The Complete Ontario Cottage Winterization Checklist

Your Ontario cottage winterization checklist starts with the calendar

Around here, winter does not arrive on the same day everywhere. Cold settles in weeks earlier up on the northern Bruce Peninsula — around Tobermory, Lion’s Head, and Wiarton — than it does down the shore at Grand Bend or along the Huron County coast near Goderich. Lake Huron and Georgian Bay hold onto summer’s warmth well into the fall, and that open water buffers the shoreline for a while. But once the water is warmer than the cold air blowing across it, the lake-effect snow machine switches on, and the cold comes fast behind it.

So the first job is timing. We see this every winter on the Bruce: the owners who get caught out are the ones closing up in the season’s first real storm, not the ones who planned ahead and left themselves a buffer.

• Watch the 10-day forecast for a run of below-freezing overnight lows, not just one cold night
• On the northern Bruce Peninsula, plan earlier — often through October
• Farther south, near Grand Bend and Goderich, you often have into November
• Build in a buffer weekend so you are not closing up in the first snow

The water system: the part that floods cottages

Water is behind most serious winter cottage damage, so give this section the most care of all. Any water left sitting in a pipe, trap, tank, or fixture can freeze, expand, and split it — and a split line can flood the whole cottage the moment things thaw, often weeks before anyone is back to notice. Work through the entire system, not just the taps you can see.

• Shut the water off at the source — the well pump or the main valve — and switch the pump off
• Open every tap, hot and cold, upstairs and down, to let the lines drain
• Drain the water heater fully (cut the power to an electric tank first; set a propane tank to pilot or off)
• Blow the lines out with air, or drain to the lowest point, so no low spot is left holding water
• Empty the pressure tank and any water filter or softener housings
• Flush every toilet, then sponge out the tank and the bowl
• Pour non-toxic plumbing antifreeze into every drain, P-trap, and toilet bowl — sinks, tub, shower, floor drains, laundry, and the dishwasher
• Do not forget the outdoor taps and hose bibs, or the fridge and ice-maker water line

It only takes one missed low spot or one forgotten outdoor tap. This is the step we get called about most, and it is the heart of our plumbing winterization work — every line drained, every trap and toilet treated, and each step logged so nothing gets skipped.

Heat and hydro: the decision to make

Once the plumbing is drained, you have a choice to make about power and heat.

Some owners shut the electricity off at the panel for the whole winter — simple, with nothing left running. Others keep the power on and the furnace set to a low temperature, often around 10°C (50°F), so the building never goes deeply cold and a smart thermostat or Wi-Fi temperature sensor can text them if the heat quits. Both are reasonable. The right call depends on your cottage and whether the power and internet stay reliable all season.

• Decide: full shutdown, or low heat kept on
• If you shut down, make sure the plumbing is completely drained first
• If you keep heat, set the furnace low (many use around 10°C / 50°F)
• Add a smart thermostat or a Wi-Fi temperature sensor that can alert you — remember it only works while the power and internet stay on
• Check your propane or heating-oil tank level before you leave
• Unplug electronics and small appliances — winter storms bring power surges
• Note your hydro account, and decide whether to keep it active for heat or monitoring

The kitchen, the food, and the fridge

An empty cottage and forgotten food are a bad mix — musty smells, mould, and an open invitation to mice.

• Clear out all the food, the pantry included, and anything that can freeze or spoil
• Defrost, clean, and dry the fridge and freezer, then prop the doors open so they do not sour
• Take the garbage out and rinse the bins
• Wipe down the counters and stovetop, and empty the toaster crumb tray
• Store any dry goods you leave behind in sealed glass or metal — cardboard and thin plastic are no barrier to mice
• Run the dishwasher empty, bail the water out of the bottom, and add a little antifreeze

Moisture and mould: the slow kind of damage

Not every water problem is a burst pipe. A closed-up cottage traps damp air all winter, and that stale, still air is where mould and musty smells take hold. A little airflow goes a long way.

• Strip the beds and store the linens in sealed bins
• Stand mattresses on edge and prop sofa and chair cushions up so air can move around them
• Leave interior doors and closets open so air circulates
• Set out desiccant moisture absorbers in damp-prone rooms, or run a dehumidifier if you are keeping the power on
• Check the basement or crawlspace for damp, and make sure the sump pump works — or is drained, if you are cutting the power
• Close curtains and blinds to keep the low winter sun from fading floors and fabrics

A wildlife-proofing pass (prevention only)

A quiet, empty cottage is exactly what mice, red squirrels, and raccoons are hunting for once the cold sets in. You cannot be there to hear them move in, so the move is to close the doors before they ever find them. This part is all prevention — sealing and screening.

• Walk the outside and seal the gaps around the roofline, soffits, and anywhere pipes and wires enter the walls
• Screen the vents and the chimney with proper metal mesh, so air still moves through while the opening stays covered
• Pack small gaps with steel wool and sealant — expanding foam alone does not stand up to chewing
• Store food, birdseed, and garbage in sealed, animal-resistant bins — bear-smart storage is the standard in our part of Ontario
• Move the firewood pile away from the walls and up off the ground
• Trim back branches that touch the roof, since squirrels use them as a bridge

Prevention is the sealing-and-screening work — done before animals find their way in. If something has already moved in, that is a removal job, and it needs to be done humanely and legally — which is work for our sister company, The Critter Guy. Once they have cleared things out, we seal the cottage up tight, so the same animals have a harder time wandering right back. Our animal prevention service handles that sealing-and-screening pass for you.

Docks, boats, and the outdoors

• Pull a removable dock, or check that a permanent one is clear and secure for the winter
• Haul out and drain the boat, stabilize the fuel, disconnect the battery, and store or cover it
• Bring in or cover the deck furniture and the BBQ, and disconnect the propane tank
• Drain and coil the garden hoses, and blow out any irrigation lines
• Clean the leaves out of the eavestroughs and downspouts so meltwater has somewhere to go — clogged gutters are where a lot of ice dams begin
• Rake leaves and debris off the roof and out of the valleys
• Put away ladders, tools, and anything light enough for a winter wind to throw around

The security walkthrough before you lock up

• Lock every window and door, and check the basement windows and any second-floor access
• Close and latch storm shutters if you have them
• Set any alarm or cameras, and confirm they are actually online
• Take photos of each room and any valuables for your own records
• Move anything tempting out of view from the windows
• Tell a trusted neighbour you are closed up for the season, and leave them a number
• Cancel or redirect mail and flyer delivery — a pile at the end of the lane advertises an empty cottage

The honest truth about a security walkthrough is that it is a snapshot. It tells you the cottage was fine the day you left, not how it is doing in February. For a place that sits empty for months down a quiet lane, the real answer is having someone actually lay eyes on it through the winter — which is what our winter checkups are built for.

Book the pros for the parts that bite

Plenty of this checklist is a satisfying weekend’s work. But a few jobs are worth handing to people who do them every week: a full plumbing drain-down with the lines blown out, snow load coming off a roof, and sealing a cottage tight against wildlife. These are the steps where one missed detail costs the most — and the ones we get called about after the fact every spring.

We close cottages for a living, from Sauble Beach and the South Bruce Peninsula down the Lake Huron shore through Southampton, Kincardine, and Goderich to Grand Bend, and around Georgian Bay through Owen Sound and Collingwood. Our plumbing winterization covers every water step above, and because a closed-up cottage can go weeks unseen, our winter checkups mean someone is genuinely there through the season — so if anything looks off, you hear about it fast, with photos and a plain explanation.

If you would rather talk it through, call us at 519-783-1575. The phone is answered 7 days a week. Tell us where your cottage is and how it is set up, and we will give you a clear quote up front.