PORTERS LAKE, N.S. -- While some people dream about living on a boat on the water, the possibility of building floating homes in Porters Lake is making waves in the Nova Scotia community.

When the developers of a floating home on Lake Micmac bought land in the Porters Lake area, people began wondering if it was only a matter of time before floating homes were built in the community.

Floating homes are rare in the Maritimes, but one of the project developers says they have grown in popularity in British Columbia and Ontario.

“It is not a new industry for Canada, but for Nova Scotia, and I am welcoming regulations because it will make my life easier,” developer Igor Yushchenko told CTV Atlantic in a phone interview.

However, the question of who is in charge of those rules is a bit murky.

“You could say we’re breaking new ground or trudging new water here because it’s an issue we never had to deal with,” said local councillor David Hendsbee.

Hendsbee says City Hall has been looking at regulations, and it appears it is a federal responsibility.

The lack of rules and regulations surround floating homes has people in the community expressing concerns.

Dozens of residents attended a community-organized meeting Monday evening to discuss the issue.

“The problem we feel is all about March 1 or April 1, when all the ice has gone from Porters Lake, a whole herd of flatbed trucks will arrive, with tiny floating houses on top, plunk them in the lake, and at that point, there’s absolutely nothing we can do,” said meeting organizer Helen Nicholson.

Residents told members from all three levels of government they would like to see a moratorium on floating homes until rules are in place.

For that to happen, the municipality, province and federal governments would have to work together.

“It will involve all three levels of government and, right now, I don’t think it’s that any level of government is evading taking on that responsibility, but it’s a question of where does that jurisdiction lie?” said MLA and House Speaker Kevin Murphy.

Yushchenko believes a resolution can be found to make everybody happy.

“If I didn’t see a potential resolution I would not even attend those meetings,” he said.

Hendsbee says he plans on bringing the issue to council.