Designated Properties
Heritage designation is a process established in the Ontario Heritage Act. A designation recognizes and protects properties of cultural heritage value or interest.
City of Oshawa Municipal Register
The City is required under Part IV, Section 27 the Ontario Heritage Act to maintain a municipal register of properties identified by City Council as having cultural heritage value or interest.
This register includes properties designated individually under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, and properties designated within a Heritage Conservation District under Part V, Section 41 of the Ontario Heritage Act.
View the Register of Properties of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest
Advantages of designation
- Provides owners with a "City of Oshawa Designated Heritage Property" plaque.
- Strengthens community identity.
- Acknowledges our past while providing a link to the future.
- Contributes to the local quality of life.
- Conserves irreplaceable, highly visible heritage resources and communicates pride in our heritage
Responsibilities of designation
- A designation ensures changes that respect the heritage value of the property.
- Owners of designated properties need Council approval for alterations that impact "heritage attributes."
- Owners need Council approval to demolish a designated property.
- Owners are not required to restore their buildings to their original condition.
- Owners are not required to open their property to the public.
- Owners are not expected to incur expenses beyond those of any other property owner.
Heritage attributes
A listing of heritage attributes is in the heritage designation by-law. They describe the significant architectural, historical and contextual features of the property.
The designation protects and conserves these features.
Property designation process
Applications to request heritage designation of a property under Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act require a Heritage Permit.
There is no fee collected for a Heritage Permit. Prior to submitting a Heritage Permit, it is highly recommended that you contact Planning Services for initial discussion including the identification of potential requirements. Please contact [email protected].
Review of a request for heritage designation of a property generally includes the following steps:
- If the request is from the property owner, Heritage Oshawa considers the request to designate. If the request is not from the property owner, the request must first be considered by the Economic and Development Services Committee, prior to Heritage Oshawa's review.
- Heritage Oshawa may recommend the property be researched and evaluated.
- Heritage Oshawa makes a recommendation to Council on designating the property.
- Council makes a final decision.
- Notice of intention to designate is published in a local newspaper if Council chooses to designate.
- There is a 30 day appeal period to receive any objections to the intention to designate.
- Council reviews any objections and decides whether to proceed with designating by-law.
- Notice of by-law passing will be published in a local newspaper if Council chooses to pass a designation by-law.
- There is a 30 day appeal period to receive any objections to the designation by-law.
- Any objections are resolved through an Ontario Land Tribunal hearing.
- The designation by-law is registered on the property.
Removal from the Municipal Register as a Listed, Non-designated Property
Applications to remove “listed, non-designated” properties from the Municipal Register under Section 27 of the Ontario Heritage Act require a Heritage Permit. Note that this process only includes properties "listed" under Section 27 of the Act, not properties designated under Section 29 of the Act.
There is no fee collected for a Heritage Permit. Prior to submitting a Heritage Permit, it is highly recommended that you contact Planning Services for initial discussion including the identification of potential requirements. This will assist you in preparing preliminary plans. Please contact [email protected].
Heritage Property Tax Reduction
The City of Oshawa has a Heritage Property Tax Reduction Program. Owners of property designated under the Ontario Heritage Act are eligible for this program.
The annual property tax reduction you may receive is 40% of the City and school board portions on eligible property. However, Regional taxes are not included in this program.
Learn more about Oshawa's Heritage Property Tax Reduction Program.
To apply for a Heritage Property Tax Reduction, submit your application to [email protected].
Heritage Conservation Districts
In addition to recognizing individual properties, municipalities may designate Heritage Conservation Districts (H.C.D.'s). H.C.D.'s are designated under Part V, Section 41 of the Ontario Heritage Act.
Oshawa has one H.C.D., located in the core area of the South Field at the Oshawa Executive Airport. The H.C.D. contains the former Canteen and Stores Buildings, the Number 10 Building, and Airmen's Park.
To designate an H.C.D., a municipality must complete an H.C.D. Study and Plan.
