Burlington residents asked to weigh in on Downtown heritage

The City of Burlington is launching the Downtown Heritage Study and is looking for feedback from the community and stakeholders.

The study will run until next fall and will look at eight individual properties with potential heritage value. There are also six groups of properties that may qualify as potential “cultural heritage landscapes”. A “cultural heritage landscape” is a term for a group of heritage features such as buildings, trees, landscaping, views and spaces that have significance as a group that is different from their individual parts.

Residents are invited to join City of Burlington staff and a heritage consultant at a public consultation meeting to learn about the City’s Downtown Burlington Heritage Study and Engagement Program on:

Monday, Feb. 13, 2023, 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Art Gallery of Burlington, Shoreline Room, 1333 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington, Ont.

Staff will share information about significant places, stories, buildings and landscape features in the study area. Attendees are asked to submit questions in advance and share their ideas about heritage conservation in Downtown Burlington.

By the end of the Study, Burlington City Council will receive a staff report to decide if any of the properties or areas assessed in the study have heritage merit and should be protected through a heritage designation. Designation is only one tool to conserve historical character. Other conservation strategies will be explored with property owners and stakeholders during the engagement process. Based on study findings, Council will also consider whether the 26 properties added to the heritage register at the July 12, 2022 City Council meeting and the Sept. 20, 2022 Council Meeting should continue to be listed on the heritage register or removed.

For more information, visit getinvolvedburlington.ca/downtownheritage. This page also contains project background reports, policy documents and guidelines, a map, historical resources and videos and an option to subscribe for project updates. Residents can connect with the City’s Heritage Planner at heritage@burlington.ca or 905-335-7777, ext. 7427.

Heritage consultants have been retained to conduct historical research, inventory sites in the downtown, and host a series of engagement sessions with property owners, stakeholders, and the public. The team will be in the downtown heritage study area to photograph buildings, sites, and streetscapes, or to visit local archives.

Anyone interested in the project can visit getinvolvedburlington.ca/downtownheritage to take a heritage survey, pin suggested heritage features on a map and learn more about the study.