The City of Belleville is sending a letter to the Premier and the Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, requesting that a provincial requirement calling for non-designated heritage properties to be removed from the municipal register, be extended five years.
The Ontario Heritage Act states that, in addition to its designated heritage properties, municipalities must keep a list of properties that have not yet been designated, but which staff have indicated have cultural heritage value.
Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, passed in November 2022, includes an amendment to the Heritage Act requiring any listed properties as of December 31, 2022 be removed from the register on January 1, 2025, unless the municipal council has given notice of its intention to designate the property under the act.
Properties that lose listing status cannot be relisted for another five years.
According to the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, this change affects approximately 36,000 listed heritage properties across the province, including 130 properties across the City of Belleville.
Earlier this month, Heritage Belleville approved a resolution recommending the mayor send a letter to Premier Doug Ford and Minister Michael Ford to extend the deadline to January 1, 2030 to provide Heritage Belleville and city staff proper time to evaluate the city’s listed properties.
The draft letter suggests it is an unrealistic timeline and municipalities large and small have been scrambling to review their registers, straining staff and resources.
A 2030 timeline would help municipalities ensure that properties are not dropped from the register prematurely, without due
process and input from property owners.
