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Heritage Properties

The Ontario Heritage Act requires us to keep a register of property that is of cultural heritage value or interest. The register is commonly known as the Municipal Heritage Register (MHR) and includes:

Property that has been designated under Part IV (individual) or Part V (heritage conservation districts) of the Ontario Heritage Act; and,
Property that has been listed as a non-designated property of cultural heritage value or interest.

Individually Designated Heritage Properties

A property is designated under Part IV (individual) of the Ontario Heritage Act and therefore placed on the Municipal Heritage Register following consultation with both the Heritage Kitchener committee and the property owner. The individually designated property is subject to a designating bylaw that identifies the reasons for designation and a list of heritage attributes. We currently have approximately 75 individually designated properties.

An index of properties designated under Part IV (individual) of the Ontario Heritage Act is available for interest sake and information purposes.

We attempt to keep the Municipal Heritage Register current, accurate and complete; however, we reserve the right to change or modify the register and its contents at any time without notice.

Non-designated Property of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest

A non-designated property of cultural heritage value or interest is placed on the Municipal Heritage Register following a thorough and objective four-step process, which includes:

Initial evaluation of the property.
Short-listing of the property and property-owner consultation.
Review of the short-listed property by the Heritage Kitchener committee.
City council considers listing the property on the register.

Listing non-designated property of cultural heritage value or interest does:

increase the amount of time municipalities have to process demolition applications made under the Ontario Building Code (from 10 to 60 business days depending on the type of building) to provide sufficient time to evaluate whether the property merits some form of protection such as designation under the Ontario Heritage Act, which is subject to a separate formal legal process.
has implications relating to Planning Act applications (such as Site Plans and Plans of Subdivision) and the Provincial Policy Statement, regarding conservation issues that may be addressed by preparing a Heritage Impact Assessment and/or Conservation Plan.

Listing non-designated property of cultural heritage value or interest does not:

provide any protection under the Ontario Heritage Act.
impose restrictions or obligations with regard to obtaining heritage approvals. This means property owners are not subject to the heritage-permit process or Heritage Kitchener review; and they are not required to obtain city council approval to make alterations to their properties.

An index of non-designated property of cultural heritage value or interest is available for interest sake and information purposes.

We attempt to keep the Municipal Heritage Register current, accurate and complete; however, we reserve the right to change or modify the register and its contents at any time without notice.

For more information on the steps in this process, please review our heritage brochure.

Heritage Alterations

In some cases, the owner of a property designated under the Ontario Heritage Act may require a heritage permit to make changes to either the building or the property in question. Changes may include alterations, demolitions or new construction.

Heritage Property Standards Bylaw

Vacant buildings and structures located on heritage properties that are designated under Part IV (individual) or Part V (heritage conservation districts) of the Ontario Heritage Act, or identified as a property of high cultural heritage value and interest within a heritage conservation district are subject to the heritage provisions of the property standards bylaw.

For confirmation of a property's heritage status, or for more information, please contact Michelle Drake, heritage planner, at 519-741-2839 or Leon Bensason, coordinator, cultural heritage planning, at 519-741-2306.

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