Heritage committee requests more time from province to review properties

Administrator | Jun 03, 2026 | Comments 0

Prince Edward County historian Peter Lockyer documents the demolition of the Hyatt House, one of two heritage homes at Sandbanks Provincial Park, that were demolished Sept. 9, 2021 despite public efforts to save them.

By Sharon Harrison
With more than 200 properties in Prince Edward County still to be reviewed, and with an impending deadline of Jan. 1, 2027 in which to do so, the Built and Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee is proposing to ask the province for more time.

At Wednesday’s meeting, committee agreed to support and advocate for council to request the province to extend the deadline for issuing Notices of Intention to Designate for properties listed on the municipal heritage non-designated register. The request is for a further three years, from the current deadline of Jan. 1, 2027 to Jan. 1, 2030 (or another reasonable time frame).

Ben Thornton, council and committee co-ordinator, noted the clerk’s office has received similar motions passed by several other municipalities in Ontario.

“There seem to be more coming in, so there are a number of municipalities passing very similar motions,” said Thornton, noting motions had been received from the Municipality of Bluewater and the Township of Clearview, among others. “So, the committee expressed a wish to add their voice here.”

Committee member Bob Waldon, in favour of the motion, suggested waiting to approve the motion until the next meeting so the wording could be strengthened a little.

“It is an advocacy motion, so perhaps there is some merit to ‘the sooner, the better’”, said Thornton.

Committee member Micheal Miller said it was important to pass the motion as soon as possible.

“Because if there is an agreeable momentum building-up by a number of these coming in, then I think we should help sustain the momentum,” added Miller.

Amendments to the Ontario Heritage Act under the More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022 (Bill 23) introduced timelines requiring municipalities to issue Notices of Intention to Designate for properties listed on municipal heritage registers as of Dec. 31, 2022.

The original deadline for municipalities to comply was Jan. 1, 2025. In response to concerns raised by municipalities and heritage stakeholders, the province extended the deadline by two years, to Jan. 1, 2027.

“Municipalities require sufficient time and resources to undertake research, documentation, consultation, and evaluation to determine whether listed properties warrant designation under the Ontario Heritage Act,” notes the committee’s motion. “Municipalities across Ontario are facing significant workloads associated with evaluating listed properties.”

“The Built and Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee and Heritage Designation Working Group are comprised of a handful of dedicated volunteers who are not able to review the current non-designated register containing over 200 properties on or before the deadline of Jan. 1, 2027.”

They indicate the process is “extremely time-consuming” and cannot be completed by Jan. 1, 2027 with the current resources available given other competing interests, including reviewing and supporting new housing development proposals.

The committee states that many municipalities, including Prince Edward County, do not have dedicated heritage planning staff and must rely on volunteer heritage committee members or external heritage consultants to undertake the evaluations, which can result in additional financial and administrative pressures.

The process involving the Heritage Designation Working Group, heritage consultants or staff members would need to review the municipal heritage register, research the heritage value and interest of listed non-designated properties, contact owners of such properties, determine which properties should potentially be designated in accordance with the provisions of Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, and take all required steps to designate such properties.

If listed properties are removed from municipal heritage registers (if the prescribed timelines are not met), it may place cultural heritage resources at increased risk of demolition or irreversible alteration before municipalities have the opportunity to properly evaluate their cultural heritage value or interest, states the motion.

This matter is expected to come before council for their consideration and decision at the June 9 regular council meeting.

Click here to see the County’s non-designated “Heritage Inventory Listing”

Click here to see the County’s Heritage Registry of Designated Properties