Originally Posted by
Sam Menard
There is more to the act than what you quoted:
Occupation for specified purposes
21.1 (1) Subject to subsections (5), (6), (7), (8), (9) and (11) and the regulations, a person is authorized under this section to occupy public lands for the purpose of doing either or both of the following:
1. Erecting or placing on the public lands a building, structure or thing that is of a type or class prescribed by regulation or that meets the specifications prescribed by regulation.
2. Using any building, structure or thing located on the public lands that is of a type or class prescribed by regulation or that meets the specifications prescribed by regulation, whether it was erected or placed on the public lands by the person or by another person.
Ontario Regulation 161/17 pursuant to the Public Lands Act addresses structures on Crown land and Section 12 of the Regulation speaks to hunting stands:
Hunting stands
12. A person is authorized to occupy public lands under section 21.1 of the Act for the purpose of erecting, placing or using a hunting stand only if the following conditions are met:
1. The person erects, places and uses the hunting stand solely for the purposes of hunting.
2. The person does not use the hunting stand for overnight accommodation.
IIRC, the MNR’s expectation was that hunting stands were to be removed when they were no longer “used for hunting” i.e. end of the season.