Our inheritance of architecture, cultural landscapes, and material culture is an irreplaceable asset and resource. In Ontario, the task of conserving our inheritance of historically and architecturally significant properties is primarily a municipal matter.

The Ontario Heritage Act provides a framework within which municipalities can ensure the conservation of properties of cultural heritage value or interest. It also encourages citizen participation in heritage conservation locally. Under section 28 of the Act, the council of a municipality is authorized to establish, by by-law, a municipal heritage committee made up of five or more people. The function of the committee is to advise council on local heritage matters and to assist the council in carrying out its heritage conservation program.

Though the organization and function of municipal heritage committees are defined by the Act, municipalities are not required to establish such a committee. The initiative to start the process of forming a committee can come from many sources; a heritage homeowner, a community group or organization may initiate the process. However, it is the municipal council that finally establishes the committee, determines its terms of reference, and appoints its members.

For more information...

Please consult the Ontario Heritage Tool Kit - A Guide to Establishing and Sustaining an Effective Municipal Heritage Committee

or contact Bert Duclos, Heritage Outreach Consultant at 416-314-7154 or bert.duclos@ontario.ca

Municipal Heritage Committee Links

Brantford Burlington Cambridge Cobourg Cornwall Elizabethtown-Kitley Halton Hills Hamilton Huntsville Kitchener Loyalist Township Mississauga

North Bay North Dumfries Oshawa Peterborough Petrolia Port Hope Sarnia Sault Ste. Marie Thorold Toronto Waterloo Region of Waterloo

Heritage Organisation Links for Municipal Heritage Committees

• Community Heritage Ontario - provincial umbrella organization
• Architectural Conservancy of Ontario - promotes the protection of Ontario's architectural heritage.

The Web sites linked to are created by or for organizations outside of the Ontario government, and those organizations are responsible for the information contained within their respective sites. Any specific comment or inquiries regarding those sites should be directed to the individual organization.