Good evening, I am writing…

Good evening,

I am writing in opposition to the proposed changes to the Ontario Heritage Act but I am no means against more housing or affordable housing.

While protecting the Greenbelt is important,
I wanted to press the proposed changes to the Ontario Heritage Act as well. The provincial government is looking to remove the heritage register and make the criteria more difficult to designate structures. If registered buildings are not designated after two years they will be removed from the registry and will not eligible to be reinstated for 5 years, leaving them vulnerable to demolition. Ontario has almost 30 thousand properties on the register that have been identified as having cultural heritage value. It will be impossible to designate all these properties in two years and many could be exposed to demolition. The register identifies potential heritage buildings and offers a 60 day demolition buffer to give municipalities time to investigate potential designation or heritage value. Often times, designation is used to prevent demolition and encourage incorporation of older buildings. Demolition has many negative impacts on the environment as well and we should be looking to reuse buildings for housing. We need win-win solutions.

I would like your support to see some attention drawn to the proposed changes of the Ontario Heritage Act. I worry that Doug Ford will amend changes to Bill 23 in regards to the Greenbelt due to public outcry but could still proceed with the gutting and harmful changes to the Heritage Act. Bill 23 is a pro demolition bill and reverses years of public advocacy. I was volunteering in a heritage inventory project in my community which has since been postponed pending a decision on the bill. I do not want to see changes to the heritage act proceed. Your attention to this heritage issue is appreciated.