The Ontario Heritage Act enables municipalities to formally recognize and protect cultural heritage resources through property designation. There are two major parts of the Act that deal with designation:

• Part IV, which enables a municipality to designate individual properties that are of cultural heritage value or interest; and,
• Part V, which enables a municipality to designate an area or grouping of properties, including buildings and their contexts, as a Heritage Conservation District.

Individual designation involves the registration of a by-law on property title, protecting select heritage features of value from disturbance or removal. In Whitchurch-Stouffville, there are a total of eleven (11) properties designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act. These properties include:

• The Whitchurch-Stouffville Museum & Community Centre -14732 Woodbine Avenue
• The Old Clock Tower & 19 on the Park - 19 Civic Avenue
• Stouffville Memorial Christian Church - 6528 Main Street
• Churchill Baptist Church - 15336 Ninth Line
• The Patterson House - 6060 Main Street
• The Kester House  - 12140 Tenth Line
• The Nathaniel Vernon House - 2051 Davis Drive
• Lemonville United Church - 13523 McCowan Road
• The Bruels-Stewart House  - 77 Mill Street
• Bruce's (Carrick) Mill  - 3291 Stouffville Road
• Mansion House Hotel (Stouffville Junction) - 6162 Main Street

In Whitchurch-Stouffville, designated properties are subject to special policies within the Town's Property Standards By-law, including minimum maintenance standards and restrictions related to vacancy, demolition, and repair/replacement of heritage attributes.

Possessing a property that has been designated under the Ontario Heritage Act means that you are contributing to the safeguarding of our community's unique history. Together, the conservation of both public and private heritage resources strengthens pride of place, adds to the richness of our streetscapes, and preserves local stories of significance.

These properties are not frozen in time, changes to them are managed through Heritage Permits.

Anyone can nominate a property that they think is worthy of recognition and conservation through a heritage designation. If there is a property you think should be considered, you can contact the Town’s heritage planner.