Designated Properties

Advantages of designation

• Provides owners with a "City of Oshawa Designated Heritage Property" plaque.
• Strengthens community identity.
• Acknowledges our past while providing a link to the future.
• Contributes to the local quality of life.
• Conserves irreplaceable, highly visible heritage resources and communicates pride in our heritage

Responsibilities of designation

• A designation ensures changes that respect the heritage value of the property.
• Owners of designated properties need Council approval for alterations that impact "heritage attributes."
• Owners need Council approval to demolish a designated property.
• Owners are not required to restore their buildings to their original condition.
• Owners are not required to open their property to the public.
• Owners are not expected to incur expenses beyond those of any other property owner.

Heritage attributes

A listing of heritage attributes is in the heritage designation by-law. They describe the significant architectural, historical and contextual features of the property.

The designation protects and conserves these features.

Property designation process

Applications to request heritage designation of a property under Section 29 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. Please contact [email protected].

Review of a request for heritage designation of a property generally includes the following steps:

1. If the request is from the property owner, Heritage Oshawa considers the request to designate. If the request is not from the property owner, the request must first be considered by the Economic and Development Services Committee, prior to Heritage Oshawa's review. 
2. Heritage Oshawa may recommend the property be researched and evaluated.
3. Heritage Oshawa makes a recommendation to Council on designating the property.
4. Council makes a final decision.
5. Notice of intention to designate is published in a local newspaper if Council chooses to designate.
6. There is a 30 day appeal period to receive any objections to the intention to designate.
7. Council reviews any objections and decides whether to proceed with designating by-law. 
8. Notice of by-law passing will be published in a local newspaper if Council chooses to pass a designation by-law.
9. There is a 30 day appeal period to receive any objections to the designation by-law.
10. Any objections are resolved through an Ontario Land Tribunal hearing.
11. The designation by-law is registered on the property.

Removal from the Municipal Register as a Listed, Non-designated Property

Applications to remove “listed, non-designated” properties from the Municipal Register under Section 27 of the Ontario Heritage Act require a Heritage Permit. Note that this process only includes properties "listed" under Section 27 of the Act, not properties designated under Section 29 of the Act. 

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].

Heritage Conservation Districts

In addition to recognizing individual properties, municipalities may designate Heritage Conservation Districts (H.C.D.'s). H.C.D.'s are designated under Part V, Section 41 of the Ontario Heritage Act.

Oshawa has one H.C.D., located in the core area of the South Field at the Oshawa Executive Airport. The H.C.D. contains the former Canteen and Stores Buildings, the Number 10 Building, and Airmen's Park. 

To designate an H.C.D., a municipality must complete an H.C.D. Study and Plan.