Understanding the Tools We Have and Rethinking the Tools We Need in Ontario’s Heritage Industry

Sara Nixon

This essay is part two of a series. Read the first installment here.

In Fall 2022, the Ontario government passed Bill 23, which aims to facilitate housing development in the province. As a result, on January 1, 2027, approximately 36,000 properties listed on Municipal Heritage Registers but not designated under the Ontario Heritage Act will lose their municipal protections, their already-tenuous classification facing even more risk.

As heritage professionals and volunteers scramble to secure provincial heritage designations for properties of historical significance in their communities, it’s imperative we consider the bigger picture; Bill 23 is a symptom of widespread misunderstanding of heritage in Ontario. Even if heritage properties gain provincial designation in time, as long as the government and the public view heritage and development as mutually exclusive, the heritage industry will remain insecure. Conversely, by educating the public about heritage designation, incorporating heritage into urban planning, and connecting with our wider communities, we can cultivate a brighter future for Ontario’s heritage industry.

Public Misconceptions

Public understanding of the Ontario Heritage Act is generally poor, and as a consequence, there are quite a number of pervasive misconceptions about what the Act really does and what heritage designation really means.

Myth 1: “Heritage designation adds a further burden of maintenance costs to property owners.”

In fact, municipal heritage staff work with property owners to find sustainable and cost-effective maintenance and repair solutions while maintaining the site’s heritage value. Many municipalities across Ontario have implemented grant programs and tax-incentives to mitigate the costs associated with heritage conservation and maintenance.

Myth 2: “Heritage designation negatively impacts property value.”

Studies in multiple places show there is no adverse impact on a property’s value if it receives heritage designation. Indeed, some prospective buyers are especially motivated to purchase a unique heritage home.

Myth 3: “Heritage designation is an obstacle to redevelopment and is anti-change.”

As The Brown Homestead’s Executive Director Andrew Humeniuk says, “heritage conservation is not about stopping change, but guiding change.” Heritage infrastructure can be adapted into housing or serve as multi-purpose community space for the households established nearby. As Hamilton Heritage Planner Chloe Richer has pointed out, you should not need to be wealthy to live in an interesting heritage building! Furthermore, refitting an existing building through adaptive reuse has a smaller carbon footprint than constructing a new one from scratch.

Situating Heritage as Part of the Solution

The protection tools currently offered by the Ontario Heritage Act tend to reflect a traditional approach to heritage, and as a consequence, overlook progressive preservation priorities that better reflect contemporary community needs. Here, we ask whether designation should in fact be the end goal for all heritage properties — or can we go further? Can we develop a more dynamic, multi-faceted toolbox, like implementing tools that incentivize heritage protections or encourage purpose-driven adaptive reuse projects that focus on public interest? Stronger adaptive-reuse policies can address aspects of the housing crisis, climate crisis, as well as bolster community revitalization efforts. As one St. Catharines example, the old Welland Avenue United Church was rehabilitated to now serve as the headquarters for Community Living St. Catharines, a charity supporting people with intellectual disabilities. 

Fostering Community-Led Engagement

Communities that undertake grassroots heritage preservation efforts lack tools and support, especially in underrepresented communities that have not been included in traditional preservation practice. What kinds of programs, initiatives and incentives can be developed to foster progressive, community-led heritage initiatives that encourage inclusive participation, grassroots agency, and neighbourhood improvement? Empowering communities to take ownership of their collective heritage may also help to alleviate the burden placed on the heritage sector, and facilitate better dialogue and reciprocity.

There is no denying the housing crisis currently facing Ontario, nor the affordability crisis or the ever-pressing consequences of the climate crisis. The careful teetering to balance growth and development with affordability and sustainability all while also protecting heritage and deepening community connection is changing drastically. In fact, change is inevitable, and required, to better our situation. 

Yet, for so long, change and heritage have been placed on opposite sides of the spectrum. So much so that heritage is hardly top of mind for folks committed to bettering communities, and especially for those working to solve the housing crisis. There is this assumption that we need to be willing to lose tangible testaments to our collective memories and identities to achieve affordable housing. But this is a false dichotomy. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. Our field needs to do a better job at situating the critical importance heritage plays to a community’s sense of place and belonging. The threads of local history are what weave into community identity, culture, and pride. The character and story of an old home offers depth and texture to a place. This is not only what we preserve, but what we further cultivate when we designate a heritage property. As people move into our communities, we can take the opportunity to root them in the region by teaching newcomers about the treaties that cover their new homes. This matters — as does building houses and infrastructure and livable communities. 

Sara Nixon (M.A. Public History, Carleton University), is the Community Engagement Manager at The Brown Homestead. Sara has long been dedicated sharing Niagara’s rich history, and is actively involved in the local heritage community. She currently sits as Chair of the Grimsby Heritage Advisory Committee.

This essay is adapted from a post originally published on The Brown Homestead’s website in March 2024.