The city has put several St. Vital neighbours on notice after receiving a complaint about pop-up tents used as long-term makeshift garages.

The City of Winnipeg said it received a complaint from someone in the area about several homes using the tents in their driveways.

Roselle Turenne was told if she wanted to keep a tent up on her property, she would have to first pay a $350 fine, then buy a licence for $250 and pass an inspection at an additional cost of between $500 and $800. Even if she chose to tear down the tent without paying for a permit, she still faced a $1,000 fine from the city, she was told.

"I reacted quite strongly at first," Turenne said. After a little research, she said she believes the tent is in accordance with city rules and should be allowed to stay.

Roselle Turenne says she's angry one of her neighbours waited until January to report her temporary garage. (Radio-Canada)

"I went to the [City of Winnipeg] website to see what was up and what we could have done differently. And, you know, in reading the website and looking into it, there was little that I read into it that we were doing wrong.

Tents not for long-term use, city says

A spokesperson with the city said the primary issue with tubular canvas tents with metal frames is they aren't designed for long-term use nor to withstand the amount of snow Winnipeg gets in winter. Strong winds are a concern, the spokesperson said, as are the canvas materials tents are often made of, as they tend to deteriorate over time outside in the elements.

City bylaws state any temporary tent bigger than about 84 square metres requires a permit. Turenne's tent is only about 22 square metres, but because she has been using it continuously for four years, the city considers the structure permanent and says it must comply with bylaws.

"If intended to be used permanently, the Winnipeg Building Bylaw requires a permanent foundation, and a permit for the foundation and the structure would be required," a city spokesperson said in a statement. "The permit application review process for the use of this type of structure would require an engineer's certification."

Turenne has appealed the city's decision, but she had to pay the fine and was asked to dismantle her tent while her case is being considered.

"We'd like to keep our little garage up," she said. "I'll pay the $350 fine and hopefully we'll be on our merry way."

In the meantime, she's posted a note on a tree in her front yard intended for whichever neighbour filed the original complaint.

"Dear neighbour, (who waited until January to complain about our garage). You are more than welcome to pay our fine, help with the take down (in the dead of winter) [or] give us a parking spot in your garage," the letter says.