Our cultural heritage is what we value from the past, and what we want to conserve for current and future generations.

Identifying and protecting places in our communities that have cultural heritage value is an important part of planning for the future, and of helping to guide change while keeping the buildings, structures and landscapes that give each of our communities its unique identity.

Municipalities have a key role to play in conserving places that have cultural heritage value or interest. The designation of individual properties under Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act is one tool that municipalities have used to protect thousands of properties in hundreds of communities across Ontario. Designation is a legal tool allowing municipalities to pass bylaws protecting cultural heritage resources.

Designation:

  • recognizes the importance of a property to the local community
  • protects the property’s cultural heritage value
  • encourages good stewardship and conservation
  • promotes knowledge and understanding about the property

Designation under the Ontario Heritage Act applies to real property, and helps to recognize and protect the heritage attributes on that property.

Property designation is not limited to single buildings or structures but can include groups of buildings, manufactured components, cemeteries, natural heritage features, cultural heritage landscapes or landscape features.

Designation not only publicly recognizes and promotes awareness of these properties. It also provides a process for ensuring that proposed changes are appropriately managed and that these changes respect the property’s cultural heritage value or interest. This includes protection from demolition.