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Downtown Heritage Conservation District Study

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About the project

We are doing a heritage conservation district study for downtown Guelph.

In 2021, Council approved the recommendations of the Cultural Heritage Action Plan which included: For Old Downtown, undertake a comprehensive strategy, including community consultation, to direct future cultural heritage conservation efforts and planned change.

The provincial government’s More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022, significantly changed the structure of municipal heritage registers. As a result, all properties currently listed on the Municipal Register of Cultural Heritage Properties must be removed by January 1, 2025. About 1,700 properties will lose protections. 120 of these properties located in downtown Guelph.

To protect key cultural heritage resources within downtown Guelph, the City is completing this study to determine the suitability for a heritage conservation district in the commercial core of downtown Guelph.

How to participate

We held a Public Meeting # 2 on February 20, 2024 and offered online tools here up to March 17. Please visit this page again for updates and future opportunities to participate.

Let us know if you require any accommodations or have any questions by reaching out to Jack Mallon at downtowndistrict@guelph.ca

About the project

We are doing a heritage conservation district study for downtown Guelph.

In 2021, Council approved the recommendations of the Cultural Heritage Action Plan which included: For Old Downtown, undertake a comprehensive strategy, including community consultation, to direct future cultural heritage conservation efforts and planned change.

The provincial government’s More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022, significantly changed the structure of municipal heritage registers. As a result, all properties currently listed on the Municipal Register of Cultural Heritage Properties must be removed by January 1, 2025. About 1,700 properties will lose protections. 120 of these properties located in downtown Guelph.

To protect key cultural heritage resources within downtown Guelph, the City is completing this study to determine the suitability for a heritage conservation district in the commercial core of downtown Guelph.

How to participate

We held a Public Meeting # 2 on February 20, 2024 and offered online tools here up to March 17. Please visit this page again for updates and future opportunities to participate.

Let us know if you require any accommodations or have any questions by reaching out to Jack Mallon at downtowndistrict@guelph.ca

Myths, Stories and Legends of Downtown Guelph

The history of this area extends from time immemorial to present day. Nestled within the banks of the Speed River, downtown Guelph was impacted by Indigenous communities, Guelph's founder John Galt and settler families. Downtown Guelph was a center for commerce, agriculture and hospitality from its inception. As part of this project, we want to gain a stronger understanding of the stories associated with downtown Guelph - the good, the bad or the myth. If you have a connection to this area, we invite you to share it here. Anonymous responses are welcome, and if you would like to share your story privately, please contact a member of the project team to share your story. These stories are integral to the historical significance of the downtown, and will form a significant part of our HCD Study.

Thank you for sharing your story with us.
CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.
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    History or heritage story?

    by sratcliffe, about 1 year ago
    One of Guelph's pre-eminent historians was Ross Irwin. He loved to research HISTORY, and did not like to hear me tell "stories". He spent a long time researching the exact site of the tree that Galt cut down to found our city, and felt the black plaque on the railway bridge support was entirely in the wrong place.

    Another story/myth is about the way Galt planned the city. The story is that Galt (or another of the group with him for the tree cutting) put his hand on the trunk of the fallen tree and said this will be the... Continue reading

Page last updated: 27 Jun 2024, 11:02 AM