Heritage Conservation District Study

The Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville has completed a Heritage Conservation District (HCD) Study under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act. The study area included the historic core of the Town and the surrounding residential areas.

The Town’s consulting team, led by MHBC Planning, worked throughout the summer and fall of 2021 to gather information about Stouffville’s historical development and establish an inventory of cultural heritage features. A community meeting was held on December 14, 2021 which presented this initial research. The team then gathered community feedback and prepared their preliminary recommendations.

On March 10, 2022, a second community meeting was held in which the team presented their recommendations. The team has identified four separate character areas within the Study Area that warrant designation as an HCD. These four areas are:

• Church Street/Stouffville Centre North
• O'Brien Avenue/Village Centre South
• West Main Street/Stouffville Junction
• Downtown Main Street/Heart of Stouffville

The process to establish an HCD is carried out in two phases. The first phase entails an analysis of the cultural heritage significance of the study area to determine if it, or a portion of it, should be an HCD. This study has been completed and is available as a download link on the right. Council endorsed the HCD recommendations at the May 18th, 2022 Council meeting and directed staff to proceed with the next phase of the project, the creation of Plans and Guidelines for the Heritage Conservation Districts.

What's New

The first Open House for this project was held on October 4, 2023 to obtain input from the communtiy on the Plans and Guidelines. If you would like to provide your comments on this project, please contact staff, fill in the survey below, or fill out the "Community Feedback Form - October 2023" on the right and drop it off at Town Hall. The display panels from this Open House are available on the right.

At the first open house on October 4, 2023, community members had the opportunity to provide input on their vision for the proposed Heritage Conservation Districts. The team has incorporated this vision into the draft Policies and Guidelines (available from the document bar on the right) and would like to bring these back to the public for further input; therefore, a second public open house will be held at 19 on the Park on January 31st, 2024, from 5 - 7:30 p.m. We hope to see you there!

Public Open House

January 31, 2024
5 - 7:30 p.m.
19 on the Park (19 Civic Ave.)

What is a heritage conservation district (HCD)?

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. At this time, the Town is proceeding with Plans and Guidelines for the Church Street, O'Brien Avenue, and West Main Street Heritage Conservation Districts.

What is the process?

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.

With Council endorsement of the HCD Study recommendations, the second phase is the creation of HCD Plans and Guidelines for each of the identified HCDs. Developed through further community consultation, the HCD Plans and Guidelines will provide detailed implementation information to guide further conservation and development activities within each HCD.

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