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.

Heritage Conservation Districts are designated by By-law and regulated through an associated Heritage Conservation District Plan. The Plans contain the following information:

• A statement of the objectives to be achieved in designating the area as a heritage conservation district;
• A statement explaining the cultural heritage value or interest of the heritage conservation district;
• A description of the heritage attributes of the heritage conservation district and of the properties in the district;
• Policy statements, guidelines and procedures for achieving the stated objectives and managing change in the heritage conservation district; and,
• A description of the alterations or classes of alterations that are minor in nature

The Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville completed a Heritage Conservation District (HCD) Study for the Village of Stouffville in 2022 which recommended that four Heritage Conservation Districts be created in the area. In 2024, the following three Districts were designated under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act and shown on the map below:

• West Main Street/Stouffville Junction Heritage Conservation Plan
• Church Street/Village Centre North Heritage Conservation Plan
• O’Brien Avenue/Village Centre South Heritage Conservation Plan

Changes to designated properties are managed through Heritage Permits.

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.

For more information on designation please contact the Town's Heritage Planner.