The Government of Ontario recognizes that the province’s heritage tells us who we are, where we have come from and what we have accomplished. This knowledge is a source of strength and confidence. Through the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, the government:

  • supports provincial ministries, agencies, heritage organizations, museums and archaeologists to conserve and present Ontario's rich cultural heritage
  • educates municipal councils and staff, Municipal Heritage Committees, land use planners, heritage professionals, heritage organizations, property owners, and others by developing tools like the Ontario Heritage Tool Kit
  • complies with a Statement of Environmental Values

This ministry administers and complies with the Ontario Heritage Act.

We are also guided by international standards and practice set out by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS International). Its International Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites (the Venice Charter) provided for the creation of ICOMOS in 1964.

ICOMOS Canada, one of the 80 National Committees that belong to ICOMOS International, has two important charters: