The Huntsville and Area Historical Society (HAHS) is urging the Town of Huntsville to take action to protect its built heritage, including introducing financial incentives for property owners and establishing a future heritage committee.
In May, Sharon McKenzie, Elizabeth Stokes, Lucille Frith and Katrina Cotterchio attended the Town’s General Committee, representing the society. Catterchio outlined recent achievements and presented recommendations to preserve the town’s historic buildings ahead of upcoming provincial changes under Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act.
Under the legislation, any property listed on a municipality’s non-designated heritage register will be automatically removed on Jan. 1, 2027, unless the municipality has issued a Notice of Intention to Designate (NOID) before that date.
As a result, municipalities must review their heritage registers and determine which properties warrant formal designation. Once a property is removed from the non-designated register, it cannot be added back for five years. Bill 23 also raises the threshold for heritage designation.
Councillors heard that one of the society’s major accomplishments has been the completion of a significant heritage digitization project undertaken with the help of a summer student in 2025. The work helped refine the municipality’s inventory of properties of heritage interest, reducing a list of approximately 250 buildings to 60 properties considered worthy of further attention.
The society reported that up to 14 properties, including the Madill and Newholm Church properties, are potential candidates for designation. Following a presentation to heritage property owners in March, representatives said approximately 20 per cent attended, of the 60 owners notified, with at least ten owners expressing interest in pursuing designation, councillors were told.
According to the society, feedback from property owners was clear: financial incentives are critical to encouraging participation in heritage preservation.
Representatives told council that many owners indicated they would be “extremely likely” to agree to designate their properties if financial incentives were available to offset the costs associated with maintaining historic architectural features.
To encourage heritage conservation, the society proposed several incentive programs, including a municipal tax relief program offering up to 40 per cent off municipal property taxes for designated heritage properties. Owners would be required to reapply annually and maintain property standards to remain eligible.
The society also suggested a heritage restoration grant covering 50 per cent of eligible project costs up to $7,500 for designated properties. Additional recommendations included incorporating heritage-specific language into the Community Improvement Plan and creating a Built Heritage Award program recognizing owners who maintain historic buildings in excellent condition.
Beyond financial incentives, the society asked council to formally recognize three categories of heritage properties — designated, listed and heritage collection properties — and ensure planning staff are aware of those classifications when evaluating development proposals.
The deputation also highlighted strong support for heritage preservation among property owners, local businesses and the Downtown Huntsville BIA.
The society further requested an update on whether the Town could host and provide public access to the digitized heritage files created through the recent project.
As a longer-term initiative, HAHS encouraged council to consider establishing a dedicated heritage committee to guide future preservation efforts.
The presentation included examples of newly digitized historical records, such as floor plans for Town Hall at 37 Main Street East, along with before-and-after images documenting changes to several downtown buildings over time.
In concluding remarks, society representatives emphasized that incentives, access to historical information and ongoing municipal support will be key to preserving Huntsville’s architectural heritage for future generations.
According to the Heritage Act, heritage-designated properties have permanent, legally binding protection under a municipal by-law, whereas an intent to designate provides temporary, interim protection while the municipality decides on a permanent status.
Huntsville Director of Planning Services and Acting CAO, Kirstin Maxwell, told the committee that in order to protect heritage properties, an easement on the properties should be registered, which would then transfer with the property if it is sold.
She also said any heritage incentives would need to be decided by the next term of council, as the budget is already set for this year.
Maxwell said ultimately what happens with a property is up to their owner. She told the committee that there would be nothing stopping the property owner whose property falls off the list on January 1, 2027, from asking the municipality to designate their property. She said the pared-down list is important as it can be referenced by the Town’s Planning Department. She also said the list of properties of interest simply prevents the demolition of said properties for 60 days.
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My house is over 100 years old. Would it fit the criteria for heritage home and what would this mean?