Please see attached Letter…

Please see attached Letter to Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism and the Markham Council Extract and Report in opposition to Bill 139, Schedule 14 - Amendment to the Ontario Heritage Act - Buildings Used for Religious Purposes.

In summary:
The City of Markham does not support the proposed changes to Section 33 of the Ontario Heritage Act concerning individually designated properties occupied by buildings used for religious practices.

The major concerns associated with the legislation are summarized below:
• the legislation is vague and open to abuse. It could be used by an owner (or applicant) who wishes to avoid maintenance and retention of certain features.
• the term ‘religious practices’ is not defined;
• the 30-day timeframe to bring a matter before Council is insufficient given time needed for review and report preparation;
• there is no requirement for an applicant to demonstrate that they have considered alternative approaches to address the impact on existing heritage attributes;
• the proposed legislation removes decision-making concerning the protection of community heritage resources from local elected officials; and
• the legislation is contrary to the overall objective of heritage conservation, which is to conserve heritage attributes that embody the cultural heritage value of the building, notwithstanding the building’s use.

City of Markham