Before the fire, Alma had reached a severe state of demolition by neglect

The pressing need for minimum property standards to protect vulnerable and culturally significant heritage properties will be the topic of a panel discussion at the next meeting of the St. Thomas Elgin Branch of the Architectural Conservancy.

Panelists include Joseph Muller, Cultural Heritage Planner for the City of Hamilton , and Laurence Grant, Historian with the North American Railway Hall of Fame.

Also invited are cultural planners from the cities of Windsor and London , as well as the property standards officer for the City of St. Thomas, Wade Woznuk. In addition, members of the Municipal Heritage Committee are expected to be in attendance.

Minimum property standards have been a contentious issue since the Ontario Municipal Board struck down a St. Thomas bylaw aimed at protecting the Alma College property. Municipalities across the province have been evaluating options in the wake of the OMB decision and, as a result, preservationists fear that many significant heritage properties are at risk. Local preservationists point to Alma Chapel as a prime example.

The question to be answered is: can heritage preservation be served with existing property standards or do municipalities need special powers aimed at protecting heritage properties, with their more complex needs?

This meeting is open to the general public. Admission is free.
For further information, contact:
Serge Lavoie, Branch Secretary, 519-859-7763 or slavoie@sympatico.ca.