By Allen Brown
Changes made by the provincial government’s Bill 23, or the More Homes Built Faster Act of 2022, gives Ottawa until the end of the year to remove the 4,600 properties on its Heritage Register, or formally designate them under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (OHA). In doing so, Bill 23 aims to facilitate demolition of older buildings to encourage construction of higher density new buildings.
Currently, the owner of a property listed on the Heritage Register is required to provide the city with 60 days’ notice if they plan to demolish it. This protection – which allows the city time to enter into negotiations with the owner and consider whether further protection is warranted (e.g., formal designation under Part IV) – will soon end.
Being designated under Part IV affords similar protection against demolition without advance notice and review by the city. It also requires a special permit for any exterior alterations that could affect the property’s cultural heritage value.
Unfortunately, only a handful of properties on the Heritage Register are likely to be formally designated under Part IV before the end of 2024, due to the considerable research and consultation process required. Among these, three properties – the Andrew W. Fleck Memorial Building on King Edward Avenue and two properties at 41 and 72 Rideau Street (near Sussex Drive) – are expected to be designated under Part IV.
Fortunately, many other Lowertown heritage properties are already protected by being located within the ByWard Market and Lowertown West Heritage Conservation Districts (HCDs).
However, about 120 Lowertown properties – mostly in Lowertown East (east of King Edward Street and outside the two HCDs) will soon be removed from the Register. Currently, the Lowertown Community Association (LCA) Heritage Committee is systematically reviewing them to establish a priority list for Part IV designation. The team is compiling research on the historical, architectural, and cultural history of the properties, and is advocating for the creation of a new Heritage Conservation District north of MacDonald Gardens.
With almost 50 properties on the Heritage Register located in this area, the team has managed to convince city planners to consider a new MacDonald Gardens North HCD in a report to the Built Heritage Committee and Council.
The LCA Heritage Committee strongly believes that this area warrants protection as the former home of Prime Minister Borden, prominent judges, House of Commons speakers, notable lawyers, doctors, and Sports Hall of Fame figures – as well as its history of ethnic diversity. The area was once considered to be prime real estate, particularly after the construction of MacDonald Gardens Park by noted landscape architect Frederick G. Todd, and has attracted construction by well-known Ottawa architects such as Noffke, Sullivan, Richards, and Abra.
The creation of a new HCD here would restore the protection for these buildings and streetscapes, which could be lost with their removal from the Heritage Register by Bill 23.
