Designated & Non-Designated Heritage Properties

The town maintains a Municipal Heritage Register that includes both designated and non-designated properties of cultural value.

On this page: 

1. Heritage properties
2. Designated heritage properties
3. Non-designated heritage properties 

Heritage Properties

The Ontario Heritage Act requires the municipality to keep a register of property that is of cultural heritage value or interest. The register is commonly known as the Municipal Heritage Register (MHR) and includes:

• Property that has been designated under Part IV or Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act; and,
• Property that has been listed as a non-designated property of cultural heritage value or interest.

Designated heritage properties

Designated properties are valued by the community for their architectural, historic and/or contextual significance. The Town has 48 individually designated properties and one Heritage Conservation District (HCD) with over 151 properties. 

• Details about the HCD: Heritage Conservation District (HCD) Plan
• Details about individually designated properties: Municipal Register of Designated Heritage Properties

Alterations to these properties are managed by a Heritage Permit Application which ensures their continued conservation. 

Non-designated heritage properties 

Non-designated properties are those that have cultural heritage value or interest to the community. The Town has over 100 non-designated heritage properties listed in the Municipal Register of Non-designated Heritage Properties.

Owners of non-designated properties are not subject to the heritage permit process or Heritage Committee review, nor are they required to obtain Council approval to make alterations to their properties. However, owners who intend to demolish part or all of any buildings on a non-designated heritage property are legally required to give the Town 60 days' written notice. This notice period allows the Town to make an informed decision about whether long term protection of the property should be sought through the formal designation process. Download our Frequently Asked Questions document for more details. 

If you would like to have your property removed from the draft non-designated section of the Municipal Register, please contact the Cultural Services Supervisor. As per the Ontario Heritage Act, Council will confer with the Heritage Committee before a property is removed.