What more opportune time to discuss the designation of built and cultural landscapes than the month when the County celebrates its history with “Flashback February”? And what better place than in the 196-year-old Picton Gazette’s County Heritage Special Issue?

As one of the oldest settlements in Canada, Prince Edward County is blessed with a wealth of cultural heritage resources. Heritage conservation strives to protect and enhance its extraordinary cultural significance.As prescribed in the Ontario Heritage Act, the County’s Built and Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee identifies for Council buildings, properties, or cultural landscapes that meet the Act’s criteria for listing or designation. 

Heritage Designation is a way to protect important heritage properties from demolition or inappropriate renovation. But there are many more reasons to designate a property:

• to recognize historical, architectural, cultural and natural heritage 

• to preserve the key heritage characteristics of buildings 

• to recognize the heritage property in provincial and national registers

• to access financial assistance. The County provides grants of up to $7,500 to repair or renovate  heritage buildings.

• And you get a nice cast metal plaque to place on your building proudly showing its heritage status!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Who determines a property qualifies for historic designation?

A Heritage Designation Working Group of qualified volunteers determines which heritage characteristics should be preserved. It writes a designation proposal for Council approval. Members of the Working Group can assist with any questions about heritage designation.

Do repairs have to accurately replicate heritage features?

Some property owners may have heard stories about needing to accurately replicate heritage features of a building when carrying out remodeling or repairs – sometimes at great cost. The County does not approach designations that way. Only critical features of a building are listed for protection. So, for example, the style of your roof and windows may be defining characteristics for your designation. This doesn’t necessarily mean replacements have to be period authentic. It may be satisfactory to reroof with modern products like asphalt shingles and install new vinyl windows.

Can I get insurance if my building has heritage designation?

It is true that some insurers shy away from heritage designated buildings largely due to lack of understanding of the process. Given the very flexible way in which the County administers designations, however, insurance should not be a big issue and the Working Group can provide information to insurance companies.

Once your building has been designated, major modifications may require a heritage permit from the County. Here, members of the Heritage Permit Task Team will help ensure that your plans respect the heritage values of your property and will help you choose the best solutions.   

More information about heritage designation can be found on the County’s website. 

I urge all owners of heritage properties to consider designation.