Heritage Designation

The Town of New Tecumseth's Heritage Register helps us identify and protect our community's heritage resources. It includes 9 designated properties and 31 significant properties. We add all properties with the permission and cooperation of the property owners. View our Homeowner's Guide to Designation to learn more.

Ontario Heritage Act

The Ontario Heritage Act requires that we identify and conserve our community's cultural heritage assets. There are two main processes that protect our heritage resources: registration and designation. Each provides a different level of protection for heritage resources.

Recommend a building

If you're a community member, Town staff, or part of the Heritage Advisory Committee, you can recommend a building for heritage registration and possibly heritage designation.

Complete the Heritage Designation application form. 

Research

Before we can designate a property, a research report is created to detail the location's history and list its architecturally significant features. Interested in doing some research of your own? Use our Guide for Heritage Property Research. Have you conducted your own property research, or found historical photos of your property? We would be grateful to receive copies or scans of the information you have gathered so that we can add them to our research files.

Intent to designate

When a property is identified for designation, we send notices of intent to designate to the property owner and the Ontario Heritage Trust. We also publish these notices in our local newspaper. Members of the public have 30 days to voice any concerns about the designation .

Designating the property

Once these steps are complete, Council can pass a by-law designating the property under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act. The designation by-law lists the protected attributes of the property. The Ontario Heritage Trust keeps a copy of the by-law. This ensures that if the owner sells the property, the new owners will know that it is designated.

Altering heritage properties

Alteration or demolition of designated properties is not prohibited, but Council must approve certain changes to make sure that the heritage value of the property is maintained. Usually proposed alterations to designated properties will be presented to the Heritage Advisory Committee for their input and recommendations. The Ontario Heritage Act mandates that this consultation process must be completed within 90 days.

Demolition permits

Buildings on the Register of Significant Properties do not fall under the same level of protection as designated buildings. There are no restrictions on alteration or demolition of Registered properties, but you must give us 60 days' notice if you intend to demolish the building. Submitting our regular demolition permit application form serves as your written notice to us.

Heritage gallery

For more information on heritage, designation, or property research in New Tecumseth please contact the Museum on the Boyne at 705-435-3900 or by email.