A community’s heritage assets often comprise more than individual structures or properties. Many communities can boast of heritage areas or districts, consisting of a collection of heritage properties that may include residential, commercial or institutional buildings, streetscapes, landscapes, bridges, roads, footpaths, vistas and viewsheds, all making up a distinct area with special character.
The Ontario Heritage Act provides municipalities with the ability to protect the character of these areas through Heritage Conservation District designation.
It is not the intent within the Heritage Conservation Districts to force property owners to restore their property or prevent them from making changes as long as the changes are consistent with the conservation intent.
Where new buildings and additions are necessary, the intent is to encourage design that is sympathetic and compatible with the character of the existing heritage properties and the character of the District.
Guidelines:
A copy of the guidelines for the Heritage Conservation Districts is available on the City's website:
http://www.toronto.ca/heritage-preservation/heritage_districts.htm
Help from the City:
Should you have questions or concerns that cannot be met by the District Advisory Committee, please contact Heritage Preservation Services, City of Toronto:
Sherry Pederson, 416-338-1089
FAX 416-392-1973
speders@toronto.ca
Links to the District Plans:
Cabbagetown-Metcalfe Conservation District Plan:
Cabbagetown-North Conservation District Plan:
Cabbagetown-South District Plan:
Cabbagetown-Northwest District Plan
The City has appointed a Heritage Conservation District Advisory Committee (HCD Committee), made up of a group of Cabbagetown residents and an employee of Heritage Preservation Services, to advise Cabbagetown residents planning to renovate the exterior of their properties. The current Chair of this committee is Rick Hall who can be reached at 416-967-6773 and can put you in touch with a committee member to give you guidance. The HCD Committee is familiar with the Guidelines and procedures covering renovation in our community, and should be consulted prior to applying for a building permit covering external changes to property, and for any advice on exterior changes (such as replacing windows) that may not require a building permit. This will ease your process with City Hall.
Note on the role of the CPA:
The CPA spearheaded the establishment of Cabbagetown's HCDs, forming contacts with the City, and conducting the research and documentation on each of more than one thousand properties necessary for approval. Now that official approval and adoption has been obtained under the Ontario Heritage Act, all responsibility for the management of our HCDs has been taken over by the City of Toronto, specifically by Heritage Preservation Services, a branch of the Culture Division. The CPA, therefore, plays no role in overseeing or administering our HCDs.