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Following the guidelines of the Ontario Heritage Act, Toronto has listed and designated
aproximately 8,000 buildings in its inventory of Heritage Properties — including such landmarks
as Old City Hall, the Flatiron Building, Osgoode Hall, and the Park Plaza Hotel.
Heritage Properties are recorded in the City's Inventory of Heritage Properties, which indicates that Heritage Preservation Services will be involved when applications for municipal permits or approvals are made. This inventory lists some 8,000 properties in the City of Toronto, approximately 4,500 of which are designated under the Ontario Heritage Act.
How does designation differ from listing? Although these terms are often used interchangeably, they are different. "Listing" a property on the Inventory of Heritage Properties allows Heritage Preservation Services to review development and building applications affecting those properties. It also requires the owner to give the City 60 days notice of his or her intention to demolish the property. "Designation" confers a legal status on a property by a specific city by-law under the Ontario Heritage Act and gives City Council the legal authority to refuse an application that will adversely affect the property's heritage attributes. Designation may fall under one of two categories under the Ontario Heritage Act: Part IV (individual property designation) or Part V (Heritage Conservation District designation).
A designated building may have architectural value or it may relate to a significant person, an important event in the history of the city or a critical time in the development of one of its neighbourhoods. A building may be well-crafted or represent a characteristic of the community. A building does not have to be "old" to be an important heritage property.
There are many private homes listed in the inventory that are of architectural or historical
interest or that have a special "character-defining
context" within their neighbourhood, ranging
from Casa Loma to the William Lyon Mackenzie House on Bond Street to the Wellesley
Cottages, and a series of row houses on Harbord Street.
In recent years, City Council has extended its inventory to encompass not only individual
buildings but also entire neighbourhoods. To date, there are 14 Heritage Conservation Districts
across the city:
- Blythwood
- Cabbagetown-Metcalfe
- Cabbagetown-North
-
Cabbagetown-South
- Draper Street
- East Annex
- Fort York
- Harbord Village
- Lyall Avenue
- North Rosedale
- South Rosedale
- Wychwood Park
- Weston
- Yorkville-Hazelton
Another 16 districts are under study:
- Agincourt
- Annex (Madison Ave)
- Balmy Beach
- Cabbagetown
- Northwest
Casa Loma
- Harbord Village Phase 2
- Liberty Village
- Queen Street East
- Queen Street West
- Riverdale Area (First Ave.), Phase 1
- St. Lawrence Area, Phase 1
- Summerhill
- Toronto Islands
- Union Station District
- West Queen West
- Weston Area Phase 2
Once properties are included on the inventory, it is a clear statement that the city would like to
see the heritage attributes of these properties preserved. With residential properties, it is usually the exteriors of the properties that are prized, and the city will make it difficult to alter the exterior details — unless officials agree that the planned alterations respect the historic integrity of the architecture. (If they don't approve your plan, they may be able to help you with a redesign that will meet their requirements.)
Preservation official are rarely concerned about interior alterations in residential properties.
How might this affect the value of your home? Clearly, within these designated areas there are
some older homes that require extensive renovations to bring them up to the standards demanded
by today's buyers. While updating the wiring and plumbing does not affect the exterior of a
home, installing new thermal windows or a new front porch does. If the property is listed or
designated in the inventory, you may face delays while obtaining the necessary building permits.
You may, however, be eligible for financial assistance under the Toronto Heritage Grant Program, which provides grant funds of up to 50% of the estimated cost of eligible heritage conservation work to designated heritage properties.
If you are interested in a Victorian Edwardian, or other historic home in old Toronto, remember, before you make an offer, to ask your REALTOR® to check with Heritage Preservation Services at City Hall whether you would
be allowed to proceed with any planned alterations.
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