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 significant properties in the City of Toronto, approximately 4,500 of which are designated under the Ontario Heritage Act.

Heritage Preservation Services recommends to City Council the properties that should be included in the Inventory. The recommendations are based on provincial criteria that relate to a property's cultural heritage value.

To view the Inventory, please click here.

The City of Toronto's Heritage Property Tax Rebate Program provides eligible heritage property owners with a 40% rebate on their municipal and educational property taxes for the eligible heritage portions of their property. To be eligible for this program, properties must be designated under Part IV or V of the Ontario Heritage Act and subject to a Heritage Easement Agreement (as of September 30, 2006).

The Toronto Heritage Grant Program encourages the conservation of properties designated under Part IV or V of the Ontario Heritage Act in the City of Toronto through matching grant funding of up to 50% of the estimated cost of eligible heritage conservation work. Details about eligibility requirements, the application process and public workshops are available on the Heritage Preservation Services website.

The Heritage Preservation Services section of the City Planning Division is responsible for advising and assisting City Council, the Toronto Preservation Board, the community and property owners on the conservation of the City's heritage resources. This involves advising on matters relating to the Ontario Heritage Act, reviewing and advising on development proposals which may affect heritage resources, monitoring and the maintenance of heritage sites, developing heritage policies, administering financial assistance programs and providing educational services.

Heritage Preservation Services assists City Council by: 

• Conducting research on the historical and architectural significance of properties and districts; (see Research Techniques)

• Recommending the inclusion of properties worthy of designation in the City's Inventory of Heritage Properties;

• Recommending designation under the Ontario Heritage Act that provides a measure of protection for heritage properties;

• Recommending that the City enter into Heritage Easement Agreements with property owners to ensure long term preservation;

• Advising owners and their consultants on proposed alterations to listed and designated properties;

• Making recommendations on those alterations to ensure they maintain the architectural integrity of the building, and on potential demolitions to attempt to prevent the loss of heritage buildings;

• Advising on archaeological assessments; and

• Defending Council's position before judicial tribunals such as the Ontario Municipal Board and the Conservation Review Board.

Please click here to visit their website.

Please call either 416-338-1077 or 416-338-1078

E-mail: heritagepreservation@toronto.ca

You can also visit their website here.

The Ontario Heritage Act is the enabling legislation that allows municipalities to engage in heritage conservation activities.

For more information on the Ontario Heritage Act please click here.

The City of Toronto has an online Inventory of Heritage Properties, where you can find and print information about heritage properties in Toronto. The site is designed specifically to help citizens locate heritage properties and learn more about the City's heritage. To access the site click here.

Legal enquiries relating to the heritage status of properties should be directed to:
Heritage Preservation Services City of Toronto Suite A-17, 2nd Floor City Hall 100 Queen Street West Toronto ON M5H 2N2

To search the sites listed on the Province of Ontario Heritage Properties Database, please click here.

To view the Directory of Designations of National Historic Significance in Canada, please click here.

A building, structure or site may be considered important for a variety of reasons. It 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. Many modern buildings and structures such as Roy Thomson Hall and the CN Tower are significant parts of our heritage and are symbols of our city. Nor does a property have to be a grand public building - small cottages, warehouses, industrial structures and bridges are also valuable legacies of the past and deserve to be protected and preserved.

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).

For a link to the City of Toronto's Heritage Preservation Services, please click here.

Properties come to the attention of Heritage Preservation Services staff in a number of ways. They have a program of ongoing city surveys to ensure that the Inventory of Heritage Properties is as comprehensive, accurate, and up-to-date as possible. In addition, members of the public may request that a property be examined and considered for inclusion in the Inventory. When staff recommends a property's inclusion in the Inventory, property owners are usually notified and invited to attend the Toronto Preservation Board and Community Council meetings to discuss the matter.

The Ontario Heritage Act enables a municipality to designate the whole or any part of an area as a heritage conservation district. This allows City Council to administer guidelines designed to protect and enhance the special character of groups of properties in an area as redevelopment proceeds. The character is established by the overall heritage quality of buildings, streets and open spaces as seen together. Existing Heritage Conservation Districts include Rosedale, Cabbagetown, Harbord Village and the Union Station Area.

Council may identify an area within the municipality as an area to be examined for designation as a Heritage Conservation District, often in response to local neighbourhood initiatives.

The Ontario Heritage Act requires a study of the area, which provides background to the historical, architectural and character-defining features that make the area special. Design guidelines are also developed for the proposed area. Extensive consultation takes place with the community. After the study is completed and consultation with the Toronto Preservation Board has occurred, City Council may pass a by-law that establishes the Heritage Conservation District and implements the District Plan.

Heritage Preservation Services is notified when an application for a permit is filed for any building or structure within a Heritage Conservation District. Heritage Preservation Services staff are then available for consultation to ensure that the planned changes are in keeping with the area guidelines and the character of the property. The Ontario Heritage Act stipulates a procedure for applications and appeals made with respect to properties in the area. For further information, contact Heritage Preservation Services.

Heritage Preservation Services is committed to the preservation of entire buildings and will encourage retention and reuse. Listed property owners must advise Heritage Preservation Services, in writing, of their intention to demolish 60 days prior to applying for a demolition permit. Designated property owners must submit an application to demolish, available from Heritage Preservation Services, for City Council's approval.

Heritage Preservation Services encourages the preservation of a property's heritage character and acknowledges the need to keep the building efficient and viable. Routine maintenance, minor alterations which do not affect the building's heritage character or changes that fall within the Heritage Conservation District guidelines are routinely approved. Proposals that have a major impact on the building's heritage attributes, that do not follow the guidelines for a Heritage Conservation District or involve demolition, require approval by City Council.

Listing or designation will not interfere with the rights to buy or sell property. If a property is designated or located within a Heritage Conservation District, that information will be registered on title to the property.

Listing or designation will only affect those features, interior or exterior, that are considered to be of special heritage interest. When interiors are listed or designated, they are usually publicly accessible spaces such as the significant interior of a church or a head office entrance hall.

As with any property, a permit from the City is required if you intend to construct a new building, make structural alterations or additions, or change your signage. Heritage Preservation Services staff review and authorize building permit and development applications affecting heritage properties. It is recommended that you consult with HPS prior to making an application.

As the owner of a heritage property you are encouraged to consult with Heritage Preservation Services prior to applying for a permit. Heritage Preservation Services review applications for building permits at the same time as the Urban Development Services Department so delays are unusual. Be advised that major changes will normally require direct discussions with Heritage Preservation Services staff.

A Heritage Easement Agreement is another tool used to ensure a building's preservation. It is an agreement that is entered into between the property owner and the City and registered on title. A Heritage Easement Agreement identifies elements of a building which are to be retained in perpetuity and may also set out permitted alterations and development.

The process includes two meetings where public input is invited. The first opportunity is at the monthly meeting of the Toronto Preservation Board. Here, a staff research report is reviewed and any member of the public may comment. If the Board recommends inclusion, its recommendations are submitted to the appropriate Community Council and then on to City Council. Again, anyone may speak to the matter when it is being considered by the Toronto Preservation Board and the Community Council. City Council makes the final decision.

Heritage Preservation Services alone cannot protect our city’s treasurers - the community as a whole needs to take an interest in and responsibility for the preservation and sympathetic alteration of the city’s built heritage.

For a list of important contacts, please click here.