Halton Hills scrambles to designate heritage properties ahead of provincial deadline

By: Christian Collington, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TheIFP.ca

 

The clock is ticking for hundreds of historic properties in Halton Hills as the town’s heritage committee works to beat a provincial deadline that could leave many landmarks unprotected.

 

Under Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, municipalities must start the process to officially designate all properties listed on their heritage registers by Jan. 1, 2027, to maintain their protection against arbitrary demolition. 

 

Any listed property that is not designated by that date will be removed from the heritage register, and once removed, cannot be put back on the list for five years.

 

Regarding the legislation, Coun. Clark Somerville, chair of the Heritage Halton Hills Committee, said the town has “to follow the rules the province set up.”

 

Somerville noted that while there were only 40 designated properties in Halton Hills prior to the current council term, the committee has designated 104 properties this term alone.

 

However, 441 properties remain on the register awaiting evaluation. Somerville acknowledged that the committee, which includes Somerville, Coun. Matt Kindbom and five members of the public appointed by town council, likely will not be able to evaluate every single one before the 2027 cutoff.

 

“We went through and knew that with all the properties we had, we would not be able to get to every property,” Somerville said.

 

He explained that to manage the workload, the committee has ranked properties by priority, focusing on a “top 200” list of the most historically and culturally significant sites.

 

To qualify for designation, a property must meet at least two of nine criteria set by the province.

 

Somerville noted the committee often targets properties that meet five or more criteria to ensure they are preserving the town’s most “bona fide” assets.

 

Some notable properties that have received designation include:

 

  Churches such as St. Alban’s Anglican Church in Acton, Knox Presbyterian Church in Georgetown, Limehouse Presbyterian Church and Norval Presbyterian Church.

 

  Industrial landmarks like the Old Hide House in Acton.

 

  Cultural landscapes such as Prospect Park in Acton.

 

Somerville explained that designation is not meant to “freeze” a property or impede maintenance. Instead, it identifies specific important attributes, such as unique brickwork or original woodwork.

 

Owners of designated properties become eligible for property tax rebates and can apply for heritage grants to assist with the costs of preserving the building.

 

“We would much rather have really friendly owners who are doing it,” Somerville said, adding town staff work closely with owners to address concerns regarding insurance or renovation flexibility.

 

Despite the 2027 deadline, Somerville emphasized that the committee’s mandate “is to help preserve some of these heritage buildings. We’re going to continue to make sure that they are being preserved.”