Heritage Conservation Districts

Three Heritage Conservation Districts are now Designated

The Town has completed the designation of three Heritage Conservation Districts (HCD) under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act as of June 5, 2024. These districts generally encompass the residential expansions of Stouffville after the arrival of the railway in 1871 into the first quarter of the 20^th Century. These three districts include:

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

Each of these districts has an associated Plan and Designation By-law which can be found in the sidebar, while the map below shows their locations. The Plans provide policies and guidelines to guide change in the HCDs in a way that will protect and enhance the existing heritage resources.

Coming Up – Downtown Heritage Conservation District

The original Heritage Conservation District Study of the area, completed on May 18, 2022, identified one further district in addition to those above, that is the Downtown Heritage Conservation District. This District will stretch from Albert Street in the west to Stouffer Street in the east and generally encompass the properties adjacent to Main Street as shown on the map below. This District will capture the commercial core of the Community which originally began to be developed around 1826 with the first survey of the lands of Abraham Stouffer into village lots.

What is a Heritage Conservation District?

A heritage conservation district is a collection of heritage resources that have a special character or association. Once created, municipalities can manage and guide future change in the area through the adoption of a District Plan with policies and guidelines for conservation, protection, and enhancement of the area’s special character.

How is a Heritage Conservation District created?

The process to establish an HCD is carried out in two phases. The first phase in the HCD Study, which entails an analysis of the cultural heritage significance of the study area to determine if it, or a portion of it, should be considered for an HCD.

This work involves researching the development of Stouffville and inventorying the properties, streetscapes, and open spaces of the study area. This information is compiled into an HCD Study Report, which recommends a heritage conservation district boundary (if appropriate) for consideration by Whitchurch-Stouffville Council. This phase has been completed with the findings of the report being endorsed by Council at the May 18^th, 2022 Council Meeting.

The second phase of the project is the creation of Plans and designation By-laws for each of the HCDs that would provide a policy framework for changes within the HCDs. Following two public open houses, and a statutory public meeting, the designation By-laws and Plans for the first three HCDs were passed at the June 5th, 2024 Council Meeting.

Please feel free to reach out to staff if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.