Clock is ticking for city to designate heritage sites
By: Clint Fleury, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Source: TBnewswatch.com
THUNDER BAY – Changes in provincial legislation have prompted the City of Thunder Bay to get 32 properties designated as heritage sites by 2027.
“We currently have properties that are on our heritage registry — as we call it, listed properties — so they are protected from demolition, but the rest of their heritage designation isn’t completed yet,” Christina Wakefield, city archivist and chief heritage resource officer, told Newswatch.
When Premier Doug Ford’s More Homes Built Faster Act was passed in 2022, the bill amended the Ontario Heritage Act. The act gives the municipality two years to get properties on its registry fully designated as heritage sites, or they must be removed. The city won’t be able to get those properties on the registry again until 2032.
“Before, we were able to give them protection, but we didn’t have to go through all of the formalities, and that actually allowed us to give protection to more properties. But, with this new change in legislation, we have to put more rules on things, unfortunately. So we’re designating these properties just so that we can keep them protected as we move forward,” Wakefield said.
The city has hired a consulting firm, Egis, to help review the properties, beginning with six well-known historical buildings across the city. Those buildings are the Court House Hotel, Prospector Steak House, McIntyre House, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Doctor’s Cottage, and Bishop’s Residence.
Egis will provide the city with detailed documentation about those sites by Dec. 31, and the administration will present a report to council for approval in the new year, according to Wakefield.
Once those properties are designated, Wakefield and her team will begin the process to designate the 26 other sites on their list.
Some of these sites include the Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery, the Prince Arthur Waterfront Hotel & Suites, Hillcrest High School, St. Patrick’s High School, and the Paterson Building.
Wakefield said members of the public can put their property on the heritage list by contacting the city’s heritage advisory committee, which will begin an extensive evaluation process.
A property must meet at least two of nine specific criteria under the Ontario Heritage Act. The criteria determine whether the property is of cultural heritage value or interest. Design value or physical value, historical value or associative value and contextual value are considered.
Once a property is designated as a heritage site, Wakefield said, the owner may have to get a heritage permit along with a building permit if they wish to construct or renovate the property.
“The heritage permit just is evaluating materials that you’re using, making sure that you’re maintaining all of the heritage features that were listed in the bylaw, and just keeping up the any additions or renovations that would maintain the same look and feel of the house architecturally and fit into what the expectations are around the maintenance of that property,” she said.
