There are neighbourhoods, buildings and properties throughout Kitchener that are important to our community’s cultural heritage. The Ontario Heritage Act requires us to keep a register of these properties and allows us to preserve our cultural heritage.
The Ontario Heritage Act allows us to designate:
This designation is done under Part IV (individual) or Part V (heritage conservation districts) of the Ontario Heritage Act.
When we designate a heritage conservation district, this allows us to work on conserving and enhancing its unique character. There are four heritage districts in Kitchener.
This process involves preparing and adopting a heritage conservation district plan, which gives guidance to the property owners and us on how to protect and preserve the heritage of the district.
An area is designated under Part V (heritage conservation districts) of the Ontario Heritage Act and placed on the Municipal Heritage Register following:
There are 133 individually designated heritage properties in Kitchener. All designated properties are listed on the Municipal Heritage Register.
A designating bylaw is created for the property, which explains the reasons for the designation and lists the property’s heritage attributes.
Download our guide to heritage designation to learn about individual property designation.
You may need a heritage permit to make changes to your property if your property is:
Review our municipal heritage register if you’re not sure of your property’s designation.
You can apply for a heritage permit in person or by mail.
If you have any questions, call us at 519-741-2426.
Heritage Kitchener reviews heritage permit applications at their meetings. Please use the dates in the table below to help plan for your application.
There are no Heritage Kitchener meetings in July or December 2024.
| Application deadline | Heritage Kitchener meeting date |
|---|---|
| November 24, 2023 | January 9, 2024 |
| December 29, 2023 | February 6, 2024 |
| January 26, 2024 | March 5, 2024 |
| February 23, 2024 | April 2, 2024 |
| March 29, 2024 | May 7, 2024 |
| April 26, 2024 | June 4, 2024 |
| June 28, 2024 | August 6, 2024 |
| July 26, 2024 | September 3, 2024 |
| August 23, 2024 | October 1, 2024 |
| September 27, 2024 | November 5, 2024 |
We have four heritage conservation districts:
The St. Mary’s district plan provides policies and guidelines to conserve the significant architecture and suburban landscapes unique to the post World War II housing character associated with the area.
The Upper Doon district plan contains policies and guidelines to conserve the architecture and landscapes unique to the rural character associated with the former village of Doon.
To access a copy of the Upper Doon district plan, please send us an email.
The Victoria Park district plan contains guidelines and policies aimed at conserving the significant Victorian architecture and romantic landscapes that are unique to the Victoria Park neighbourhood. A self-guided tour of the Victoria Park heritage conservation district is available, if you're interested in learning more about this historic community.
The Civic Centre district plan contains guidelines and policies to protect and conserve the Civic Centre neighbourhood. This unique neighbourhood is linked to several key periods in our city's development, and contains many buildings associated with community leaders.
Designated properties within a heritage conservation district are subject to a designating bylaw, which identifies the boundary and adopts the heritage conservation district plan's policies and guidelines for change within the area.
Owners of property designated under the Ontario Heritage Act within a heritage conservation district may require a heritage permit to make changes to either the building or the property in question.
Vacant buildings and structures on properties within a heritage conservation district that are listed on the Municipal Heritage Register are subject to the heritage provisions of the property standards bylaw.
These properties have cultural heritage value and can be placed on the Municipal Heritage Register.
Unlike with designated properties, this would not:
The process to be added to the register is: