Dig Authority either way on whether those are marked, so ask about any private lines on your property before the digging starts.

On the fence itself, the City of Ottawa Fence By-law, as published on ottawa.ca, still applies after a post replacement. Because "erect" under the by-law includes alter and relocate, if the work changes the fence's position or height, the result must meet the current by-law limits. If the fence was built before January 1, 2004 under an older municipality's rules and sits above today's limits, ask By-law Services before changing it.

After the job is done, keep the written contract and itemized quote, the locate confirmation number or documentation, and photos showing where the fence sits on the property. Those records are straightforward to store and useful to have if a question about the fence's position or condition comes up later.