Toronto family builds backyard pirate ship but the city forces them to dismantle it

John Konstantinidis built the ship as something of a labour of love and set in the backyard. But neighbours complained, and so the officers came knocking.

The ship, which is comprised of decking, climbing ropes, and even a small swimming pool, posed a problem for the neighbours, who didn't like to see a big structure such as the toy ship bordering against the property line.

Konstantinidis received an email from the city as to the direct nature of the violation, stating that "A pool such as this one requires a pool permit which ensures the pool is properly fenced in."

The city also noted "in addition, the structure itself is larger than 10 x 10, and therefore requires a building permit."

The ship took two months for Konstantinidis to build, and but the kids only had a week to play in it before the complaints rolled in and bylaw officers noted their reservations.

The family was surprised to find that their children's play structure was cause for such concern. Voula Konstantinidis said "we didn't think it was an issue."

She posted a video of the ship on her Facebook page. The ship flies both the national flags of Greece and Canada.

The ship building project had another aspect as well, which was that Konstantinidis had to shut down his restaurant due to the pandemic. Being able to take on a hands-on building project in serve to his family's needs kept him busy and in touch with his family.

Konstantinidis said that after the complaints, he is dismantling the ship to move it to a better location, away from the property line. The kids will have a chance to play on it again.

The biggest takeaway for Konstantinidis is that next time, he'll look into the building regulations before drawing up plans.