Alterations and Demolition

Alteration of Heritage Properties

Designated properties

Applications to alter designated properties under Section 33 of the Ontario Heritage Act require a Heritage Permit. 

There is no fee collected for a Heritage Permit. Prior to submitting a Heritage Permit, it is highly recommended that you contact Planning Services for initial discussion including the identification of potential requirements. This will assist you in preparing preliminary plans. Please contact [email protected].

Review of a request to alter a designated property generally includes the following steps:

1. Staff reviews the application to determine if the alteration impacts heritage attributes. If no, a review is not required.
2. If yes, staff consult Heritage Oshawa for comment.
3. Council reviews Heritage Oshawa's comments and will either approve, approve with conditions, or refuse.

Designation does not prohibit alterations. Heritage Oshawa encourages alterations that restore or complement the heritage attributes of a property.

If an owner objects to a Council decision to refuse or apply conditions to a proposed alteration, they may appeal the decision to the Ontario Land Tribunal.

Learn more about designated properties. 

Class "A", Class "B", Register Non-Designated Properties

Review of a request to alter a Class "A", Class "B" or Register, Non-designated Property generally includes the following steps:

1. Staff reviews the application to determine if the alteration impacts heritage attributes. If no, a review is not required.
2. If yes, staff consult Heritage Oshawa for comment.
3. Council approval is not required.

Demolition of Heritage Properties

Designated Properties

Applications to demolish designated properties under Section 34 of the Ontario Heritage Act require a Heritage Permit. 

There is no fee collected for a Heritage Permit. Prior to submitting a Heritage Permit, it is highly recommended that you contact Planning Services for initial discussion including the identification of potential requirements. This will assist you in preparing preliminary plans. Please contact [email protected].

Review of a request to demolish a designated property generally includes the following steps:

1. Staff consult Heritage Oshawa for comment.
2. Council reviews Heritage Oshawa's comments and either approves, approves with conditions, or refuses the proposed demolition.

If an owner objects to a Council decision to refuse or apply conditions to a proposed demolition, they may appeal the decision to the Ontario Land Tribunal.

Register Non-Designated Properties

Review of a request to demolish a Register, Non-designated property generally includes the following steps:

1. Staff consult Heritage Oshawa for comment.
2. Council reviews Heritage Oshawa's comments and either allows the demolition or provides a notice of intention to designate.

Council has 60 days from the date of the demolition application to make a decision.

Class "A" and Class "B" Properties

Review of a request to demolish a Class "A" or Class "B" Property generally includes the following steps:

1. Staff consult Heritage Oshawa for comment.
2. Council approval is not required.

Alternatives to Demolition

There are options to consider other than demolition, including:

• Adaptive reuse of the building: keep the building and use it for a different purpose
• Relocation: move the building to another location
• Reclamation and deconstruction: salvage materials from a property before demolition
• Partial retention: keep part of the structure on the property, such as the façade or exterior walls
• Symbolic conservation: recover historic features and incorporate them into a new development
• Record: document photos of the property