The Heritage Conservation District Concept

Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act, RSO 1980, C.337, provides for designation of Heritage Conservation Districts. A Heritage Conservation District is a collection of buildings, streets, and open spaces that collectively are of special historical or architectural significance to the community. The legislation enables municipalities, through study, to define the areas to be disignated and to prepare Official Plan provisions which regulate development activities within the area in order to ensure that the Heritage character of the District is maintained or enhanced.

A Heritage Conservation District designation is not intended to prohibit or discourage the changes required by contemporary needs. Its purpose is to guide those changes so that change contributes to the District's architectural and historic character..