We all love statistics, especially when they’re moving in the right direction.
OHA+M first looked at heritage statistics in the province in 2015: “Good heritage stats are hard to find!” examined some key numbers as of January 1 of that year. Two years later, “Heritage plaques and stats” updated most of those figures for 2017.
Thanks again to Bert Duclos, Heritage Outreach Consultant at the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, here are the latest (unofficial) stats.
For designations:
- 129 Heritage Conservation Districts in effect (up from 125 in 2017, 115 in 2015)
- 52 new HCDs (incorporating over 9,800 properties) have come into effect since the 2005 OHA amendments (up from 48 in 2017, 38 in 2015)
- Over 23,000 properties protected as part of an HCD under Part V from 1975 to the present (up from 22,600 in 2017, 19,100 in 2015)
- An additional 7 new HCD designation by-laws appealed to the OMB and not yet in effect (compared to 5 in that position in 2017 and 9 in 2015)
- Over 1,500 properties protected under Part IV of the OHA since the 2005 amendments (up from 1400 in 2017, 1,200 in 2015)
- Over 7,000 properties individually protected under Part IV from 1975 to the present (up from 6,900 in 2017, 6,700 in 2015)
For Heritage Property Tax Relief (HPTR):
- 51 municipalities (46 lower/single tier and 5 upper tier) have passed a by-law enabling them to provide HPTR (up from 46 in 2017 and 42 in 2014)
For municipal heritage committees:
- 147 municipal heritage committees (down from 151 in 2017 and 152 in 2015)
(Okay, I promise, next time we look at stats we’ll have graphs!)
With one exception, nothing really jumps out here. Individual property designations under Part IV continue to climb moderately by about 100 per year. HCDs are increasing steadily by about five per year; appeals of new HCDs to the OMB (now LPAT!) are back up a bit. Note that last year five HCDs were stuck in the appeal process and this year the total number of HCDs in effect increased by four — suggesting four of the five got approved. (What happened to the fifth?)
Also note that the number of new HCDs put in place since the 2005 changes — which greatly increased the strength of HCDs — is now 52, or 40 per cent of the total of 129.
The St. Marys downtown HCD came into force in 2012
In terms of incentives, where Ontario is sorely lacking, it is encouraging that five more municipalities have adopted HPTR programs in the past year and that the total number now exceeds 50.[1]
What does jump out is the only number going down — municipal heritage committees (MHCs). The decline is slight, with five of 152 MHCs disappearing in the last three years; but four of these appear to have gone in the past year alone. Hard to know if this represents the start of a serious downward trend and, if so, how to interpret it.
The North Bay MHC and dignitaries on a happy occasion
I haven’t asked anyone about this, but I’m reminded of a personal observation shared by Bert that “municipalities are increasingly hiring or tasking municipal staff with cultural heritage conservation responsibilities.”
Thoughts on MHCs from those who sit on them or work with them?
It’s not exactly a statistic like those above, but have you noticed that business is booming for the Conservation Review Board, with something like 40 active cases?[2] This has to be a record! Not so long ago the Board muddled along with five or six cases a year. It’s no wonder they have been recruiting new members.
As we’ve just seen, this flurry of activity is not because there are a lot more Part IV designations coming down the pipe. If heritage property owners are simply becoming more litigious — less willing to go along with designation — why is this?
Speculate, please, as to why the Board has become so much busier…
Designation of the former Iona General Store has been referred to the CRB (but in this case the objection is not from the owner)
Notes
Note 1: For more on HPTR see the 2015 OHA+M article “Heritage Property Tax Relief — slow but steady?”
Note 2: See the CRB’s active files here.