Heritage Designation

• 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
• Communicates pride in our heritage
• Provides owners with an attractive plaque
• Promotes sound conservation practices

Designation provides a process that ensures changes respect the heritage value of the existing property.

Owners of designated properties seek approval of Council, in consultation with Heritage Oshawa, for property alterations that impact the "reasons for designation." Designation does not prohibit alterations. In fact, alterations that restore or maintain heritage features of a property are encouraged. If an owner disagrees with a council decision regarding designation or alterations, the owner may appeal to the Conservation Review Board.

Owners of designated properties seek approval of Council, in consultation with Heritage Oshawa, to demolish a designated structure.

Owners of designated properties are not required to restore their buildings to its original condition. As well, owners are not required to open their property to the public and are not expected to incur expenses beyond those of any other property owner.

The "reasons for designation" are set out in the heritage designation by-law with a description of significant architectural, historical and contextual features of the property that are to be protected and conserved.

Heritage properties that can be designated are residential, commercial, industrial and institutional structures, streetscapes, landscapes, natural areas, cemeteries and burial sites, and archaeological sites.

1.  Submit a written request to Heritage Oshawa. A request to designate a property is made by an owner, interested party, Heritage Oshawa or Council.
2. Heritage Oshawa ensures that the property is researched and evaluated.
3. Heritage Oshawa makes a recommendation to Council on the merits of designating a property.
4. Council makes a final decision.
5. If Council chooses to pursue designation, notice will be published in a local newspaper.
6. There is a thirty day waiting period to receive objections.
7. Objections are resolved through a hearing at the Conservation Review Board.
8. Once the Conservation Review Board process is complete, Council may choose to pass a by-law to designate.
9. A designation by-law is registered on the property.

It may take between three and six months to complete the process.

There are no costs to the owner to designate a property. Once a property is designated, you may be eligible to receive a heritage property tax reduction.

Designation neither restricts the sale of property or land use. A recent survey has shown that most designated properties performed better than average in the real estate market.