Temporary Fence.
By the panel or by the kilometre.

Best temporary fence for a construction site in Canada: 6-ft chain-link panels on free-standing concrete or polyethylene feet (sometimes called "Mojo" or "Panel" systems). Each panel is 6 ft tall × 10 ft wide, weighs 60-80 lbs, and clamps to the next with steel couplers; feet weigh 30-100 lbs and resist wind without anchoring. For higher-security sites use 8-ft panels with anti-climb sheeting or full-perimeter shrink-wrap. For pedestrian work zones (sidewalks, retail, events) 6-ft pedestrian-grade panels with castors or shorter heights (typically 4 ft) are easier to reposition. For very short-term events or non-public sites, plastic orange snow-fence on T-posts works but provides no security. Add gates at vehicle access (typically 12-ft vehicle gate, 4-ft pedestrian gate), and consider privacy mesh windscreen on perimeter facing public roads. Rental terms are usually weekly with delivery and pickup; Fenced.ca rents panels nationally with 48-72 hour metro delivery.

Privacy without a fence — practical approaches: 1) Hedge planting — cedar (Thuja occidentalis) or columnar Serbian spruce planted 60 cm off the property line gives 1.8-2.4 m screening in 4-6 years, no maintenance after establishment except annual trim. 2) Mixed shrub border — dogwoods, ninebark, viburnum, serviceberry — supports pollinators, 1.2 m screen in 2-3 years. 3) Trellis with climbers — cedar or steel cable trellis with clematis, climbing hydrangea, Virginia creeper, or grape; full screen in 3 years, looks intentional. 4) Strategic tree placement — Japanese tree lilac, columnar oaks, or layered conifers near patio sightlines. 5) Pergola or shade structure with louvred sides over the seating area you want to screen. 6) Living roof or green wall — apartments and commercial use modular green wall panels. For pure privacy with no fence, hedge + strategic plantings is the most reliable; for instant privacy you need temporary panels or screens.

Temporary fence options for short-term home or event use: 1) Chain-link panels on free-standing feet — same product as construction sites, rentable by the week, 6 ft tall, secure. 2) Crowd-control barricades (interlocking steel) — 1 m tall, 2-2.5 m wide, used for events, lines, and pedestrian channels. 3) Plastic orange snow fence on T-posts — cheapest option, 1 m tall, visual barrier only, $40-100 for 30 m. 4) Hardware mesh / chicken wire on driven garden stakes — DIY temporary garden enclosure. 5) Bunting, stanchion-and-rope, or retractable belt barriers — indoor or front-of-house event boundary. 6) Snow-fence-style mesh on T-posts — better-looking than orange plastic and stronger; black or green polypropylene. 7) Pop-up event panels with branded fabric covers. Choose by: security level needed, duration, public/private setting, and whether the fence will need to be moved during use.

Yard boundary alternatives to a fence: 1) Hedge — cedar, yew, or boxwood for formal, ninebark or dogwood for naturalistic; full screen in 3-6 years. 2) Mixed planting border with layered heights — small trees, shrubs, perennials — defines boundary as a planted edge instead of a hard line. 3) Stone or timber retaining wall — works on sloped lots, defines boundary plus changes grade. 4) Raised planter wall — 60-90 cm cedar or steel planter at the boundary line, defines without enclosing. 5) Bollard line — wooden, steel, or stone posts at intervals, no panels between, used for visual cue on rural and lake lots. 6) Gravel or stone path along the boundary — defines edge without enclosure. 7) Landform — low berm, planted with grasses or shrubs. Fence still wins when you need pet containment, security, pool code compliance, or rapid screening; alternatives win on lower maintenance, natural look, and softer property-line transitions.

In Canadian construction documents and municipal bylaws, a construction site fence is referred to as: "construction hoarding" (most common in Ontario building permit and bylaw language, refers to solid hoarding boards along sidewalks for tall building work), "temporary construction fencing" or "site fencing" (generic spec-sheet term covering chain-link panels, crowd-control barricades, and plywood hoarding), "perimeter site fencing" (project management term in CCDC contracts), or "clôture de chantier" in French Quebec contracts. The bright orange plastic mesh on driven stakes is technically "safety fence" or "snow fence" (it's the same product) when used as a visual barrier; for actual site security and code compliance you need chain-link panels or hoarding. Municipal bylaws often distinguish between "hoarding" (solid sheeting over 1.8 m around demolition or excavation, often required by OBC / NBC) and "site fencing" (any perimeter barrier).

The four functional types of fence: 1) Boundary / privacy fence — defines property line and blocks sightlines; materials: wood board, vinyl, composite, aluminum picket, masonry. 2) Security fence — keeps people or vehicles out (or in); materials: chain-link with barbed-wire top, palisade steel, anti-climb mesh, expanded metal, concrete. 3) Containment fence — keeps animals in or out (pets, livestock, wildlife); materials: chain-link, welded wire, woven page wire, high-tensile electric, invisible electronic. 4) Decorative / ornamental fence — defines edge without screening, primarily aesthetic; materials: split-rail, picket, ornamental aluminum, wrought-iron, low garden border. Functional categories overlap: a 6-ft aluminum picket can serve as boundary and pool-code-compliant containment; a wood board fence covers boundary, privacy, and pet containment. Most residential projects need to satisfy 2-3 categories at once; specifying by category first and material second avoids the common mistake of picking the wrong material for the actual job.