Heritage Conservation Districts
and the Port Dalhousie OMB Decision
Saturday, April 25, 2009

Community Heritage Ontario and Architectural Conservancy of Ontario invite you to attend a forum on the implications of the Ontario Municipal Board decision with regard to a proposed building project in the Port Dalhousie Heritage Conservation District.There is ample parking in the fort’s parking area to the west of the fort accessed from Fleet Street via either Garrison Road or Fort York Road west of Bathurst Street in Toronto.

The decision has raised a number of issues for the management of existing heritage conservation districts, for the existing plans guiding their development and for the writing of such HCD plans in future. The purpose of the forum is not only to examine the issues, but also to look at what has to be done within the existing legislation to address the problems and at what changes may be needed in both municipal and provincial policies.

The forum will not be redebating the over 70 days of testimony from the hearing, but looking forward as to what is needed to ensure that  HCD plans will be upheld.

Among the speakers will be Jane Pepino, a well-regarded municipal lawyer, Wayne Morgan, the heritage planner who worked with the Port Dalhousie community group and Prof. Robert Shipley from the University of Waterloo who will be speaking about his research on the effectiveness of HCDs as preservation tools. Ministry of Culture representatives will be present for discussion period after the panel.

The registration fee is $30.00 and will cover both welcome coffee etc. and a light lunch on site.