Heritage Assessments
According to the Ministry of Culture, the heritage assessment process must necessarily begin with the identification of Cultural Heritage Resources within the study area. This is accomplished according to the following process:
- Definition of the study area and study zones
- Collection of background information
- Consultation with stakeholders
- Identification of cultural heritage landscapes and built heritage resources of heritage interest and/or value
- Field Survey
If Cultural Heritage Resources have been identified, it is necessary to assess their heritage value. Typically, this is conducted according to the following steps:
- Preparation of a historical review;
- Determination of heritage interest and value;
- Description of proposed project impacts;
- Development of a preservation / mitigation strategy; and
- Documentation of the assessment in the form of a Cultural Heritage Resource Assessment or a Cultural Heritage Resource Documentation
The significance of cultural heritage resources will be determined in consultation with relevant external agencies. These include the municipal Heritage Advisory Committee, the Ministry of Culture, local historical societies and other heritage stakeholders.
Once a significant cultural landscape has been identified, the Ontario Heritage Act provides a number of legal instruments by which such features can be conserved. These include: Heritage Conservation Districts, designation of the subject properties by the Minister of Culture or by the Municipality, the implementation of building standards by-laws, the use of purchase or lease by-laws, and the creation of heritage easements.
