Overview

The Ontario Heritage Tool Kit offers resources and guidance to help conserve Ontario's heritage.

The Ontario Heritage Tool Kit is a series of guidance documents for:

  • municipal councils
  • municipal staff
  • municipal heritage committees
  • land use planners
  • heritage professionals and organizations
  • property owners

The tool kit will help you understand the:

Ontario Heritage Tool Kit

The tool kit consists of 5 main documents.

Your community, your heritage, your committee

Information for municipalities that want to establish a Municipal Heritage Committee, and for existing Municipal Heritage Committees to better understand their role and responsibilities under the Ontario Heritage Act.

Heritage property evaluation

Information about listing, researching and evaluating cultural heritage property.

Designating heritage properties

Information about what property designation is and the designation process under the Ontario Heritage Act.

Heritage conservation districts

Information about designating areas where heritage buildings and structures with special character or historical association are concentrated, allowing municipalities to manage change in the district in a sympathetic manner.

Heritage places of worship

Information about the specific considerations and unique aspects associated with conserving heritage places of worship.

Guidance material for the act and regulations

Note: The ministry has published these guidance materials as an aid to municipalities and others working with the Ontario Heritage Act. The information in this guidance is not intended to take the place of legal advice. In the event of any conflict or inconsistency between this guidance and any applicable legislation or regulations, including the Ontario Heritage Act and its regulations, the legislation or regulations prevail.

Cultural heritage tools and resources

Cultural heritage tools and resources can help you implement cultural heritage conservation activities. The tools and resources are organized as follows:

Ontario Heritage Act and Ontario Heritage Trust tools and resources

This section identifies tools and resources to help with cultural heritage conservation, requirements and approaches.

Planning Act tools and resources

This section identifies resources to help you understand and integrate land use planning and cultural heritage conservation.

Other cultural heritage resources and provincial cultural organizations

This section identifies resources to address other cultural heritage conservation opportunities and provincial organizations with cultural heritage expertise.

Federal and international resources

This section provides standards and best practices established by other levels of governments, jurisdictions and organizations, as well as guidance on Indigenous engagement and planning.

Cemeteries and places of worship resources

This section identifies resources specific to historic cemeteries and protecting culturally significant places of worship.

Ontario Heritage Act and Ontario Heritage Trust tools and resources

Find links to the Ontario Heritage Act and regulations, and tools and resources from the Ontario Heritage Trust, an agency of the Ministry.

Planning Act tools and resources

Heritage organization tools and resources

We work closely with heritage organizations to support Ontario’s heritage sector to:

  • deliver and promote wide public access to Ontario's heritage
  • encourage public participation in heritage conservation activities
  • provide heritage activities, such as exhibitions, webinars, public programs, lectures, walking tours, etc.
  • provide training sessions and webinars on heritage matters
  • administer events on reconciliation, equity, inclusion and diversity efforts in the heritage sector

Federal and international resources

Cemeteries and places of worship resources