Undermining Heritage Conservation Won’t Solve Ontario’s Housing Supply Issues

Response to More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022

According to figures discussed at the National Trust for Canada Conference in Toronto last weekend, heritage protected buildings amount to approximately 4 percent of Canada’s existing building stock. “Making it harder for communities to preserve places is misguided, cannot solve the housing crisis but will certainly lead to loss of heritage valued by the diverse peoples of the province.”, says Diane Chin, ACO President. “As one example of poorly thought out proposals, requiring two criteria for designation, instead of one, will make it practically impossible to protect the often-humble buildings that tell the stories of BIPOC and other marginalized communities.

ACO sees a missed opportunity with the lack of emphasis on converting buildings larger than houses for new housing, absolutely the fastest way to bring new housing online compared to the environmentally destructive practices of demolition and new builds. Diane Chin, ACO President, says “We advocate KEEPING FIXING REUSING our older buildings.”

ACO supports many of the Ford government’s proposals which would make it easier to achieve infill (gentle) housing development such as permitting secondary suites, laneway housing. We are also pleased that overdue changes to make it easier to amend Heritage Conservation District Plans will be included. We are disappointed that the promised Ontario Building Code proposals that would permit easy conversion of commercial buildings to residential and retrofitting of Ontario’s historic main-streets buildings received no mention. Such changes would make it easier to retain and convert existing buildings, build around them, as well as create a new class of small investors in housing provision.

Architectural Conservancy Ontario is the largest voice for heritage in Ontario, founded in 1933 with branches in 17 communities across the province.

For more information contact: Diane Chin President, president@acontario.ca or Will Coukell, Chief Operating Officer will@acontario.ca 416-367-8075