New consequences for demolition by neglect 

By Allen Brown

Representatives from the Lowertown Community Association (LCA) and Heritage Ottawa (HO) expressed their concerns about the proposed demolition of 79 Guigues Street at the December 10, 2024, meeting of the city’s Built Heritage Committee (BHC). 

The 125-year-old home is only a block away from three other buildings on St. Patrick Street lost to demolition by neglect last year. All four were contributing buildings within the Lowertown West Heritage Conservation District (HCD), and among Lowertown’s oldest residences.  

Uninhabited since 2016, 79 Guigues was on the city’s Heritage Watch List for almost eight years and was the subject of frequent bylaw complaints. The building was badly damaged by fire in August 2024. A structural review after the fire clearly showed that the building had long suffered from serious neglect.  

LCA and HO advocates pointed out that the loss of the Guigues and St. Patrick buildings continued a decades-long process of neglect and destruction of Lowertown’s built heritage and raised serious doubts about the HCD’s long-term viability. They argued that these losses clearly demonstrated the need for significant and urgent changes to the use of city authority to prevent similar outcomes. They asked the BHC to establish real consequences for demolition by neglect, and to develop more effective measures to encourage owners to make necessary repairs. 

Councillor Jeff Leiper of Kitchissippi Ward and Chair of the city’s Planning and Housing Committee, in collaboration with the LCA and the HO, came up with a new idea – one that for the first time could result in some real consequences for demolition by neglect. He proposed, and City Council approved, a new precedent requiring the owner of 79 Guigues to: 

A) Submit a heritage permit application within six months of the issuance of a demolition permit, or by June 30, 2025; 

B) Obtain a building permit within six months of the issuance of the heritage permit; 

C) Substantially complete a replacement building within 18 months from issuance of the building permit. If the owner is in default on any of the timelines outlined, the City Clerk shall enter onto the collector’s roll the sum of $1,000.00 for each month thereafter that a residential dwelling is not constructed.

While not perfect, these measures are a first start at establishing consequences for negligent owners of heritage properties. 

Another encouraging outcome of this meeting came from Lesley Collins, the city’s Manager for Heritage Planning, who mentioned some new initiatives the city is taking to address demolition by neglect. One was a decision to no longer waive demolition permit fees for properties on the Watch List. Another was reinstating incentives for redevelopment after demolition of derelict properties, and a third was increasing the use proactive engineering inspections for properties on the Watch List. Finally, she announced that in mid-February 2025, the city would be convening a workshop to examine better ways to address “At-Risk Heritage Properties.” This workshop will involve representatives of community associations, Heritage Ottawa, councillors from the downtown core, and BHC members. Let’s hope these efforts will lead to solutions for this persistent problem.