Q I live in a waterfront community, but I don’t see it listed on your website. How did you decide which communities would be featured?

A Generally, to be featured, a waterfront community should have at least one residential development near the water that is either currently being sold off-plan, is under construction or has recently been completed but is not yet sold out. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, depending on the community.  For example, we have included Pelee Island even though new development there is likely several years away. To date, our painstaking research has uncovered close to 100 communities that fit the criteria.

Q I want to move to a waterfront community but want to buy an older home. Why do you focus exclusively on new residential development?

A Our goal at MyNewWaterfrontHome.com is to introduce you to the many wonderful waterfront communities in Ontario so that you can decide which one best meets your needs when you are ready for a move. We know that waterfront communities are special — and today’s developers know that, too. That’s why new residential developments are about more than building a place to put your furniture. They are about creating a waterfront lifestyle that extends way beyond your front door.

Many new residential developments now boast marinas, waterfront parks and other amenities such as spas, health clubs and martini bars that elevate the waterfront living experience to a new level. Others include public facilities such as marine museums and beachfront restaurants, all open to the public. The very face of our villages and towns and cities on the waterfront is changing dramatically. And that’s what we are so excited to tell you about.

Q How are new residential developments changing waterfront communities?

A What was once a seasonal cottage town with nothing but a gas station and a corner store is now a place where you can retire or raise a family because everything you need for a wonderful life — recreation facilities, restaurants, shopping, health services — is close at hand. And the spark that is adding a new energy to downtowns and prompting municipalities to build new hospitals, swimming pools and hiking trails to meet the needs of a growing population attracted by a waterfront lifestyle can be traced directly to new residential development.

Whether you are looking for a new home or an older home, our community profiles are where your search begins. MyNewWaterfrontHome.com promises to introduce you to waterfront places you might not have known even existed — or were now so darned exciting!

Q I live in a waterfront community that is not featured on your website. I know of at least one new residential development that is currently under construction. How do I get my community featured?

A Ontario is a huge province, so we are happy to have you as our eyes and ears out there! Though we spent many months researching waterfront communities, we know that we probably missed one or two that should be featured. Please email us the details at info@MyNewWaterfrontHome.com and we will check into it.

Q I notice that in some waterfront communities, only new developments closer to the waterfront are listed under the “New developments” section on the community profile page, while in other communities, all new developments are listed, even if they are not near the waterfront. Why is that?

A MyNewWaterfrontHome.com believes that a true waterfront lifestyle requires water that is either within walking distance or a short drive away. That’s why we created a few rules to guide us.

For example, while Toronto is a waterfront community, it’s a huge city. You could live and work there and never see Lake Ontario. That’s why in Toronto, we focus only on new residential developments within walking distance, or a very short drive, to the lakefront. We also list the amalgamated communities separately — Port Credit, Etobicoke, Port Union etc. — and cut off our waterfront lifestyle area at major highways.

We do the same for larger cities such as Oakville, Burlington and Hamilton — where major highways run through them. Only new developments between the highway and the lake or river are included. We do this because our focus is on the “waterfront” in waterfront community.

In smaller communities, such as resort towns like Collingwood, you don’t have to be on the waterfront to enjoy a waterfront lifestyle — after all, the Georgian Bay area is all about water! For these communities, we include all new residential developments. In these towns, even if you can’t see the water from your home, you can enjoy a true waterfront lifestyle.

Our method is not scientific, but we think it works.

Q I moved to a waterfront community two years ago and really enjoy the waterfront lifestyle. How can I let others know about my experience?

A We encourage you to tell your story. How did you find your new community? What do you like about it? Are there any services you think might be missing? The information you provide will be a perfect complement to our community profiles and prove invaluable in helping our readers decide where to move. If you have a story to tell, go to the main page of this website and click on the link to one of our Your Waterfront Story features. That will take you to a page with a highlight box with the details on how you can tell your own story.